Another position from the present Wijk aan Zee Masters.
Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move and win
Vidit v Kramnik, 23/1/19 Wijk aan Zee
Solution
1 Qf4!, a move I wouldn’t have considered in the game, and Black resigned. My engine says it is mate in 11. Once Vidit played the move, I realised the Ne6 is tied to the back rank mate, and this is the key reason 1 Qf4 ‘works’.
A crushing loss for Kramnik, in a tournament where at the time of writing he is languishing in clear last place.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
Another position from ‘Chess Combination as a Fine Art’ by Keres. Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move: examine 1 Qa3+ Qe7, as played in the game
Matulović v Ivkov, Sousse 1967
Solution
1…Qe7? was a mistake: 2 Rg7! exploits the King being tied to the Qe7. If 2…Qa3 then 3 Rf7+ which wind since 4…Ne5 is met by 5 Rb7, the Bb7 being unprotected.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
A position from the current Wijk aan Zee Tournament.
Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move: what would you play? (Note, White isn’t winning after the move; it is a question about move selection)
Anand v Mamedyarov, 20/1/19, Wijk aan Zee
Solution
Vishy played a move I wouldn’t have considered, having never seen the motif behind it before.
1 c4!!; exclaims for originality. Black is forced to play 1…Rc4 when 2 Rd5! breaks through, the Rc4 being LPDO and skewered by 3 Qd5+ if Black takes the rook. So 2…Rf7, and the game goes on. Vishy won quickly, in fine style.
1 c4 had the affect of swapping off the meaningless pawn whilst giving White dominant control of the d file, which underpinned the end of the game.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
Another position from ‘Chess Combination as a Fine Art’ by Keres. Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move: examine 1Rad1 Rd6 2d4, as played in the game.
Suttles v Uhlmann, Polanica- Zdroj 1967
Solution
1…Rd6, which looks like a simple preparation for doubling up rooks on the d-file, is cunning. 2d4? is a mistake.
After 2…cd 3 Nd4 Nd4 4 Rd4 Black has the winning pin 4…Re6.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
Another position from ‘Chess Combination as a Fine Art’ by Keres. Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move and win
Gadia v Mendes, São Paulo 1967
Solution
1 Qf6+! Kf6 2 Bb2+
2..Ne5 the only way to continue the game 3 Re5
and Black is helpless. Depending on his response, the Queen falls, or Black’s King is in a mating net.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
Another position from ‘Chess Combination as a Fine Art’ by Keres. Today’s blog is affected by my PC having failed and needing repair or replacement, so is in different format to normal. How long it will be before it returns to normal format will be dependent on if the PC can be returned to good health.
White to move and win
Guseev v Fedin, RSFSR 1967
Solution
1 Nc5+! Kf5[] 2 Rf1+ Kg4 3 h3+ Kh4 4 Ne4!
And there is nothing Black can do except desperadoes. Kh2 and ideas like Be5 and g3+ or Rf4+ check are threatened.
FEN
No FEN whilst this problem persists. Sorry.
Today’s problem was seen on Twitter in November; the game isn’t in Megabase but I found it on chessgames.com where some postings doubt its authenticity; but the combination is very nice.
Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black to play
Gomes v Netto, Rio de Janeiro 7/1/1942
Solution
1…Rg8!;
and in the game 2 c3 Nh4+! 3 gh g5
and Black wins the queen, with an attack continuing.
FEN
r3k1r1/1pp2ppp/pb1p1qn1/4p2b/2B1P3/N1PP1NPP/PP2QPK1/R4R2 b q – 0 15
Today’s problem is from the current Wijk aan Zee tournament
Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black played 1…Ba4; should he have?
Vidit v Van Foreest, J Wijk aan Zee 15/1/2019
Solution
1…Ba4 is… the losing move. Black had played a long line- I read on twitter that he took 3 minutes for his first 30 moves, which resulted in the pawn down opposite B ending, which no doubt Black assumed was drawn.
Danny King has produced another of his excellent PowerPlay videos on this ending, showing why 1…Bd1! draws, forcing the King to look after the Pe2; and why 1..Ba4? loses.
Danny also shows how the resultant endgame is identical to game 11 of the Carlsen -Caruana World Championship match, in which Fabiano showed he had the knowledge of how to draw the endgame.
A fascinating video; if the link doesn’t work, then search for Danny on YouTube, looking Vidit or Foreest.
FEN
3k4/5pp1/2PBp3/7p/7P/4KPP1/2b1P3/8 b – – 0 36
Today’s problem is from a recent newspaper article- from the Spectator.
Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
Black to play
Botvinnik v Smyslov, game 18, World Championship match 19/54/1958
Solution
Smyslov played 1…Rde8, and eventually lost the game, but 1…Rd2! would have won.
After say 2 Be6+ Rf7, White only has 3 Bf7+ Kf7 and no more checks.
A picture tells a 1,000 words, and below is the Chessbase15 quick annotation diagram of the game.
Black missed his main chance, and blundered in the R+B endgame at move 46.
FEN
3r1rk1/pp5p/2b3p1/2p1p1Q1/5P2/2P1R1PB/P1q4P/4R1K1 b – – 0 26
Today’s problem is from the recent World Rapid Championships in St. Petersburg.
Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.
White to play
Duda v Svidler, St. Petersburg Rapid 28/12/18
Solution
1 Rf5! and the Black Queen is trapped, and will be won after f2-f3.
FEN
6k1/6p1/r1rp1p1p/3R3P/p1p1P1q1/P5P1/1PQR1PK1/8 w – – 0 36
allanbeardsworth 