allanbeardsworth

Today’s problem is a trip down memory lane for me. Recently, I was telling a friend of the time my school, Bolton School, won the Sunday Times national schools’ chess tournament. It made me look at my game from the final, which I haven’t looked at for the last forty years. I found out it had a little tactic worth including in my blog.

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

P Markwell v Allan Beardsworth, St Ermin’s Hotel, London, 17th July 1976

Solution

The game had been heading for a draw until White’s last move, 1 Qe5-d4? It allows 1…Bd5 winning a pawn. White collapsed, and my win secured the title for my school. Happy days.

FEN

2r3k1/pb2qpp1/1p1Rp2p/8/2PQ4/P7/1P2BPPP/6K1 b – – 0 23

Today’s problem was one seen on Twitter. A really tough puzzle, or at least it took me a good while, including setting pieces up on the board, and a few sitting and staring attempts until the lightbulb moment struck.

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

“Benji2 v IM Thomas Rendle, London November 2018

Solution

1….Bd4 is the unnatural, surprising, move which wins a pawn. It took me a while to see it, having tried and tried again to capture with a N on e5, or play Nd4, or …g5, or play ….f6.

I should remember to examine all biffs.

FEN

r1bqk2r/pppn1ppp/2n1p3/2bpP3/8/3P1NP1/PPPNQP1P/R1B1KB1R b KQkq – 0 7

Today’s problem is from the World Championship match; a position I pondered and didn’t understand from the report of game 5 in Chessbase.com  and in particular Aryan Tari’s comments.

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

Aryan Tari’s annotations say that 18 d4 is a killer if 17..b3; but doesn’t even mention it after 17..Kd7.

Why?

Wby is it so strong after one move, but not even worth mentioning after another?

Caruana v Carlsen, game 5, London 15/11/18

Solution

The answer seems to be that by keeping the pawn on b4, hitting c3, White’s BSB has no square on which it is protected.

So 17..Kd7 18 d4 Ra8 hits the BSP; 19 Bb2 ed 20 cd Kc7:

and d5 isn’t a threat because the Bb2 is unprotected.

Contrast 17..b3 when after 18 d4 ed 19 cd the BSB can, if hit by Ra8, move safely to Bc3 from where the Nb1 protects it: so  d5 is threatened.

FEN

r7/1pPk1pbp/6p1/3bp3/1n2P3/5N2/3P1PPP/B3R1K1 w – – 0 21

Today’s problem is from the recent women’s world chess championships.

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

Aliaga Fernandez v Gunina, Khanty-Mansiysk, 3/11/18

Solution

1…Kc4! creates a net and White is helpless against the threat of 2…Nd5; Black wins the exchange and then mops up.

FEN

6R1/8/1n6/3kppBp/8/4KPP1/1r5P/8 b – – 0 44

Today’s problem is from the 1972 book “Chess Combination as a Fine Art”, a book based on articles published in the 1950s-1960s by Kurt Richter.

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

Sreeves v Rudd, 4NCL 11/11/18

Solution

1 h8(Q) is an unusual final move, and therefore hard to see. The King is tied to f7, so 1…Kf7 2 Nf7+ forks king and rook; and the Rd8 is tied to the Bd7, so Black resigned.

FEN

2rr4/pp1b1pkP/1q2p1p1/2bnN3/8/3B4/PPPBQP1P/1K1R3R w – – 0 21
wKb1,Qe2,Ne5,Bd2,d3,Rd1,h1,Pa2,b2,c2,f2,h2,h7/bKg7,Qb6,Nd5,Bc5,d7,Rc8,d8,Pa7,b7,e6,f7,g6

Today’s problem is a nice one, which took me more than a moment or two to solve, seen in Malcolm Pein’s Daily Telegrah column.

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

Girya v Zhai, 2018

Solution

1…Ng4! is the key move. It took me a while, being blinded by the N being hit by the Ph3.

2 Nf3 Bd4+! and the threat of mate on e1 means the Nf3 is tied, so 3…Ba7 follows.

FEN

4r1k1/R4pbp/p5p1/4n1B1/3N1P2/7P/6P1/6K1 b – – 0 1

Today’s problem is something I saw whilst browsing through Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation.

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

Berczes v Tikkanen, Stockholm 2010

Solution

Tikkanen played 1…Re2? and lost a long ending after 2 Nf3. He had the spectacular 1…Re1+!!

The idea is clear, as soon as the move is seen: 2 Re1[] Rd8 with the idea of Rd1 and promoting the pawn.

Jacob’s line doesn’t end there, and there are some fantastic further lines, which I will leave for readers of his book.

To my mind, yet another example of CJS Purdy’s examine all biffs mantra.

FEN

r3r3/5Rpp/p1k5/P1p5/7N/6P1/2p2P1P/2R3K1 b – – 0 1

Today’s problem is from the 1972 book “Chess Combination as a Fine Art”, a book based on articles published in the 1950s-1960s by Kurt Richter.

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

Capablanca v Lasker, Berlin 1914, 5 sec ligntning

Solution

1 Ra8+! and wins the b6 pawn, and then the game.

FEN

1R6/k1nK4/1p6/1P6/8/8/8/8 w – – 0 1

Today’s problem is from the 1972 book “Chess Combination as a Fine Art”, a book based on articles published in the 1950s-1960s by Kurt Richter.

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

Bujnoch v Matocha, Czechoslovakia, 1968

Solution

1 Be7+ Kh6

2 Rh7+!

2..Kh7[] 3 Bf6+ and mates.

FEN

8/Q4R1p/2pB2p1/2Pp2k1/3r4/7P/P5PK/1q2r3 w – – 0 1