Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
J Horton v J Reed, Chester 20/1/2013
Solution
1 Ng5+ hg 2 Qh5+ gh 3 e5+
and White is winning.
FEN
3rr1n1/ppp2p1k/2nb2pp/7q/4P3/2P1BN2/PPB1QP1P/2K1R1R1 w – – 0 24
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
G Jones v S Djuric, Bratto 27/4/2013
Solution
1 Bb5! d5[] 2 Bc6! overloading the queen: White wins a pawn.
The game is anything but over- in the game, Black got significant compensation, but a nice tactic regardless.
FEN
r3k1nr/p1pqbppp/2pp4/4Pb2/2B5/2P2Q2/PP3PPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq – 0 10
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
V Kramnik v B Gelfand, St. Petersburg 30/4/2013
Solution
I failed with this one, playing the move played in the game, 1 Rd8, with the aim of simplifying to a draw: which happened in the game.
But the engine move 1 Rh8! wins.
It is hard to see why; only by looking at each of Black’s possible defences can it be seen.
For instance:
1…Ra1 2 Rh6 Ne4/c4 3 Rh5 mate; 2…Nf5 3 Re6 mate.
I’ve spent a while looking at alternatives, and figuring out why each lose: none are obvious: I think the problem is in the “fiendish” “silicon only” category.
FEN
1R6/1p6/1R1n4/r2pk3/8/4PK2/8/8 w – – 0 64
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
M Adams v V Kramnik, St Petersburg 1/5/2013
Solution
1…Rg3! and the game is over: if the N takes the rook, 2…fg and the pawns are unstoppable.
FEN
8/8/8/5Rpk/4Np1p/3r4/2K5/8 b – – 0 71
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
Sam Collins v A Braun, Dublin 31/3/2013
Solution
I missed Sam’s nextr move, an excellent one. I played 1 Ba3 after which White is better, but not by much, and I fear the advantage in practice would be gone by 1..Kf6 2 Rd4 Ra4!
Instead 1g4!
It took me a while to see what this achieved.
The idea is to push the queen to a worse square:
i) either c5, as played, when White wins material after 2 Ba3 (but the game still went on for a whilel or
ii) 1…Qg6, from where (a) the Queen is passive; (b) it occupies a square which the king would have wanted, after Ba3 Kf6.
Interesting.
FEN
r1b4r/1p2kppp/3Rp3/1p3q2/P7/2P3P1/4QP1P/R1B3K1 w – – 0 20
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
Sam Collins v A Braun, Dublin 31/3/2013
Solution
1 Rd6!
for if 1…Kd6, 2 Ba3+ Kc7 3 Qc4+ Kb8 4 Bd6+ Ka7 5 Qc7 and Black is hamstrung.
and 3…Kb6 is worse: 4 Qd4+ Kc7 5 Qd6 mate, for instance.
So Black played the better move 1..ab. I will continue tomorrow.
FEN
r1b4r/1p2kppp/p2bp3/1B3q2/P7/2P3P1/4QP1P/R1BR2K1 w – – 0 19
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
R Tozer v J Shaw, Plymouth 1992
Solution
A nice deflection first: 1…Ra1! ; what a lovely move to be able to play.
White sportingly played 2 Qb2+ and 3 Qa1, and then allowed the smothered mate.
FEN
r3r2k/1p3p2/7p/1NP2B2/1PP5/4q2n/2Q3PP/5R1K b – – 0 28
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
A Smith v M Prasath, Hinckley 5/5/2013
Solution
Knowing it is problem position, 1 Rh5+ springs to mind immediately, as does 2 Qg7 after 1…Kh5[].
It is not too hard to see that Black is helpless. If 2…Qh8, to prevent 3 Qh7 mate; then 3 Nf4+ overloads the Ng6.
FEN
r1bq4/ppp5/2r3nk/4R2p/4Pp1P/1BQ2P2/PPP1N3/2K3R1 w – – 0 23
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
D Wagner v S Berger, Bundersliga 17/3/2013
Solution
1…Ne3 is a pretty diversion of the King; diversion or preventing it from reaching g2, and if 2 Kf2, 2…h2 prevents it from going to g1 either: the pawn promotes.
FEN
8/8/5k2/6p1/3NP1n1/5KPp/8/8 b – – 0 56
Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.
As is my custom, I only say 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
M Yeo v P Gayson, Hinckley, 5/5/2013
Solution
1 Bc7! is hard, but nice to find; if 1…Bc7 then 2 Ne7+ Kd8[] 3 Nc6+ and 4 Rd7 mate, so Black ‘grovelled’ with 1…Qc7.
A few moves later:
The game went on for another 26 moves, but the result was never really in doubt.
FEN
1qk2r1r/1p1n1pp1/pBbb3p/3NpQ2/4P1P1/7P/PPPR2B1/1K5R w – – 0 21
allanbeardsworth 