Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Szilagyi v Busa, correspondence, Hungary 1980
Solution
This is very similar to ‘one I have seen earlier’, and the motif is the same: clear the d file so that Rd8 mate can be played, or clear the e line instead.
So 1 Nc7+!
Qc7[] 2 Ne6!
2…Qe5
3Nc7+!
Qc7 4 Qe2+! Ne5 5 Qe5+! Qe5 6 Rd8 mate.
FEN
rn2kb1r/1b1n1pp1/4p3/1N2q1Bp/3N2Q1/8/PPP3PP/2KR3R w kq -0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Fedcenko v Nosulja, Sumi 1980
Solution
Not too hard today: 1… Rh2+ is the natural first try, and after 2 Kh2 Rh4+ the natural follow up. 3 Kg2 Qe2+ 4 Rf2 (or 4 Qf2) Bf3+ and 5…Rh1 mate.
FEN
7r/Qp4k1/4pp2/3bq3/2r5/2P2BP1/P6P/3R1RK1 b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and win
Cepunatjis v G;janee, Leningrad 1980
Solution
The motif is fairly obvious, 1 Qf6 Rg8, with the only difficulty being to break down Black’s resistance. Since there are ideas of Nh6+ hg Qh4 mate in the position, 2 Re6! forces 2…Qe6, when 3 Ng6+ overloads the f-pawn. Black loses his queen.
FEN
1r2r2k/pp2Npbp/3qb1p1/6Q1/5P2/2B2P2/PP3R1P/4R1K1 w – – 0 1
A break from the daily puzzle from Matni Udar. Today’s is a difficult puzzle I found in a 1991 issue of Kingpin.
White to play and win
Tischbiersk v Vegh, Budapest 1983
Solution
I saw the initial move instantly, but couldn’t make it work for a long while.
1 Re7! is obvious, and 1…Ke7 is forced since 1…Kh8 is mated after 2 Rf7+ 3 Rg7+ 4 Ref7mate.
Eventually I saw 2 Qf6+ (after trying to make 2 Qg8 work, unsuccessfully. But 2 Qf6+ sends the black king on a long march ending in mate.
FEN
r1b2krQ/1pR1bp1p/1q2p3/1B6/4p3/8/P1P3PP/5R1K w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Christiansen v Cifuentes Malta 1980
Solution
A nice one today. The main ideas are fairly obvious- a Bh7+, maybe a Qh5, hopefully mating or breaking through on the h file. But how to achieve it?
The diverting move 1 Nd7! is fairly obvious, but Black has several good tries: 1…Qc7, 1…Qf4 and 1…Nf4, as well as the obvious 1…Nd7.
They are are all met in broadly similar fashion, so I will just give one: 1…Qc7 2 Bh7+! and if 2…Nh7, 3 Qh5 mates.
FEN
1qr2rk1/pb2bppp/4pn2/1p1nN3/2NP4/1P5R/PB2QPPP/1B2R1K1 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Sigurjonsson v Timman, Wijk aan Zee, 1980
Solution
After first trying fancy stuff like 1…Qa4??, I quickly concentrated on finding the follow up to the obvious 1…Rb2 2Kb2.
The choices were between rook check or queen check, but when I saw the idea must be to play Ne2 diverting the Qg4 with …f5 became obvious, and therefore 2..Qb7+ (or b6) became obvious.
FEN
5rk1/p1p1ppb1/2qp2p1/8/1r1n1PQP/2N3R1/PPPB4/2KR4 b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Evert v Barbakadze, correspondence SSSR 1980
Solution
Nice, but not hard. 1…Qf2+ and if 2Kh1, 2…Ng3+ is horrible (say 3Ng3 Qg3 4Kg1[] Nf2 hitting h3) though even better is 2…Qh2+ and 3…Qh1mate. But the Main line is 2 Nf2 when 2…Bh2+ 3K-either Ng3 is smothered mate.
FEN
1r2k2r/1p1b1p2/p2p2p1/2pPbn1p/P1P1N1nq/7P/1PNBBPP1/R1Q1R1K1 b k – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Gümrükcüoglü v Conevares, Malta 1980
Solution
Not too hard today, since it is a fairly standard Sicilian attack. 1Nd5
1…ed 2Qh5 and if the queen is captured, Rg3 mate, or if not, Qh6 mates. And 1…Nf6 2Nf6+ Kg7 3Qh7mate.
Or 1…h6 2Ne7+ Kh7[] 3Bc3 and wins.
FEN
2r2rk1/1b3p1p/p2ppBp1/2q4n/4P3/1BN2R1Q/PPP3PP/5R1K w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Cervonov v Dumanski, Harkov 1980
Solution
1 Nf6+ is the obvious first move, after which Black has two choices, 1…Bf6 and 1…gf.
Both lose in more or less similar ways, but the pretty one is 1..gf 2 ef+ Kf8 3Re8+! Ke8[] 4Qe3+ Kf8 5Qh6+ Qh6[] 6 Bh6+ Kg8 7Re1 and mates.
FEN
r1bbk2r/pppp1ppp/7n/3NP2q/1PB5/1Q5P/P4PP1/R1B1R1K1 w kq – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Tanner v Kovalainen, Kajami 1980
Solution
The best line is more or less forced, since White has so few options. 1Nd4 interferes with the Rd8 whilst also permitting Qh5+.
After 1…fg 2 Qh5+ Kg8[]
3Qg6 is more than sufficient, but 3Rg7+ is more forcing, not that forcing is needed. 3…Kg7[] 4Ne6+ and Qg6+ and Qg7 mate.
Or, 1…Qd4 2Qh5+ Kg8[] when forcing is again not needed: 3Qg6 Qa1+ 4Kh2 Qe5+ fails to 5f4!. But again, 3Rg7+ is possible, followed by Bh6+/Be3 dis+, leading to a winning ending.
FEN
3r1r2/p3R1pk/bp2pp2/n3P1B1/7P/2q2N2/P4PP1/R2Q2K1 w – – 0 1
allanbeardsworth 