Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Landa v Klaman 1978
Solution
1 Qc1! trying to attack on the black squares, taking advantage of the Pb4 keeping the Bb6 out of the game.
1…Bf5 2 Qh6 threatening 3 Qf8 mate, and also 3 Nh5 or 3 Nf5: 1-0
FEN
7k/3q1p1p/1b2bp2/1p2pN2/1P6/2P2PNP/2Q3PK/8 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Mielcarek v Trošanko, correspondence 1978
Solution
Nice; and not too hard, to say all the way to the end.
1 Rh6+ gh[] 2 Rg6 Kh8 3 Qh6+ Rh7
4 Qf8+! Bf8[] 5 Rg8 mate.
FEN
5r2/1p1qr1pk/p4pRp/2bBpP2/4P2P/6R1/PPPQ4/1K6 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White.
Portisch v Hübner, Bugojno 1978
Solution
Check, check, check.
1…Ne4+! 2fe fe+ 3 Ke1
3…Qg3+!
4 Rg3[] Rh1+ and mates.
FEN
8/1b3rpk/1p1qpn2/5p2/3P4/4PPPr/2QBBK2/2R3R1 b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White.
Rodriquez v Olafsson, Las Palmas 1976
Solution
Not too hard today: a forced line, single track. 1…Qg2+ 2 Rg2[] Nf3+ 3 Kh1[] Rd1+
and mate after the rooks sacrifice themselves, 0-1.
FEN
3r1rk1/pp3ppp/8/2p5/4PB1n/P1P2qPP/Q3RP1K/6R1 b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
(I don’t know why my app insists on putting a spot on h3, which I couldn’t get rid of. The square isn’t relevant to the solution).
Sindik v Cebalo, Zagreb 1978
Solution
Clearly, the aim is to overload the Qb6, and either 1 Rc6? or 1 Rb4! are the natural tries. The former fails after 1…Bc6 2 Qd6+ Kg8 and the black king slips away. But 1 Rb4! and if 1….Qc7 2 Rb7!, since the Q is tied to defending d8: 1-0
FEN
5k2/1b3pr1/pq1b1Q2/4p3/2R1P2P/8/1N6/1K3R2 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Herb v unknown, Castelnandary 1978
Solution
The type of problem I find quite tricky. I know there is a solution, but nothing quite works. Overcoming ‘resistance’ is a new term I have recently learnt from Jacob Aagaard’s excellent ‘Thinking Inside the box’, and here is a good example.
Eventually, I saw the solution.
1 Qf7+ Kh8[] 2 Nh7!
2.. Nh7 3 Bh6! – the ‘easy but difficult’ move, using another phrase I have learned from Jacob’s book.
Black collapses, mate follows.
FEN
5nk1/1pp1n1b1/p1q1p2p/P2pP1NQ/3P4/2P5/1PB3P1/2B3K1 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Borkovski v Grigorov, 1977
Solution
I partly failed with this one. I chose 1 Re7+, which I thought mated cleanly, but after 1…Be7 2 fe+ Ke7 3 Qg7+, I missed that Black’s king could move to e6, and wasn’t forced to move to e8. After 3…Ke6, White still wins, but slowly.
Better 1 Qc4+! d5[] 2 Qc7+ Kg8:
3 Qg7+!
3…Bg7+ 4 f7+! Kh8 5 Re8+ Bf8[] 6 Rf8+
and the king is hunted out, with mate following check after check.
FEN
5b2/5k1p/3p1Pp1/r7/1p1Q3P/qP6/2P2R2/1K2R3 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Durga v Jablonicki, Czechoslovakia 1977
Solution
An instant one today, 1 Rd8 seen automatically, and either Re8mate or Qg7mate follows. A rest day.
FEN
4r1k1/pp3p1p/5qp1/2P2N2/3R4/2Q2bP1/P4K1P/8 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black.
Vladimir v Haritonov, Alma Ata, 1977
Solution
Not too hard today. 1 Qf6+! Nf6 2 Bc5+
2…Bc5[] 3 ef+ Kf8[] 4 Rh8mate.
FEN
r3r3/3nkp2/q1p1p1p1/p3P1P1/PbpB4/1P5R/2P2Q1P/3RN2K w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Vasiukov v Pribyl, Zalaegerszeg 1977
Solution
I messed up this one. I saw the first move, 1 Nc7+!, and thought I had seen the solution with 1…Nc7[]
2 Rd8+? Kd8[] 3 Qf8+ Ne8? 4 Qe7 mate. However, 3…Kd7 is better, after say 4 Re7+ Kc6 the engine says it is +4, but, when I tried to play the line out against the machine, it quickly turned sour. Some precise moves were needed, else Black unscrambles and is then better.
However, 2 Re7+! just mates. After 2…Ke7[] 3 Qf6+ Ke8[] 4 Rd8 mate,
FEN
r1b1kb1Q/qp2pp2/p3n1p1/2nN2Pp/2B4P/7N/PPP5/2KRR3 w q – 0 1
allanbeardsworth 