White to play. Keymer-Deac, Grand Chess Tour, Romania, 2026. Keymer found by far the strongest way to prosecute his attack. Which move did he play to force resignation? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 June. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1…Nd3!! threatens Qf6-f3+. After 2 Rxd3 Qc6+ 3 f3 Qc1 White resigned, e.g.
Black to play. Pranav-Movahed, Baku Open 2026. Movahed won the game and the tournament with a beautiful combination here. What was the crucial first move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 May. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Rh1!! Kxh1 2 Kf2 wins, or 1…Kxh3 2 Kf2, or 1…Nf3 2 h4 etc.
White to play and win. Composed by Pogosyants, Shakhmaty v SSSR, 1976. The straightforward 1 Ra1 Kxh3 is a standard draw, but White has an ingenious winning move. Which one? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 May. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucherfor the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1…Qxe3!
Black to play. Sipila-Maltsevskaya, European Individual Championship, 2026. Black’s next move decided the game immediately. What did she play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 May. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Qg7!
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Georges Emile Barbier, The Westminster Papers, 1873. Email answers (first move only) to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 May. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1…Qf6+!!
Black to play. Lodici-Gokerkan, European Individual Championships, Katowice, April 2026. White’s last move, 35 Kg3-h4, was a fatal blunder. Which move let Black force a quick checkmate? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 April. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Ra4! threatens 2 b5 mate.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Johan Axel Akerblom, Sveriges Schackförbund, 1924. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 April (first move only). There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1…Nd4! wins, e.g.
Black to play. A variation from the game Tan-Goryachkina, Fide Women’s Candidates, Cyprus 2026. White is two pawns up, but Black has a surprising winning move. Which one? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 April. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Rc6! threatens 2 Bb2#. Then 1...Ne6 2 Bd6# or 1...Nf5 2 Ng6# or 1...Nd5 2 Nd7# or 1...
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Thomas Dawson, British Chess Magazine, 1942. This problem appeared in the Minor section of the 2026 solving championship. Email answers (first move only) to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 April. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1…Rh5! Once the rooks are exchanged, one of Black’s pawns will race to promotion.
Black to play. Dishman-Bevis, British Rapidplay Championship, 2026. A draw looks likely, but White’s last move, 40 Rb6-b5, had a surprising flaw. Black’s next move prompted resignation. What was it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 March. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1...Bf4+! wins at least a knight, or 2 Kxf4 dxe5+ 3 Kxe5 Rxd7 wins the rook.
Black to play. Schell-Bryant, Isle of Wight 2026. Black’s next move prompted immediate resignation. What was it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 March. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Qb7! Then 1…Kxc4 2 Qd5# or 1…Rxb7 2 Rdxc3# or 1…Kc2 2 Rcxc3#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Otto Wurzburg, Zlata Praha, 1907. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 March. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 g5+ Kxg5 2 Qf4+ Kh5 3 Qh4 mate.
White to play. Royal-Radeva, Isle of Wight Masters, 2025. Royal found a quick way to wrap up the game. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 March. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1… f5! and White resigned in view of 2 Qxg6 Ne2+ 3 Nxe2 Qb2 mate.
Black to play. Sigurjonsson-Timman, Wijk aan Zee 1980. Timman has sacrificed a rook to open up White’s king. His next move was a decisive blow. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 March. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 c8=N! and then 1...Kxc8 2 Ba6 mate or 1...Ka8 2 Bc6 mate.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Heinrich Meyer, 1898. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 February. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Qxh5+!
White to play. Jacorey Bynum-Magnus Carlsen, chess.com, 2026. In another Titled Tuesday game, a teenage national master from the USA scored a memorable upset. Which move forced a quick mate here? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 February. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Rc4! forks the bishops, so Giri resigned.
White to play. Keymer-Giri, Tata Steel Masters, Wijk aan Zee 2026. Giri has just captured a pawn on d4. The position looks benign, but Keymer’s next move prompted Giri to resign. What was it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 February. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Ba7! threatens Rf7-c7 mate. Black resigned since 1…Bd7 2 Rf8+ Be8 3 Rxe8+ Kd7 4 Nxg7 is hopeless.
White to play. Erdogmus-Van Foreest, Tata Steel Masters 2025. The Turkish 14-year-old has a dangerous attack with rook, knight and bishop. Which move did he play to decide the game? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 February. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Re4+!
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Sam Loyd, The Musical World, 1858. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 26 January. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1… e3!! 2 Bxc6 e2 wins, e.g.
Black to play. Trent-Hawkins, King’s Place Open, 2015. The bishop’s skewer looks set to cause heavy material losses. Hawkins next move showed that he can nevertheless win the game. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 19 January. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1… Nf3! wins, e.g. 2 gxf3 Qxf3+ 3 Kg1 Qg2#. White tried 2 Bg6 but soon lost: fxg6 3 Qxd5+ Qxd5 4 Nxd5 Bxg2+ etc.