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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
Black to play. Hakobyan-Erigaisi, Fide World Rapid Championship, Doha 2025. Erigaisi’s next move decided the game in his favour. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 12 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.
White to play. Theodorou-Dominguez, London Chess Classic Super Rapidplay, December 2025. Theodorou found a clever winning shot. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 January. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Nd4!
Martirosyan-Yilmaz, European Individual Championship 2025. Black has just pushed his pawn to c4, overlooking a crucial tactic. Martirosyan’s next move decided the game. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 22 December. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
White to play and mate in three moves (that is, W-B-W-B-W checkmate). Composed by Sam Loyd, Holyoke Transcript, 1876. Please note that because of the Christmas printing schedule, this is not a prize puzzle. Last week’s solution 1 Qf6+! Nxf6 2 Bf8+ Nh7 3 Rxh7+ Kxh7 4 Rh3 mate Last week’s winner James McMeehan Roberts,
White to play. A nice example from the ‘Generating Chess Puzzles’ paper mentioned above. Which move allows White to force checkmate on the kingside? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 December. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six
Donchenko-Liem, Fide World Cup, Goa 2025. Donchenko’s next move forced a decisive material gain. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 November. 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
Wei Yi-Kacper Piorun, Fide World Cup, Goa 2025. Which surprising move enabled Wei to gain a decisive material advantage? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 November. 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
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Sam Loyd, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 1858 Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 November. 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
Black to play. Wonderful time-Daniel Naroditsky, Chess.com, 2021. Le Tuan Minh, the Vietnamese grandmaster playing White, faces a fierce attack. Naroditsky’s next move won him the game. What was it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 November. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer out of
A variation from Kourkoulos-Arditis-Maroroa Jones. The Greek grandmaster playing White went wrong and lost the game, but could have aimed for this position, where White has a brilliant winning move. Which one? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 October. There is a prize of a £20 John Lewis voucher for the first correct answer
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Theodore Morris Brown, American Chess-Nuts, 1868. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 October. There is a prize of £20 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
White to play. Cmiel – Leitner, European Senior (50+) Championship, October 2025. The situation looks hopeless, but White found a brilliant counterattack. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
