White to play. Giri-Praggnanandhaa, Chessable Masters 2022. A game from the preliminary stages. What did Giri play to induce resignation? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 June. 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…Qe2! If 2 Rxe2 Rb1+ 3 Bf1 Rxf1 mate Last week’s winner Ashley Murphy-Elliott, Oakworth, W.
Black to play. Bacrot-Anand, Bastia Rapid 2001. A spectacular blow from Anand prompted Bacrot to resign. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 May. 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 Be1! And White won in the end. Not 1 Bg3? Qh3+!! 2 Kxh3 Bf1# or 1 Bf2 Qh3+!!
White to play. Vachier-Lagrave-Caruana, Bucharest 2022. The Bh4 can retreat to g3, f2 or e1. Which one is best, and why? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 May. 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 h6+! Kxh6 2 Rxg6+ hxg6 3 Qh3+ followed by Qh4 or Qh8#. Not 1 Rxg6+ hxg6 2 h6+ Kh7!
White to play. Averbakh-Zita, Szczawno-Zdroj 1950. Black has just interposed Rb6-g6, so White needs an accurate finish before e3-e2 mate arrives. What did Averbakh play next? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 May. 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.
White to play. Reshevsky-Savon, Petropolis 1973. Reshevsky played the awful 1 Qxg6+, and resigned after 1…Bxg6. Many moves win, but which one forces mate in just three moves? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 May. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer picked. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1 Nf4+! Rxf4 2 h8=B and stalemate follows. Not 1 Ne7+ Bxe7 2 h8=B Bf6!
White to play and draw. Composed by Jan Timman, 2011. 1 h8=Q Rxd5 wins for Black, so how does White escape? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 3 May. 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...Qxe2+ 2 Kxe2 Bg4 is mate.
Black to play. Sukandar-Niemann, Reykjavik Open 2022. In this preposterous position, Black found a quick forced mate. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 April. 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 Rg1!
White to play. A variation from Esipenko-Nakamura, Fide Grand Prix Berlin 2022. Which move would allow White to force a win? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 April. 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 Nxa5+! Qxa5 2 b4 traps the queen. Black chose 1…bxa5 2 Rb3 and resigned a few moves later.
White to play. Duda-Anton Guijarro, Charity Cup, March 2022. Black’s last move, 21…Qe7-b4 was an unforced error. Which move did White play to exploit it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 April. 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 Rd2! e.g.
White to play and mate in two. Philip Hamilton Williams, Birmingham News, 1897. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 April. 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 Rd4+! e.g. 1…Ka5 2 Re5#, or 1…Kc5 2 Qd6# or 1…Kc3 2 Qd3# Last week’s winner N.
White to play and mate in 2. Composed by Bo Lindgren, Probleemblad 1969. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 28 March. 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 Bh6+!
White to play. Rapport-Rogic, Austria 2010. Black threatens Qa1+ and then Rxf2+, so Rapport must strike at once. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 21 March. 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…Qxc3! Then 2 bxc3 Ba3+ 3 Kb1 Rd1 mate, or 2 Rxc3 Rxg7 and Black should win with the extra bishop.
Black to play. Shirov-Kramnik, Groningen 1993. Shirov threatens Rg3-h3+ so Kramnik forced a draw: 1…Rxg7+ 2 Rxg7+ Kh6 3 Rg8 Kh7 etc. Which move would have won Kramnik the game? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 14 March. 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 Qg8+! Qxg8 2 Rh1# or 1…Kxg8 2 Rxa8+ wins. Other tries lead to stalemate or perpetual check e.g. 1 Qd4 Qd8+ 2 Qxd8 stalemate or 1 Qd1 Qg2+ etc.
White to play and win. A gem discovered by the Ukrainian composer Vladislav Tarasiuk with Israeli composer Amatzia Avni. How does White avoid stalemate and secure the win? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by 7 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. 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...Rb3! Then 2 Rxa5 Rxb1+ leads to mate, while 2 Qd1 Rxb1 3 Qxb1 Qxf5 leaves Black a rook up.
Black to play. Maric-Gligoric, Belgrade 1962. White has offered to exchange the rooks on f5 and c3. But Gligoric found a much stronger shot, prompting instant resignation. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 28 February. 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…Rxa7+ 2 Rxa7 Rb5+ Capturing the rook leads to stalemate, while otherwise it can check along the b-file forever.
Black to play. Shuvalova–Pavlidou, Women’s World Blitz Championship, 2021. White was winning, but has just played 89 g3-g4? No resignation here: Pavlidou seized her opportunity to save the game. What did she play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 21 February. 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 Rd3+. Then 1…Kc6 2 Nd8# or 1…Kc4 2 Ne5#, or 1…Ke4 2 Nc5#, or 1…Ke6 2 Rd6#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Touw Hian Bwee, Schakend Nederland 1976. The first move allows Black’s king to run in any of four directions, with a different mating response to each one. What is it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 14 February. 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 Qxa7+ Qxa7 2 Nc7 mate.
White to play. Dardha–Shuvalova, Tata Steel Challengers 2022. The 16-year-old grandmaster from Belgium found a crisp way to finish the game. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 7 February. 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…Rh1! 2 Qxh1 Qc3 and Qc3-b2 mate is unstoppable.
Black to play. Grandelius–Rapport, Tata Steel Chess 2022. With a bishop resting on a3, the White king can never sit comfortably. Rapport’s next move was a crushing blow. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 31 January. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address.
White to play. Gelfand–Karjakin, Tal Memorial Blitz 2008. Gelfand’s pawn is pinned, and moving the king runs into more checks. But here he missed a surprising shot. What should White play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 January. 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 Qh6!
