White to play, Stockfish–AllieStein, TCEC Season 16. Stockfish found a beautiful knockout blow in this game against a different neural net engine. What did it play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 8 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 Qe5?? g5+! and White resigned, since 2 Kh5 Qxh3 is mate.
Tamas Fodor — Michael Adams, Hull 2018. White to play. One from the puzzles section of Smerdon’s book, which I witnessed myself. Adams’s last move, 60...Kf6-f7 set a trap. White’s next was a queen move that walked right into it. What was the losing move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 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.Qf6! Mate follows with Qf2/Qf3/Qxe5/Qxd4/Nxf5/Rb3, depending on Black’s reply.Last week’s winner A.
White mates in two moves against any defence (composed by Walter Pulitzer). Steinitz admitted he could not crack this within 15 minutes. What is White’s key first move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 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 Bb2! entombs the Bc2. The a-pawn decides the game. After 1... h5 2 g5 h4 3 a4 Black was completely lost.
Aronian–Vidit, Online Nations Cup, May 2020. Vidit has just captured axb3 en passant. Aronian’s next move revealed a powerful concept. What was it? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 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…b5! 2 Qd3 (2 Qc6 Qe4+) Qb7! White resigned in view of 3 Rc5 Re5! winning the rook.
Black to play. Ding–Nakamura, Magnus -Carlsen Invitational, April 2020. The position appears sterile, but Nakamura spotted a clever winning move. What was it? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 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 Rg4+! Kf3 2 Rf4+! Ke3 3 Rf3+ Kxf3 is a draw by stalemate. Black can only avoid this by giving up his knight.
Nepomniachtchi (lachesisQ)–Andriasian (Zaven_ChessMood), Abu Dhabi Super Blitz, April 2020. White is in danger here. Which move did he play to put the draw beyond doubt? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 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…Rxe5! 2 dxe5 Qg3 and mate follows on g2. Or 2 Nxe5 Qg5! threatens mate and …Nxh3+ to win the Qd2.
Black to play. Sjugirov–Carlsen, Chess24 Banter Blitz Semi Final. In this wild position, Carlsen’s next move put the result beyond doubt. What did he play? Answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 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…Qg3+! 2 Rxg3 hxg3+ 3 Kg2 (3 Kxg3 Rxg5#) Rh2+ 4 Kxg3 (4 Kf1 g2+) Bf4+ 5 Kg4 Rxg5 mate.
Black to play. Andrew Stone–Martin Jogstad, 4NCL Online, April 2020. The queen is trapped on f4, so 1…Rxg5 looks worth a try, as after 2 Rxf4 Bxf4 threatens Rg5-g3+. But in the diagram, Black found a far stronger move. Which one? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 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 Ne8+! Qxe8 2 Qxe8 Nxe8 3 d7 wins.
A position adapted from Vojtech Plat–Ravi Haria, Hull GM tournament, 2019. The d6-pawn is crucial here, but White needs a clever move to sweep aside the blockade. What is it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 April. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Qh2! threatens 2 Qb8+ Qg8 3 Qd6! with a winning attack. (But not 1 Qg3? Qc1+!, or 1 Qe3? Qf7!
A variation from the game above. Although White is a pawn down, he can rustle up decisive counterplay with one accurate move. Which one? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 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 Qg1! Mate follows with Qg7/Qh2/Qa1/f4 depending on Black’s response.
A puzzle used in the solving championship, composed by Vittorio de Barbieri in 1918. White must give mate in two moves, against any defence. It is tempting to use the long diagonal directly, but the solution is more subtle: look for a move without a direct threat. Answers (first move only) to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 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 Rhf3! breaks the pin. 1… exf3 2 Rxe7 Bxe7 3 Qe6 and White won.
White to play. Shirov–Yuffa, Nutcracker Battle of the Generations, Moscow 2020. The rook on f7 is pinned, and 1 Rxf8+ Qxf8+ costs White the rook on h3. How did Shirov turn the tables? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 24 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…Rd7! 2 Nd6 Rxd6! 3 exd6 Qe1#. Instead 1…Qxb7? 2 Rc7, provoked resignation as Rxf7 and Qxh7 mate will follow.
Black to play. Tomashevsky–Lomasov, Nutcracker Battle of the Generations, Moscow 2020. A position with a surprising twist. Tomashevsky has just captured a bishop on b7. What is Black’s best response? Answers to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 17 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…Rxf1+! 2 Kxf1 Bh3+ 3 Kg1 Nd4! 4 Qxc3 Ne2+ 5 Kh1 Bg2 mate.
Black to play. Puranik–Sjugirov, another spectacular game played at the Aeroflot Open. Puranik was perhaps counting on 1…Rc1 2 Qa3 Bd2 3 Qb2! threatening mate on g7. Sjugirov found a much more powerful move. What was it? Answers to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 10 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. Last week’s solution 1 Re8+!
White to play, a variation from McShane–-Kamsky. In the game above, I was hoping to see 31…Qa5, as I had spotted an opportunity to turn the tables completely. What is White’s next move? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 3 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…Rd5! threatens …Qd1 mate and 2 Qxd5 Nf4+ picks up the queen.
Black to play, Kateryna Lagno–Ju Wenjun, February 2020. Material is approximately balanced, but White’s king is in serious danger. What was Ju’s next move, which prompted immediate resignation? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 25 February 2020 or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer that is pulled out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Ra5! (idea 1...Nxa5 2 Rc8+). Black tried 1...
White to play, Dubov–Artemiev, Wijk aan Zee 2020. White is pressing here, but Black seems to have everything covered. Which subtle move allowed Dubov to force a quick resignation? Answers to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 18 February 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 49…Bxd1 50 g6! forces a pawn through, e.g. 50…hxg6 51 h7! wins.
Black to move, Paravyan vs McShane, Isle of Man 2019. Here I intended 49…Bxd1. What had Paravyan planned after that move? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 11 February 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…Rf3+! 2 Kxe4 Rxf7! wins.
Black to move. Javakhishvili–Adams, Gibraltar 2020. Adams has a few plausible moves here, including Rf1, Rf3+ and Rxf7, but only one of them wins. Which is the right one? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 4 February 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 Ng1! keeps everything secure. 1… Bg5 2 exd6 with a decisive advantage.
Rowson-Yermolinsky, World Open 2002. This position arose after a tactical skirmish. White has only one good way to meet the threat to the rook, which had to be seen well in advance. What is it? Answers should be sent to ‘Chess’ at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 February 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 Qg8+!
