Chess puzzle

Black to play. Verbytski - Sarakauskas, British Rapidplay Championship, 2025. 1...Re1+ 2 Kf2 is wildly complex, while Sarakauskas tried 1...Qb1+ and lost. But he missed a move which wins on the spot. What was it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 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 Qa6! Then 1...Kf3 2 Qe2# or 1...Kxf5 2 Qg6# or 1...

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by George Edward Carpenter, Dubuque Chess Journal, 1873. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 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 Qh6! and Black resigned, as gxh6 2 Nxh6 is mate.

White to play. Spassky-Marsalek, World U26 Team Championship, Leningrad 1960. After Spassky’s next move, his opponent resigned. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 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 Qe3+!

White to play and mate in two moves. The original problem was a mate in three, composed by Godfrey Heathcote for British Chess Magazine in 1904. In this, the most beautiful variation, White has just two moves left to give mate. What is the first move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 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 Rxb7+! Rxb7 (or 1...Ka8 2 Rxb6 wins easily) 2 Qxa6+ Kb8 3 Qxb7 mate.

White to play. A variation from Keymer-Carlsen, Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, Weissenhaus 2025. Which move allows White to conclude the attack? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 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 Re8+ Rxe8 2 Qxd6 wins the queen. The game went 1…Kh7 2 Qxd8 and Black resigned a few moves later.

White to play. Gukesh-Praggnanandhaa, Tata Steel Masters tiebreak, 2025. Black’s last move, 35…Qd3-d6 was a blunder. Which move did Gukesh play to exploit it? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 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…Rxf4+ 2 Kxf4 stalemate. Not 1…Rd5+ 2 Be5 Rb5 3 Ra4+! Kh3 4 Ra2 and White wins.

Black to play. Gurel-Nguyen, Tata Steel Challengers, 2025. Black’s king is in danger here. Which move allowed him to save the game? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 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 Rh6!

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Sam Loyd, St Louis Globe-Democrat, 1907. What is White’s first move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 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…Ng4! wins. If 2 Rxe4 Qb6+! 3 Kh1 Qb1+ leads to mate, as does 2 Qd8+ Kg7 3 Rxe4 Be3+ 4 Rxe3 Qc1+ 5 Bf1 Qxe3+ 6 Kh1 Qf3+ etc. 1 Qxh6+ Nxh6 2 Rxe4 Nf5 wins.

Black to play. Gukesh-Giri, Wijk aan Zee, 2025. With less than a minute, Giri erred and lost here. Which move would have won him the game? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 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 Qxd5! exd5 2 Re8+ Bf8 3 Rxf8+ Kxf8 (or 3…Kg7 4 Rxf7+ Qxf7 5 Nxf7 Kxf7 6 hxg6+) 4 Nh7+ Kg7 5 Nxf6 Kxf6 6 h6!

White to play. Karthikeyan–Tabatabaei, Qatar Masters 2024. With his next move, Karthikeyaninitiated a winning combination. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 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 Qb4! After 1…Kd6 or 1…Kd5 2 Qxc5# After 1..d6 or 1…Kf5 it’s 2 Qe4#.

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Edith Baird, Pen and Pencil, 1888. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 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 Nb6+!

White to play. Composed by František Dedrle, Deutsches Wochenschach, 1921. Black plans to draw by eliminating the last pawn on b5. What is White’s only winning move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 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 Kf4! cuts off the g6-f5 escape, threatening Re8-h8 and Rb8-g8 mate.

White to play. The conclusion of one of the rapid games from the ‘Battle of Generations’ match (See question 4 above). Which move did the grandmaster play to decide the game in her favour? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Friday 27 December. 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 Rf8! wins, e.g.

White to play. Adewumi-Shlyakhtenko, New York, November 2024. The dangerous passed pawn on a7 means that White is the side pressing for the win. Which move allowed 14-year-old Tani Adewumi to win the game? Please note that because of the Christmas printing schedule there is no prize for this puzzle. Last week’s solution 1…c3!

Black to play. Gretarsson-Fressinet, European Individual Championship, November 2024. In this position, both players overlooked a decisive tactical idea. Which move should Black play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 December. 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…Rxe2+! 2 Qxe2 Qh5+ 3 Kg2 Rxg3+ wins. But not 1…Qh5+ 2 Kg1 Rxe2 3 Qf8+!

Black to play. Erigaisi-Dubov, Tata Steel India Blitz, November 2024. Dubov chose Rg4-e4, overlooking a tactical shot that would have won the game. What was the winning move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 November. 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 Be8! threatens 2 Qxb8#.

White to play and mate in 2. Composed by Sam Loyd, La Stratégie, 1867. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 November. 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 Be8! threatens 2 Nf3#. If 1...g6+ 2 Nf7# or 1...

White to play and mate in 2. Composed by Otto Wurzburg, the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, 1917. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 November. 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 Qd8+ Kh7 2 hxg3 Rh5+ 3 Qh4 and White won quickly.

White to play. Abdusattorov-Maghoodloo, European Club Cup, October 2024. Black’s preceding move Qg6xg3 backfired spectacularly. Which move allowed White to turn the tables? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 November. 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 Qd5! threatens Qa2#. If 1…Bxd5 2 Re1# or 1…Bb1 2 Qd4# or 1…Kd1 2 Qd1#.

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Hermann Feodor Lehner, Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1873. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 28 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…f6! wins, e.g. 2 Rxf6+ Qxf6. Shankland chose 1…Kh7? missing 2 Qg8+!! Kxg8 3 d8=Q+ Kh7 4 Qh4 with perpetual. 1…Kh5 2 Rc5+ is no better.