Black to play. Dominguez-Shankland, US Championship 2024. Which move allows Black to escape perpetual check and win? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 21 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include an address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1…Kd3! 2 f7 c2 3 Kb2 Kd2 4 f8=Q c1=Q+ gives Black a big advantage. 1…b2+? loses to 2 Kc2 as did 1…c2? 2 Kd2!
Black to play. Mamedyarov-Maghsoodloo, Global Chess League, October 2024. Maghsoodloo chose wrongly here. Out of 1…Kd3, 1…b2+ and 1…c2, which one is the best? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 14 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.
White to play. Ciolacu-Khotenashvili, Fide Women’s Olympiad, Budapest, September 2024. How did White crown her kingside attack? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 7 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 Rxe7! Rxe7 2 Qd5+!
White to play. Kulaots-Kadric, Budapest Olympiad, September 2024. The Estonian grandmaster spotted a neat sequence to gain a decisive material advantage. What was his first move here? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 September. 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.
Le-Sindarov, Budapest Olympiad, September 2024. White’s next move induced immediate resignation. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 September. 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+!
White to play. Niemann-Nakamura, Chess.com Speed Chess, Paris 2024. In this game from the third-place playoff match, Niemann crowned his attack in style. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 September. 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 Rf2! Depending on Black’s response, it’s 2 Bb6# or 2 Bf6#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Dmitry Vasilevich Klark, La Stratégie, 1868. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 September. 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! b1=Q 2 Ra5+ Qxa5 3 Qxa5 Kb8 4 Qd8+ with a draw by perpetual check. Other moves are no better, e.g. 1…Ka6 2 Qa8+ etc.
White to play. Caruana-Firouzja, Sinquefield Cup, 2024. Caruana exchanged rooks, but soon ran out of checks and resigned before the b2 pawn could promote. Which move would have secured a draw here? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 September. 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 Qh8+!
White to play. Maghsoodloo-Nepomniachtchi, Fide World Rapid Team Championship, 2024. Maghsoodloo found a beautiful winning sequence here. What was his first move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 26 August. 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…Qf3+!
Black to play. Vidit-Al-Mudahka, Fide World Rapid Team Championship, 2024. The Qatari grandmaster landed a decisive blow here. What did he play? Email answers tochess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 19 August. 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 Nd5!
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by C.W.M. Feist, Hampshire Magazine, 1884. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 12 August. 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…Rxh4+!
Black to play. Sokolovsky-Chopra, Biel Masters, 2024. Another game played on 20 July 2024. Black is in control, but which move struck the decisive blow? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 August. 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+! Qxe8 2 Qxe8+ Nxe8 3 d7 and the pawn promotes, with a won position.
White to play. This is a variation from Mirkovic-Gluzman, Belgrade 1991. Which move allows White to gain a decisive material advantage? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 29 July. 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…Bd4+ 2 Kxd4 d2 and the pawn can’t be stopped, because the Nd5 is pinned.
White has just played Kf3-e3. Which response showed this to be a decisive mistake? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 22 July. 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 Bd3! e.g. 1…Ne7 2 Qh8# or 1…c5 2 Qh1# or 1…Nb5 2 Rb1#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Philip Hamilton Williams, The Chess Amateur, 1914. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 15 July. 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! wins, since 1…gxh6 2 gxf3 skewers the queen, and 2…Qxg1+ 3 Kxg1 gives White a decisive material advantage.
White to play. This is a variation from Gelbmann--Gyimesi, Hungary 1996. Black threatens mate with …Qh4 or …Qh3. How does White turn the tables? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 July. 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 Re1! (idea Ne5-c4+) Re8 2 Bxd6+ (not 2 Nc4+?
White to play. Banerjee-Carroll, English Championship 2024. Ten-year old Banerjee found the only move to exploit the awkwardly pinned rookon d6. What did he play? Email answers to chess@-spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 July. 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. Magnus Carlsen-Ding Liren, Norway Chess 2024. Ding’s last move, 29…Rb6-b2 was a blunder allowing a quick checkmate. What did Carlsen play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 June. 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 g3! Kh8 2 g4 Kg8 3 g5 Kh8 4 g6 hxg6 5 hxg6 Kg8 6 g7 wins.
White to play. Adapted from an example in Capablanca’s classic manual Chess Fundamentals. Only one move leads to a win for White. Which? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 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 Rd6! Rd2 2 Qb1# or 1…Rxd4 2 Rxd4#. Lateral rook moves are met by 2 Bc3# or 2 Be3#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Michael Lipton, Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1970. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 June 2024. 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...Be4! threatens mate on g2 and the rook on b7, while 2 Qxe4 Qxe4 3 Rxe4 Rd1+ leads to mate.
