White to play and mate in two. Composed by Sam Loyd, Lynn News, 1859. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 14 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 Rf8+! Rxf8 2 Qh8+! Kxh8 3 exf8=Q mate.
White to play. Edward Jackson-John Merriman, British Championships, 2023. Black has just captured a rook on e2 with a pawn on f3, presumably expecting imminent resignation. Which move allowed White to turn the tables? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 7 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 Ne4! Qxe1+ 2 Qxe1 Bxe1 3 Nc5 threatens mate on d7. 3…bxc6 4 Ba6! and mate is inevitable.
White to play. Navara-Bassem, Biel 2023. This arose from a game of ‘Chess960’ where the pieces are shuffled on the back ranks at the start of the game. Navara’s rook is attacked, but which move allowed him to score a quick win? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 31 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 Kg4! threatens mate with Rf2-h2+.
White to play. Rapport-Caruana, Grand Chess Tour Rapid, Zagreb 2023. Caruana’s last move, 61…Bd6-e7, was a decisive mistake. Which move allowed Rapport to take advantage? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 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 Bg6! e.g. 1…Ra8 2 Bf8#, 1…Ra7 2.Bg7# 1…Ra5 2 Bg5# etc or 1…Kh2 2 Bf4#. But not 1 Bg7 Kh2!
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Michael Lipton, the Jerusalem Post, 1960 Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 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 Rf8+! Kg7 2 Rg8+ Kf7 3 d8=N+ Ke7 4 Re8+ Kd6 5 Nf7+ and at least Rxe2 to follow.
White to play. Petursson-Damljanovic, New York Open, 1988. Which move decided this battle of passed pawns in White’s favour? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 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 Bf5! gxf5 2.Kc5 soon leads to mate or a decisive skewer, e.g. 2…f6 3 Kd6 Rg8 4 Ke6 Kf8 5 Kxf6 Ke8 6 Ra8+ wins.
White to play and win. Composed by Josef Hasek, 1929. One plausible try is 1 Kc5 but 1…f5! prepares to meet Kc5-d6 with Rf8-f6+. Which first move should White prefer? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 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 Kc7!
White to play and mate in 4 moves, composed by Theodore Herlin, 1845, Le Palamède, 1845. The solution has just a single line of play. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 26 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 axb4! Qxa1+ 2 Kd2!
White to play. Canal – NN, Simultaneous exhibition, 1934. Black has just castled queenside, in a game sometimes referred to as the ‘Peruvian Immortal’. Which move did Canal play to take advantage? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 19 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 Bg5! attacks e7 and threatens Nd3-f4 to trap the queen. After 1...Nxb3 2 axb3 Nd5 3 Ra4! f6 4 Rh4! and Black soon resigned. Also good were 3 Re4, or 3 Kh2 (idea g2-g4).
White to play. Nunn-Gaprindashvili, ECU Senior Championship, Acqui Terme 2023. The former women’s world champion Gaprindashvili has just played 16...Nc6-a5. Which move did Nunn play to capitalise on this mistake? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 12 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 Rg2! Then 1…Kf3 2 Qa8# or 1...
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by David Murray Davey, the Tablet, 1946. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 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 Nxg6! wins.
White to play. Another variation from McShane – Carlsen, London Chess Classic 2012 (in case of 32…Qf6-f5) Carlsen avoided this position, since he had spotted a winning move for White. What was it? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 29 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 Qxd4! wins. 1...Rxd4 2 Bxe6+ Kh8 3 Rf8# or 1...
White to play. Shirov-Wedberg, Lundin Memorial, Stockholm 1990. Black has just played Rh6-h5, attacking the e5 pawn, but Shirov found a powerful response. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 22 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 Qh3! Qxh3+ 2 Kg5. When the d6 pawn falls, the d5 pawn will decide.
Moehring-Kaikamdzozov, Elekes Memorial, Zamardi 1978. White avoided perpetual check and won the game. Which move did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 15 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 Ne4!, e.g.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Henri Gerard Marie Weenink in The Good Companion (1919). Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 9 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 Nd5! locks the knight on a8. 1…b4 2 f6 b3 3 f7 b2 4 Nc3 and wins.
White to play. Grandelius-Aabling Thomsen, Xtracon Open 2018. White has just one winning move. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 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 Bd5+. Depending on Black’s reply, it’s 2 Qc6# or 2 Qd2#.
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Sam Loyd, The Musical World, 1859. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 24 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 R1xd4! cxd4 2 Be6+ and 3 Qxg7 mate. But not 1 Be6+ Nxe6! or 1 Rxg7+ Kxg7 2 Bh5+ Kh8 3 Bxe8 Ne2+ Last week’s winner George Katsugias, Bradford, W.
White to play. Volokitin-Kallai, Hungarian Team Ch 2018. Volokitin’s next move was a crushing blow. What did he play? Be careful – there are a couple of false trails here. Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 17 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… Rxf2+! 2 Kxf2 Qh2+ 3 Kf1 Bh3+ 4 Ke1 Qg1#.
Black to play. A variation from the game Ding–Nepomniachtchi, shown above. Only one move crowns the attack here. Which move should Black play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 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 Nd5! intending 1…h3 2 Nf4 h2 3 Nh5!
White to play and draw. Composed by A. Lifanov, 2002. The pawn on h4 looks unstoppable, but the draw is still within reach with an accurate sequence. What should White’s first move be? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 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…Qxd2+!
