Black to play. Kobalia-Shevchenko, Serbia 2023. How did Black respond strongly to the attack on his queen? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 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…Na4! 2 bxa4 Rb4+! 3 cxb4 Qb2#. White tried 2 Qd2 Nxc3+ 3 Kc2 Qxa2+ 4 Kd3 Qxb3 and resigned soon after.
Black to play. Ponomariov-Dragnev, Serbia 2023. Which move allowed Black to seize his chance on the queenside? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 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 Rf8+ Kxf8 (or 1…Kg7 2 Rf7+) 2 Bh6+ Ke7 3 Bg5+ with a perpetual check.
White to play. Iskandarov-Babazade, Azerbaijan2003. Which move allowed White to save the draw? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 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 Ke6! wins, e.g. 1…Bh5 2 Rh8+ Kg6 3 e8=Q+. Not 1 Rh8+?, as Black could simply play 1…Kxh8 2 Kxg6+ Rxe5.
White to play. Vallejo Pons-Santos Latasa, Leon 2018. The choice is between 1 Ke6 and 1 Rh8+. White calmly played the wrong one and Black resigned immediately! But which move wins the game? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 March. 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.
White to play. A variation from Roberson-Adams, Cambridge International Open 2023. Which move allows White to salvage a draw from this desperate situation? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 27 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… Rxa6!
Black to play. Yakubboev-Kramnik, Airthings Masters 2023. White’s last move, Re7-e6, was a blunder, allowing Kramnik to land a decisive tactic. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 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 Rhg7!
White to play and mate in two. This position was published in the Bonus Socius (The Good Companion), a treatise from the 13th century. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 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…Nf1! 2 Nxg7+ Kd8 3 Ne6+ Kc8 and White resigned. The checks soon run out, and Rd2-h2 will be mate.
Black to play. Adhiban-Warmerdam, Tata Steel Challengers, 2023. Adhiban’s last move, Nd4-e6, prepared a series of checks, starting with Nxg7+. Warmerdam’s response was a rude awakening. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 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 Qc4+ Rxc4 (or White collects the rook on c4) 2 Rxd8+ and then mate.
White to play. Bibisara Assaubayeva-Rakshitta Ravi, Delhi 2019. Assaubayeva is down a bishop for two pawns, but she had aimed for this position, foreseeing a knockout blow. Which move did she play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 January. 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 Rxf7! Qxc4 2 Ne7 mate.
White to play. Emory Tate-Alexander Shabalov, Curaçao 2006. With his next move, Tate brought his attack to a crisp conclusion. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 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 Bxb7! If 1…Rxb7 2 Rxb7+ Kxb7 3 Qg2+ Kb8 4 Rb5+ Kc7 5 Qb7+ Kd6 6 Rd5# Or 1…Qxg3+ 2 Bg2+ Rb7 3 Rxb7+ Ka8 4 fxg3 Nxc5 5 Rb5+ wins.
White to play. Tartakower–Winter, Hastings, 1935. White’s next move required careful calculation, but William Winter resigned once he had seen it. What did Tartakower play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 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 Qh5!
White to play. Dubov-Sarin, World Rapid Championship, 2022. Dubov’s next move turned the attack up to 11, inducing instant resignation. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 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…Qc2+! 2 Kxc2 Bf5 mate, or 2 Ka1 Qxb2 mate.
Black to play. Babula-Kovacevic, Bundesliga 2022. Black faces a fierce attack, but an extraordinary move won him the game. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 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 Qa2!, e.g.
White to play and mate in two. Composed by van Beek & Wurzburg, 1909. This is one of the problems solved by Nunn at the 2019 World Solving Championship. Please note that because of the Christmas printing schedule this is not a prize puzzle. Last week’s solution 1 Qxd3 and Black resigned: Qxd3 2 Rf7+ Nxf7 3 Rxf7+ Rg7 4 Rxg7+ Kh8 5 Rd7+ wins the queen.
White to play. Sindarov-Sarin, World Team Championship, Jerusalem 2022. Sindarov has an extra pawn and a dominant position. Which move did he play to ensure a quick knockout? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 December. 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 Be5+! Bxe5 2 Qxe8+ or 1…Rxe5 2 Qf6+ and mate follows next move.
White to play. Erigaisi-Mamedyarov, MeltwaterChampions Finals 2022. Erigaisi’s next move wrapped up the game in style. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 28 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…Qe1+! 2 Nxe1 Rxe1 3 Bf1 Bxc4 4 Qxc4 Nxc4 wins, e.g. 5 g3 Nd2!
Black to play. Schwetlick-Lecroq, 32nd Correspondence World Championship. White’s last move, Qd1-b3, is a blunder that can’t have been endorsed by a computer. What did Black play to force resignation? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 21 November. 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…Qh2! wins. Carlsen’s 1…Qc2 (or 1…Qd3) allows 2 Re7+ Ka6 3 Ra7+ Kxa7 4 Qe7+ Ka6 5 Qa7+ Kxa7 stalemate.
Black to play. Fedoseev-Carlsen, Fischer RandomWorld Championship, 2022. 1…Qd3, 1…Qc2 and1…Qh2 all create deadly threats, but only one ofthese wins. Carlsen chose wrongly. Which move should he have chosen? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 14 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 Rg6+! fxg6 2 Qh8+! Kxh8 3 Rxf8# Or 1…hxg6 2 Qg7# Last week’s winner G.
White to play. Basman-Balshan, Israel 1980. How did Basman decide the game in his favour? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 7 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 Rg8! Rb1+ 2 Kh2 Rb2+ 3 Kh3 (White’s rook prevents g5-g4+) Rb1 4 b8=Q!
White to play. Salov-Horvath, Groningen 1983. In this treacherous rook and pawn endgame, White found the only winning move. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 31 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 Nd5! Qxd2 2 Nc7#. But not 1 Nb5 Qb6!
