Black to play. This is from Carlsen-Anand, Riyadh Rapid 2017. The needle clash from the Rapid was Anand’s destruction of Carlsen. What was Black’s key move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 16 January 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.
Black to play. This position is from Kasparov-Navara, St Louis 2017. How did Navara deal with Kasparov’s check? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 9 January 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.
White to play. This position is from Aronian-Giri, Palma de Mallorca 2017. Aronian now finished off a fine attack with a clever coup. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 2 January 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.
Ever since I first visited Japan a decade ago, I have been fascinated by its approach to maths. The Japanese are, on the whole, more comfortable with numbers that we are in the West. Their elevated numeracy is a result of many idiosyncratic factors. Children, for example, are taught their times tables as a nursery rhyme, which seems to have the effect of lodging the numbers more deeply in the brain. Also, about a million Japanese attend after-school clubs to learn to use the abacus. Another element of Japan’s numerate society is a unique culture of logic puzzles. Japanese logic puzzles — that is, pencil-and-paper puzzles with Japanese names based on grids that you need to fill in — are now known all over the world.
White to play. This position is from Timman-Short, Tilburg 1990. Can you spot Timman’s classic finish? We regret that this is not a prize puzzle owing to Christmas deadlines.
White to play. This position is from a variation from Carlsen-Aronian, London Classic 2012. Black had already anticipated what was in store here and had resigned. What had he foreseen? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 5 December 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.
White to play. This is from Alekhine-Feldt, Blindfold Simultaneous, Tarnopol 1916. White has sacrificed a knight. Can you spot his brilliant finish? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 November 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.
White to play. This position is from Alekhine-Supico, Blindfold Simultaneous, Lisbon 1941. Can you spot White’s remarkable finish, which is based on an idea first played by Frank Marshall in 1912? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 21 November 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.
White to play. This position is from Rasmussen-Nyback, Crete 2017. How can White win at once? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 14 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a p rize 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 Rg7+ (1 ...
White to play. This position is a variation from Bologan-Short, Crete 2017. How can White now penalise Black for his overambition? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 7 November 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 ...
Black to play. This position is from Arda-Melia, Antalya 2017. How can Black win? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 31 October 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 ...
Black to play. This is from Sanal-Arnaudov, Antalya 2017. How did Black finish off the horribly exposed white king? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 24 October 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.
White to play. This position is from the above game, Praggnanandhaa-Howell, chess.com Masters. What is the accurate move White needed to play here? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 17 October 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.
White to play. This is from Anand-Esserman, Isle of Man 2017. White now killed off the exposed black king. What was the key move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 10 October 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.
White to play. This position is from Paul-Jonsson, Isle of Man 2017. How did White make a decisive material gain? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 3 October 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.
White to play. This position is from Jobava-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Cup, Tbilisi 2017. Can you spot White’s winning coup? Answers to me or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 26 September 2017. 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 ...
Black to play. This position is from Carlsen-Bu, Fidé World Cup, Tbilisi 2017. Can you spot Black’s winning coup? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 19 September 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 … Qxc6+ Last week’s winner D.V.
Black to play. This is from Kasparov-Navara, St Louis Blitz 2017. White has just given what appears to be a powerful check on c6. How did Black respond? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 12 September 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.
White to play. This position is a variation from Hari-krishna-Studer, Biel 2017. Can you spot White’s winning thrust? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 5 September 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.
White to play. This position is a variation from Vachier-Lagrave–Nepomniachtchi, St Louis 2017. How can White make a decisive material gain? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 29 August 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.
