Today's puzzle is a beauty!
Black's must have been happy with his last move: 24...a4. However, White's next move shattered any illusions he may have had. White to play and win.
Solution to the last puzzle:
Bogoljubow- Ed. Lasker
New York 1924
1.Bxg5 Kxg5 2.d5 Kf6 3.d7 Bxd7 4.exd7 Ke7 5.Kc5 a6 6.Kb6 1-0
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Chess Puzzle
Today's puzzle:
Opposite coloured bishop endings have a frustrating tendency to end in a draw. White could play 1.Kc5, but is there a way to bring about a speedier conclusion?
Solution to last puzzle:
Roneat - Reicher
Germany 1950
1.Qe6+ Black is obliged to capture the queen by 1...Nxe6 or 1...Bxe6. Either way it makes no difference; White plays 2.Nh6#. Note that e6 was the only good square on which to give up the queen; anywhere else would have broken the mating net around the black king.
Opposite coloured bishop endings have a frustrating tendency to end in a draw. White could play 1.Kc5, but is there a way to bring about a speedier conclusion?
Solution to last puzzle:
Roneat - Reicher
Germany 1950
1.Qe6+ Black is obliged to capture the queen by 1...Nxe6 or 1...Bxe6. Either way it makes no difference; White plays 2.Nh6#. Note that e6 was the only good square on which to give up the queen; anywhere else would have broken the mating net around the black king.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Chess Puzzle
Today's puzzle:
White, to move, has already sacrificed two pieces. What move would he like to play and how does he get to play it?
Solution to last puzzle:
Paul McVeigh - Simon Wilson
Marlwood Trophy, Bristol 1987
20.Qxe7!! Kg8 If 20...Kxe7 21.Bc5 Kf6 22.g5# or in this line 21...Qd6 22.Bxd6+ Kd7 23.Be5+ wins.
21.Bxa7 Rxa7 22.Qxa7 Qc8 23.e5 1-0
Sorry Sean but you know the saying: "never let the truth get in the way of a good story!"
White, to move, has already sacrificed two pieces. What move would he like to play and how does he get to play it?
Solution to last puzzle:
Paul McVeigh - Simon Wilson
Marlwood Trophy, Bristol 1987
20.Qxe7!! Kg8 If 20...Kxe7 21.Bc5 Kf6 22.g5# or in this line 21...Qd6 22.Bxd6+ Kd7 23.Be5+ wins.
21.Bxa7 Rxa7 22.Qxa7 Qc8 23.e5 1-0
Sorry Sean but you know the saying: "never let the truth get in the way of a good story!"
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Nothing at all to do with chess
Saw this on Kevin Spraggett's site and thought it was brilliant. It's almost art.
Well what do you lot think? Isn't it mad!!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Chess Puzzle
Today's puzzle:
Not too difficult but a nice position and a nice move by one of our own. Can you find it?
Solution to last puzzle:
JJ. Walsh - G.J. Boyd
Irish Ch, 1952
J.J. Walsh wrote: I was quite pleased with this coup until several years later I found that after 1.Bh3?? Qxh3 2.Qxd5 black can turn the game in his favour by 2...Rxf2!! Now white is faced with mate on the move and 3.Rxf2 allows 3...cxd5 and 3.Kxf2 is answered by 3...Rf8+: followed by cxd5.
What do you have to do the trick some people? I thought I had done a fine job of giving the barest information in the last puzzle. So imagine my surprise when I got an email from Sean Coffey giving me the solution and also telling me that it was by J.J Walsh - I was gobsmacked. It's bad enough he solves all the problems but he also knows all the sources! I definitely wouldn't fancy facing him across the chessboard.
Not too difficult but a nice position and a nice move by one of our own. Can you find it?
Solution to last puzzle:
JJ. Walsh - G.J. Boyd
Irish Ch, 1952
J.J. Walsh wrote: I was quite pleased with this coup until several years later I found that after 1.Bh3?? Qxh3 2.Qxd5 black can turn the game in his favour by 2...Rxf2!! Now white is faced with mate on the move and 3.Rxf2 allows 3...cxd5 and 3.Kxf2 is answered by 3...Rf8+: followed by cxd5.
What do you have to do the trick some people? I thought I had done a fine job of giving the barest information in the last puzzle. So imagine my surprise when I got an email from Sean Coffey giving me the solution and also telling me that it was by J.J Walsh - I was gobsmacked. It's bad enough he solves all the problems but he also knows all the sources! I definitely wouldn't fancy facing him across the chessboard.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Game by Peter Cafolla
Peter Cafolla sent a game from the recent EU chess Championship in Italy. Ireland was represented in the event by FM John Delaney, Anthony Fox and Peter Cafolla. The first two had the satisfaction of finishing above their seeding. Peter had the satisfaction of playing the following game:
Nice game Peter and thank you for your contribution.
Nice game Peter and thank you for your contribution.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Ireland play Russia in the Chess Olympiad
Sorry for the misleading headline - but the recent match brought back memories, of reading about, another match when Ireland played Russia in a chess Olympiad.
On the 6th October 1958 Ireland were paired against the Soviet Union at the Munich chess Olympiad. This was in the day's when teams had to qualify for the finals. Ireland ended up in qualifying group one. As to be expected we came last in this group with 4 points. However, we at least had the satisfaction of winning one match - beating Italy. Getting back to Ireland v Russia. This must have been a truly memorable experience as the Russian team was star studded. A little research found the following by J.J Walsh who played board one for the Irish team:
"October 6th 1958 was a memorable day for Irish chess. On this day we played the USSR in the Munich Olympiad and although losing by the expected 0-4 margin, we were far from being disgraced. The Soviet team on that occasion was M. Botvinnik (world champion); 2.P. Kere; 3, D. Bronstein: 4.M Tal (future world champion). My game with the world champion produced a stirring struggle in which I was not totally without chances."
On the 6th October 1958 Ireland were paired against the Soviet Union at the Munich chess Olympiad. This was in the day's when teams had to qualify for the finals. Ireland ended up in qualifying group one. As to be expected we came last in this group with 4 points. However, we at least had the satisfaction of winning one match - beating Italy. Getting back to Ireland v Russia. This must have been a truly memorable experience as the Russian team was star studded. A little research found the following by J.J Walsh who played board one for the Irish team:
"October 6th 1958 was a memorable day for Irish chess. On this day we played the USSR in the Munich Olympiad and although losing by the expected 0-4 margin, we were far from being disgraced. The Soviet team on that occasion was M. Botvinnik (world champion); 2.P. Kere; 3, D. Bronstein: 4.M Tal (future world champion). My game with the world champion produced a stirring struggle in which I was not totally without chances."
The other members of the Irish team on that great day were Brian Reilly, Desmond De Loughrey and A. Russell.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Chess Puzzle
Today's puzzle is a beauty, it's source is very close to home.
White had an extra pawn in this position but the well-placed black knight was a nuisance. In the game White solved this difficulty by 1.Bh3! Qxh3 2.Qxd5 Qe6 3.Qxe6 Rxe6 4.d5 and black soon resigned. Years later White discovered a flaw in this sequence which would have turned the game in Black's favour. Can you spot it?
Solution to the last puzzle:
Ivkov - Duric
Yugoslavia 1983
1.Ng5! 1-0 for if 1...hxg5 2.Rh3. 1...g6 2.Qg6.
White had an extra pawn in this position but the well-placed black knight was a nuisance. In the game White solved this difficulty by 1.Bh3! Qxh3 2.Qxd5 Qe6 3.Qxe6 Rxe6 4.d5 and black soon resigned. Years later White discovered a flaw in this sequence which would have turned the game in Black's favour. Can you spot it?
Solution to the last puzzle:
Ivkov - Duric
Yugoslavia 1983
1.Ng5! 1-0 for if 1...hxg5 2.Rh3. 1...g6 2.Qg6.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)