Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival

I was able to call into the Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival today and I was really impressed. What a remarkable achievement - to organize a GM and a IM event side by side. Eamon Keogh and Michael Crowe really deserve all our praise and acknowledgement. The event is being controlled by Gerry Graham and he is being assisted by Herbert Scarry and others. The above names should be familiar to every Irish chess player - their contribution to chess could not be calculated.

I don't think people realize or appreciate what some people do for Irish chess. Some people are criticizing these people from a position of ignorance. I hope that these people fail to realize the effect their words have upon other people. But I can say now that their words are deeply hurting people who have done immeasurable things for Irish chess.

I just wanted to get that off my chest. Back to the Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival, today was round five and it was really fantastic to be able to watch such tremendous chess players in action. I felt I was taking part in a little piece of chess history. I decided to make the day special for myself and requested the autograph of all participates. I was really impressed by how genuine and nice all these players were. I got all but one autograph, hopefully I'll get that tomorrow.

Some of the participates have agreed to contribute material for the soon to be relaunched ICJ. I won't comment on the results etc, as I think the ICU site is doing a fantastic job of reporting on the event.

Chess Puzzle

Here is today's puzzle:


Can Black still win? Yes: Black found the one move which secures the full point for him. Can you?

Solution to last puzzle:
A.A. Ponelis - B. Kerr
Inter-Union Congress, Randburg 1978
White played 1.Rh3+! and Black resigned because of 1...Kxh3 2.Qf3+ Kh4 3.Qg3 mates.

Chess Puzzle

Today's puzzle:


White found a neat way to exploit the insecure situation of Black's king in this position, bringing the game to a quick end. How did he do so?


Solution to the last puzzle:
R.F. Griffiths - J. Wolpert
SA Championship, Pretoria 1963
Griffiths came out with 2.Rc3! Now if 2...a2 there follows 3.Qxe5+ Ka7 4.Qc5+ Kb8 5.Qf8+ Ka7 6.Ra3+ Kb6 7.Qd6+ Kb5 8.Qa6+ followed by 9.Rxa2 and wins. So Black played 2...Qb1+ 3.Kh2 Qf5 4.Rxa3 Rb2 5.Qa7+ Kc8 6.Rf3! and resigned. A fine piece of adjournment analysis by Griffiths. Going back to the diagram, any move by White's queen allows 2...Qxc1+ 3.Qxc1 a2 and the pawn queens, while any other move, other than 2.Rc3, allows 2...a2. Hence White's optimism!

Chess Puzzle

Today task:


In the above ending Black sealed the forced 1...Kb8 and confidently declared he would win. But White was equally confident of victory! On resumption he produced a problem-like move which validated his optimism. What was it?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Ivanov - Vitolinsh
URS-FL Frunze 1979
At first sight it seem that Black can hold on, but the strike 83.Rg5+!! clarifies the situation: 83...Kxg5 84.h7 Re1 (84...Rf6+ 85.Ke7 Kg6 86.h8Q Rxf7+ 87.Ke6) 85.Kd7 Rd1+ 86.Ke8 Re1+ 87.Kf8 Rh1 88.Kg7 1-0

Sean Coffey came up trumps again and provided the composer and solution to the query in the last post. Readers should look at the comments to see Sean's brilliant explanation of the strategy required for White to win. It makes the whole problem!

Chess Puzzle

Today's chess exercise:


At first sight is seems that Black can hold on, but White finds a surprising resource. Can you find it?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Szabo - Hort
Wijk aan Zee 1972
Black played the correct 1...Ke5, and White, after thinking for 55 minutes, resigned. He considered these possibilities: 2.Ke2 Rd3! 3.Re7+ (or 3.Ra3 Kd5 followed by Kc4) 3...Kf5 (not 3...Kd5? because of 4.Rd7+ Kc4 5.Rxd3 exd3+ 6.Kd2! with a draw) 4.Rf7+ Ke6 and Black wins the pawn and the game. After 2.Kc2 Black can quite simply push the passed e-pawn-try it yourself! The poor position of White's Rook on the 7th rank makes Black's win easy because the Rook, as in the first variation, has little scope. If the Rook stood on its best square, a8, Black could not have made progress. It's not for nothing that Rook endgames are considered among the most difficult ones!

That puzzle's solution required quite a lot of quotation from the source so I think it's only fair that I should name my references! It was taken from "the Best Move" by Vlastimil Hort and Vlastimil Jansa, 1980. Quite an interesting book, very difficult as the positions aren't really puzzles in the usual meaning of the word.

Stephen Short presented a very interesting position in the Cork Chess Club last night. He wouldn't tell us the solution - he has an evil side!! I have seen it before, but can't find it at the moment.



I'm sure Sean Coffey will give me the composer and solution!

Chess Puzzle

Well today I'm introducing a slightly different concept. The position below requires more work from the solver. The win isn't a tactical twist or combination but an appraisal of the position and the formulation of a plan.


What is the best way for Black to realize his advantage?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Fischer - Unzicker
World Team Championship, 1970
Fischer did play 1.Nf6 and after 1...Kg7 2.Kf2! Bd1 (if 2...Kxf6 3.Kxf3 is an easy win) 3.Nd7! c4 (if 3...Bxg4 4.f6+ and wins after 4...Kg8 5.f7+! or 4...Kg6 5.f7 Kxf7 6.Ne5+ and 7.Nxg4) 4.Kg3 Unzicker resigned. White wins with his supported passed pawn.

Chess Puzzle

Today's test:



(White to move) is a pawn up, but Black threatens to regain it at once by Bxg4, while if White plays 1.Nf6 then Kg7. What did White play in the diagram, and how did the game end?

Solution to last puzzle:
Hartston - Whiteley
Cambridgeshire v Middlesex match 1973
1.Qg6+! and wins. If 1...Qxg6 2.Rexe7+ Kd8 3.Rbd7 mate.