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Your Next Move

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:03:01 +0100

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #49

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:32:42 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 13th Aug, 2010

Last week’s puzzle created quite a bit of interest with Chess Kids coach Tim Broome finding a mate in 6, only to be trumped by someone else have found a very beautiful mate in 5. Have a look in the comments to Puzzle #48 if you missed it.

This week’s puzzle is from Magnus Carlsen, the world’s highest rated player, who finds a nice tactic in a Rook and Knight endgame. See how quickly you can spot it.

White to play and win

ANSWER:

Carlsen played 1.Nf6+!! gxf6 2.Rh1+ Nh6 3.Rg6 Rc3+ 4.Kg2 Rc2+ 5.Kf3 Rc3+ 6.Ke4 Rc4 7.Kd5 Rc5+ 8.Ke6 1-0

If you missed the solution then you are clearly not following Purdy’s advice to “Examine all checks and captures.”

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #48

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:28:50 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 6th Aug, 2010

Each week I go to great lengths to try to find you a new position, hopefully something a little bit different, so I hope that you haven’t seen this position before. (See Diagram). It looks vaguely familiar to me.

I used this position in one of my classes today. The students’ task was to find a way for Black to mate in 6 moves by promoting a pawn to a R. One rotter managed to do it in 5 moves so I had to come up with something a little harder. I went back to an old 19th century game where White had lost in 7 moves with the checkmating move being a pawn promoting to a N. Could they replicate this mate? Fortunately this one was too hard for them, but, perhaps dear reader, not for you? Have a go and see.

White to play and help Black mate on move 7 by promoting a pawn to a N.

ANSWER:

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.b3 Qh4+ 4.g3 fxg3 5.h3 g2+ 6.Ke2 Qxe4+ 7.Kf2 gxh1(N)#

The final position.

A pretty finish to be sure.

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #47

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:27:13 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 30th Jul, 2010

Everyone makes mistakes. I remember back in 1974 when I was the newly crown Australian Chess Champion and was about to play in the first round of the A Grade Interclub competition. Eddy Malitis stood up and made a short speech congratulating me on my win; everyone clapped; then we sat down to play our games. I was paired against John Hanks and I had decided to try an new opening with 1…b6. Five minutes and 12 moves later I had blundered and resigned the game. Such is life. It even happens to World Champions!

Take a quick 5 second look at the position below. What would you play as White?

This position is from the game between Larry Christiansen, the USA Grandmaster, and Anatoli Karpov, the former World Chess Champion and one of the most solid players of all time. A win against Karpov was something rare and to be treasured. Karpov has just played 11…Bd6 so as to be able to answer 12.Be2 with 12…Nf4. Christiansen did not play 12.Be2. Can you spot the move he played which resulted in Karpov’s immediate resignation?

ANSWER:

12.Qd1! attacking both the N and B was the killer move. It’s very hard to see “backwards” moves so well done if you spotted it.

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #46

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:25:56 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 23rd Jul, 2010

I was talking to my friend Sam the other day. He’s trying to make a come-back to chess after a 10 year break. He’d just blundered horribly against Rujevic and was bemoaning his new-found tactical ineptitude. “I just make so many mistakes” he complained. I know the feeling. As you get older your brain does not want to analyse variations and tends to lack its former decisiveness.

The worst type of positions we oldies could get is a Q+P v Q endgame. There are just so many checks to look at and the game drags on for ages. I remember Botvinnik once winning with Q + knight pawn v Q after about 90 moves going around in circles.

Take the following position I was looking at the other day. I’m Black and I’ve nearly got my pawn through to queening but how do I avoid those nasty checks? What I need is someone like you with a young brain who can work it all out for me quickly. So off you go. What should I play?

ANSWER:

I hope that you told me to play 1…Qc5+!! 2.Qxc5 g1=q+ 0-1 and I can go home to rest my weary brain. I know that Purdy told me to “look at all checks and captures” but there were just so many of them. Thanks for your help

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #45

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:22:12 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 16th Jul, 2010

Chess, like life, is all about decision making. We have a number of options, but which do we choose? How do we decide how we make decision – what are the criteria? What if we make a mistake?

It’s all pretty difficult, so today I thought you might like a chance to fine tune your decision making skills.

Have a look at the position below. White has just played 1.e6+ and now Black must decided between 1…Nxe6 to get his pawn back; 1…Kc8 to hide his King away in the corner or 1…Kc6 to keep his a8 rook in the game. (I’ll ignore 1…Kc7 as even I can see 2.Bxd8+ is no good for Black). One move is OK, one is pretty bad and one is a shocker! Which would you choose?

ANSWER:

1…Kc8 2.Qd2 Be7 3.Bxe7 Qxe7 isn’t too bad for Black.

1…Nxe6 2.Bxe6+ Kxe6 3.Qxf3 Nf6 4.Qf5+ Kf7 5.Nc3 followed by 6.Nd5 is pretty bad for Black,

so that leaves…

1…Kc6?? 2.Bxd8 Bxd1? and now White has a very good move. Can you find it?

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #44

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:20:16 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 9th Jul, 2010

Playing a top player is always a thrill and gives you a chance for a moment of fame should you pull off an upset.

10 year-pld Karl Zelesco had his moment of fame in round one of the Lidums Checkmate Open in Adelaide last week when he was paired with IM James Morris in the first round. James was the exchange ahead in winning comfortably even though his rook was not yet in play. Karl was desperately trying to find some threats when suddenly James blundered! In the diagrammed position James was tossing up between 30.a4, 30.Qh5 and 30.Qd1.

Today’s puzzle is which move did he choose and why was it a blunder?

ANSWER:

James played 30.Qd1? It was a blunder because of 30…Bxb2+! 31.Kxb2 Qe5+ 32.Kc1 Qa1+ 33.Kd2 Qb2+ 34.Bc2 Qb4+ 35.Kc1 Qa3+ with a perpetual check.

The bad news is that Karl missed his chance and played 30...Qd7. If only he had followed Cecil Purdy’s advice and examined all checks and captures.

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #43

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:18:06 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 2nd Jul, 2010

If you are no good at tactics you are no good at chess. I’ve just come back from a private chess lesson where my student showed me some of her games and several times she had chances for an immediate win but she missed the tactic. I suggested that she should play some lightning (5 minute) chess to help develop her ability to spot those tricky combinations.

Chess Kids now has it’s own on-line chess games site where you can play lightning (or longer) chess games at any time against other chess kids. Our beloved leader, the “Chess Guru” was playing on www.play.chesskids.com.au last evening and he demonstrated that his tactics were finely tuned in a nice attacking game against the best junior in Tasmania.

In the following position the Guru (playing White) is a piece down but he is about to get back the exchange. Can he find a way to exploit Black’s exposed King before the two black Bishops can make their presence felt? What would you play as White?

White to play and win

ANSWER:

1.Qa3+! Kf6 2.Nxa8 Qxa8 (could try 2…g5 but 3.Rc5 threatening 4.Rxe5 is strong) 3.f4 Bb8 4.Qc3+ Kg6?? 5.Qg3+ and mate next move. A slower death was 4…Ke7 5.Rc7+ Bxc7 6.Qxc7+ Kf6 7.Qe5+ Ke7 8.Qg5+ f6 9.Qxg7+ etc.

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #41

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:16:04 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 18th Jun, 2010

In the 1960′s the Melbourne Chess Club occupied a small premises in Finders Lane in the city. It was very much an old-world gentleman’s club with old books, leather armchairs, crusty old men and lots of smoke! In 1965 my school chess team played one of our Interschool matches in the MCC as it was a “central venue” and we were playing a team from the other side of town.

I have only dim recollections of that day. I can remember Kon Raipalis being there (he virtually lived at the chess club) and someone came up to me and said, “you see that guy with a beard in the corner, that’s the Australian Champion, Doug Hamilton!”

Last week-end, some 45 years later, I popped in to have a look at the Vic. Open Chess Championship being played at the Box Hill Chess Club in Canterbury and was warmly greeted by club stalwarts Gerrit Hartland and Trevor Stanning. There, still sitting in the corner, was Doug Hamilton happily taking on players one fifth his age and doing quite well.

Doug has always been a good tactician and in the following position from his game against Dragicevic he has just played 1.Nf3 attacking the “e” pawn. Now Black could player either 1…Nd7 or 1…Bd6 to protect the pawn but instead he sets a trap for his opponent with 1…Nf4. Todays puzzle is what was the trap and how did Doug refute it?

What should White play after 1...Nf4?

ANSWER:

After 1…Nf4 2.Nxe5 Black sprung the trap 2…N(6)-h5 but was rocked by 3.Bxf4! Nxg3 4.Nxf7+ Rxf7 5.Bxc7 and Black is going to end up a piece down as both the R and N are attacked. He resigned.

Jammo’s Chess Puzzle #40

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:08:51 +0100

Written by Robert Jamieson on 11th Jun, 2010

Being a good chess player is all about choosing the right alternatives.

Firstly you must choose what the alternatives (candidate moves) are in any given position, then you must evaluate them and choose which one is best.

Today’s puzzle is taken from an article titled “the Most Entertaining Game Ever?” which will appear in the next issue of the new chess magazine “On The Move“.

Your puzzle today is to select 3 candidate moves for Black then decide which one to play.

What should Black Play?

ANSWER:

The 3 moves you should look at are:

1…Bxc2, 1…Nxc2+ and 1…g5 but which is best?

1…Bxc2 2.f4! still leaves Black in some difficulties.

2…Nxc2+ 3.Nxc2 Bxc2 4.Rc1 Be4 is inadequate as 5.Rxc7! Bxg2 6.Ng5 Bxh1? (Bd5 +-) 7.Re7+ mates.

1… g5 (recognising that Black’s big problem is getting his KR into play) 2.Nxg5 Rg6 3.c3 Nc2+ 4.Nxc2 Bxc2 5.Kd2 Bf5 6.Nxh7 Rh6 isn’t too bad for Black.

So on balance I would say that 1…g5 was Black’s best try. Perhaps for many people it was not even a candidate?