The puzzles below were presented to two teams of adult members and juniors on June 4th, playing for a box of Celebration chocolates. The winning team scored 100 points. Why not try the puzzles to see how may points you would score? Answers are given at the end of the article.
Diagram 1 (Black # in 2) 5pts
Diagram 2 (white # in 2) 10 pts
Diagram 3 (white # in 3) 10 pts
Diagram 4 (white # in 3) 5 pts
Diagram 5 Black is in #. What are the pieces? 10 pts
Diagram 6 (White # in 9) 30 pts
Diagram 7.White to play and win 10 pts
Diagram 8 White to play and win 20 pts
G. Jones vs B. Khotenashvili
Diagram 9 White to play and win 10 pts
C. Duval vs E. Paehtz
Diagram 10 Black to play and win 10 pts
Answers to puzzles:
Diagram 1. 1…… Qg3+ 2. fxg3 Re8e2#
Diagram 2. 1. Re2e5 (If Rb2+ then Rd2#)
Diagram 3. 1. Rg1 Rh8 2. Rg3+ and either the rook checkmates by Rh3 or if fxg3 then fxg3#.
Diagram 4. 1. Qxh7+ Kxh7 2. Rh4+ Kg8 3. Rh8#
Diagram 5. White King on a6, black knight on a5, black king on a4, white rook on b5, white queen on b4.
Diagram 6.
- Qf5+Kxf5 2. Ne7+!! Rxe7 3.Ne3+ Kf6 4.Nxd5+ Kf5 5.Nxe7+ Kf6 6.Nxg8+ Kf5 7. Ne7+ Kf6 8.Nd5+ Kf5 9.g4++
Diagram 7. The Lucena Position
- Re1+ Kd7
- Re4
(If 3. Kf7 Rf2+ 4. Kg6 Rg2+ 5. Kh7 Rh2 6. Kg8 Rf2)
3 Rh1
- Kf7 Rf1+
- Kg6 Rg1+
- Kf6 Rf1+
- Kg5 Rg1+
- Rg4
Diagram 8. The plan is to place the pawn on c7 and play the king along the b file [so avoiding a check from c1 from the rook if the king strays to the c file].
1 c7 Rd6+
2 Kb5! Rd5+
3 Kb4 Rd4+
4 Kb3 Rd3+
5 Kc2
Now the promotion of the pawn is inevitable but white still needs to be careful.
5……… Rd4!
6 c8[R]!! [threatening mate on a8. If 6 c8 [Q] Rc4+! 7 Qxc4 with stalemate].
6…… Ra4
7 Kb3 and white wins because of the double threat of taking the rook or being checkmated.
Diagram 9. 1. Qb4+ Qxb4 2. axb4 Kxb4 3. g5 hxg5 4. f6 and white will promote his pawn first.
Diagram 10. 1….Rxf3 2. gxf3 Qg5+ Kh1 3. Qf4