Chess Puzzles and Studies (notes from training November 23rd 2023)

These chess puzzles and studies were presented to introduce the idea of the ‘forced’ move, to encourage members to make calculations to a completion of a game or to gain an advantage and for the pure elegance of some of the compositions.

Remember how to checkmate with two rooks? One rook takes away the squares in from of a king, pinning it to the edge of the board, while the other checkmates. How do you deliver checkmate in two(forced) moves in the above position?

The answer is 1. Qxh7 Kxh7 2. Rh5++

My favourite puzzle of all time is given below in diagram A. White to play and checkmate in 9 moves. Enjoy!

Diagram A:

1. 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++

Reti’s Position

This composition was put together by Richard Reti. This is one of the most famous and instructive studies devised.

White appears lost because he cannot apparently chase down the h pawn e.g. 1. Kh7 h4. However, if he uses the diagonals then he can manufacture a draw.

1. Kg7 h4

2. Kf6

A. 2…h3

3. Ke6 Kd7 shepherding the pawn home.

B. 2…Kb6

3. Ke5 h3 [3…Kxc6 Kf4 draw]

4. Kd6 h2

5. c7 h1Q

6. c8Q draw

Here is my favourite study. I love the sting in the tail and the symmetry checkmates around the a1 square.

Diagram B

In diagram B above the winning 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.

The following study is from Lucena [1497] which shows a technique called ‘bridging’ in order to promote a pawn where the king is trapped in front of a pawn on the seventh rank.

Diagram C. The Lucena Position

The win is forced by:

1. Ke7

2. Re1+ Kd7

3. Re4

(If 3. Kf7 Rf2+ 4. Kg6 Rg2+ 5. Kh7 Rh2 6. Kg8 Rf2)

3 Rh1

1. Kf7 Rf1+

2. Kg6 Rg1+

3. Kf6 Rf1+

4. Kg5 Rg1+

5. Rg4

Diagram D The Philidor position

Black to play draws by:

1…. Ra3

2. d6 Ra1!

This position provoked much discussion! A grandmaster might easily recognise this to be a simple draw, but at club level it takes some convincing. The idea is to check behind the king, but there are so many possible attempts at winning by white it needs calculation and study, just what the training session was meant to promote, of course. What if white tries a bridging idea (Rh4), similar to the one given in the Lucena position? Both Kd7 and Ke1 were found as drawing moves. Well done ladies and gentlemen. Fritz agrees with us!!.