Queenfest VI: Peaceful Coexistence By Jeff Coakley Queenfest returns once again. As usual, the puzzles involve multiple queens. The task is to arrange the queens on the board to achieve certain goals. The first puzzle is an example of independent domination. “Independent” because the queens do not protect each other. “Domination” because all vacant squares are under their control. Queenfest #19 (six queens) [FEN "8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8"] Place six queens on the board so that no queen is defended and every empty square is attacked. Earlier Queenfest columns are in the archives. Harem Scarum. The next puzzle uses an equal number of white and black queens. Parts A and B were first … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2015
However, … if
However, ... if By Geurt Gijssen The following is a very important sentence in the Laws of Chess: However, the game is drawn if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves. This sentence is written in Article 6.9 and Article 7.5b. Also important are the sentences written just before this one in the same Articles: Article 6.9: If a player does not complete the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time, the game is lost by that player. Article 7.5b: For the second completed illegal move by the same player the arbiter shall declare the game lost by this player. I will paraphrase Article 6.9 for illustrative … [Read more...]
Personalized Study Book
Personalized Study Book By Dan Heisman Quote of the Month: “Minimizing your biggest and most frequent mistakes will help more than correcting rare and subtle ones, no matter how interesting.” When I was in school (including college), I had an interesting method to study before a test: As I was reviewing the material, I would make note of any information that was either likely to be on the test and/or something I needed to understand better. I would try to fit this information onto two-sides of a standard 8.5”x11” piece of paper. When I finished studying the entire set of material (say by the morning of the test), I would continue to study from the single sheet of paper. Any … [Read more...]
Good Knight, Bad Bishop Redux
Good Knight, Bad Bishop Redux By Karsten Mueller In a pure endgame the knight is usually better than the bishop if it has full control. Then the knight has time for its slow maneuvers. A) Shirov's strong knight 165.01 Shirov,Alexei (2675) - Van Foreest,Jorden (2467) German Bundesliga (8.3), 31.01.2015 [FEN "2k5/1pp2b2/p4Ppp/2p5/6P1/1PN4P/P1P5/3K4 w - - 0 30"] Shirov stops Black dynamic options with 30.g5!? 30.h4?! allows 30...Kd7 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 Ke6= and Black is too active and draws easily. 30.Ne4 gives Black the additional option 30...g5 31.Nxc5 b6!? 32.Nxa6 (32.Ne4 Kd7=) 32...c5 33.Kd2 (33.b4 Kb7 34.b5 Bxa2=) 33...Kb7 34.Nxc5+ bxc5 35.Ke3 Bg6 36.c3 Kc6 37.b4 Bf7 … [Read more...]
Cyclotronic Overdrive: Spinning On
Cyclotronic Overdrive: Spinning OnBy Jeff CoakleyThis column continues from where we left off last month, with seven more puzzles for your cycling pleasure.A cyclotron is a three-way switcheroo. Instead of switching two pieces, we switch three. In case you’re new to this type of puzzle, here are the rules.CYCLOTRONSSwitch the position of three pieces so that Black is in checkmate. No actual chess moves are made. The pieces simply swap squares.The pieces trade places in a “cycle”. Piece A goes to square B, piece B goes to square C, and piece C goes to square A.Any three pieces can trade places. Colours do not matter. The cycled pieces can be all white, all black, or a mix of … [Read more...]
Chess Secrets: Giants of Innovation
Chess Secrets: Giants of Innovation Learn from Steinitz, Lasker, Botvinnik, Korchnoi and Ivanchuk By Craig Pritchett "Innovation" in chess has perhaps most commonly been associated with the discovery of new moves in the opening. Indeed, the common term "opening novelty" has a long history going well back at least to the 19th century. Properly considered, however, innovation is about much more than just coming up with new opening moves. It certainly includes the discovery of new stratagems and tactical motifs as well as the development of whole new game plans. In this much fuller sense, innovation, in its many guises, is at the very heart of success in chess. This book seeks to put … [Read more...]
A Complex Encounter
Russian IM Mark Dvoretsky is one the most respected chess trainers in the world today. In his May 2015 column he presents the fifth of a six-part series dealing with positions in which Black opens the g-file after a trade of minor pieces. A new column is posted the second Tuesday of each month.A Complex EncounterBy Mark DvoretskyTime for us to examine two more complex encounters that took place in Candidates' matches.Yusupov - IvanchukCandidates' Match, Game 6Brussels, 19911.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 cd8.eddc9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Ne5[FEN "rn1q1rk1/pb3ppp/1p2pn2/4N1B1/1bBP4/2N5/PP3PPP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 11"]11...Nb8-d7A courageous decision: Black is aiming for … [Read more...]
More Books and Endgame Watching
More Books and Endgame Watching By Tim Harding Russell Enterprises have long been publishing books by IM Dvoretsky, one of the best chess authors currently working. Profession: Chess Coach (Russell Enterprises 2014, 384 pages) is subtitled For Friends and Colleagues, V olume 1 ). This a review of his career, with several practical examples lightly annotated. The second volume is due out shortly, so I shall postpone my review until I can consider the two books together. This month I shall consider the fourth (2014) edition of the highly recommended Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (large format, 524 pages) in conjunction with some practical examples from recent tournaments that I have been … [Read more...]
Smorgasbord VIII: Mother’s Day
Smorgasbord VIII: Mother's Day By Jeff Coakley Welcome to the Chess Cafe. Please sit wherever you like. A waiter will be right with you. This week's menu features triple loyd 44, inverted loyd 18, proof game 45, and goof 30. Free refills on all puzzles! The types of problems presented here have appeared before on The Puzzling Side of Chess. If you are unfamiliar with them, examples with more detailed explanations are available in the archives. 1. Triple Loyd 44 [FEN "8/8/R7/4B3/8/4N3/8/K6R"] Place the black king on the board so that: A. Black is in checkmate. B. Black is in stalemate. C. White has mate in one. In an inverted loyd, the black king is already on the board, and … [Read more...]
Petroff Defense [C42]
Petroff Defense [C42]By Abby MarshallTo my surprise I have never covered the Petroff Defense in any of my columns. The reputation of the Petroff as a boring, drawish opening is starting to change. In the positions I want to look at in this column, early on Black trades a knight for a bishop to create an interesting imbalance. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 White may be mentally rehearsing the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game, but instead of 2...Nc6 comes... 2...Nf6 [FEN "rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5n2/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 3"]Don't let the initial symmetry fool you. Regardless of how White plays, the position soon becomes unbalanced with different goals for each side. In the variation I am looking at … [Read more...]