A classic finish in today's puzzle.

Solution:

This is one of the famous games of chess history (1922). Max Euwe, a future world champion gets annihilated by the great grandmaster and writer, Richard Reti. The whole game is given so those of you who want to learn more about how to get to these positions you see here can see how it’s done. It teaches the value of the element of time in chess.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0–0 Nxe4 Avoids the Max Lange Attack after 6...Bc5 7.e5 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qa5 9.Nxd4 A mistake, but Black has to know how to take advantage of it. White should have played 9.Nxe4. 9...Nxd4 10.Qxd4 f5 Black doesn't worry about 11.f3 because of Bc5, winning the White queen. Next, White threatens mate, but Black has an ingenious counter. 11.Bg5 Qc5 12.Qd8+ Kf7 13.Nxe4 fxe4 14.Rad1 [14.Rxe4 Bf5 15.Qxa8 Bxe4] 14...Bd6 Offering one rook...one more to go! 15.Qxh8 Qxg5 16.f4 Qh4 17.Rxe4

and now our solution: 17...Bh3 If you found 17..Bc5+ followed by 17...Bh3, that's great, too! It's the concept that counts! 18.Qxa8 The "two rook" sacrifice in chess goes way back. It's a good strategy to know. The basic idea is to use the moves your opponent's queen is taking to gobble up your back rank, to get your pieces time to mate his king. 18...Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Bxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Qg4+ White Resigns because it's mate after 21.Kf1 [21.Kh1 Qf3#] 21...Qf3+ 22.Ke1 Qf2#

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.