We have a mate in three for you here. The first thing you should notice, which is not uncommon in chess compositions, is that the Black king is not in check, yet can only move into check with the king. That should be a central factor in your figuring out this problem as the key is how you then want that Black pawn on d7 to move and then figure out how get that king to a square where you’ll be able to deliver the decisive blows. That’s our last hint: in one of the three variations in the solution, the king is not being mated on e4. Hmmmm….
We had a position last time out with a nice understated move that was the best way to win. Today, we have a position that Richard Reti, the winner of that game, criticized because, although it was interesting to the general public, did not meet Reti’s standards of beauty for chess play. You decide.
White is clearly winning here, and there are many paths to victory. White was Richard Reti who defeats Carl Carls at Baden Baden in 1925 by playing one move which causes Carls to resign on the spot. Please remember that Reti liked playing moves of elegant simplicity that masked a hammer of power behind them. There’s more than one mate here. Try and figure out which one Reti picked.
Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch was a great player and chess writer who peaked in the late 19th century. His The Game of Chess is a classic that many players owe their chess skill to. This position is an example of his capacity for brilliant play. Think logically here according to that “wish” move process I’ve talked about here.
This is an unknown game from the 20s…an exciting game with pawns on both sides ready to queen.
This is a great position to learn from! White uses several themes to decisively attack Black. This is from a game, Whitehead-Garcia, New York,1988.
