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Pete Tamburro on

Published in Chess Puzzles

While putting together the last puzzle of the year by taking the last puzzle from an 1846 Illustrated London News, the natural question was “What was the first puzzle of that year?” So, I looked!

It was composed by an American champion, Charles Stanley. It is primitive by today’s standards, but it’s still fun to try these oldies.


Solution:

This is one of those “despite incredible odds, White prevails” compositions, and, to top it off, Stanley also sacrifices the rook. Just as in our previous problem, bishop cooperation is really first-rate. 1.Re5+ Kxe5 2.Bg4 dxe3 [2...Qh8 3.Bd6#; 2...d3 3.Bd6#] 3.Bd6+ [3.c3 takes one move longer: 3… d4 4.Be6 dxc3 5.bxc3 Qg8 6.Bd6#] 3...Kd4 4.Be2 f3 5.c3#

 

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.


 

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