In our “golden oldies” review courtesy of the 1910 British Chess Magazine we return to the Lodz Chess Club for this position. It is not clear who the players are. Rotlevi (Rubinstein’s poor victim of one of the greatest combinations of all time) is given as Black, but the winner is given as “N.N.” Perhaps it was reversed. I’m just not sure. Anyhow, Black is in the usual stew for not having castled and White is about to give him a lesson in mate threats.

Solution

:

Your first move could be Nd6+, but the more precise 1.Bc7 is better. Threatens mate in one. 1.Bc7 Nxc7 2.Rd7 [Threatens mate in one yet again. Yes, the knight check works, too: 2.Nd6+ Kd8 3.Nf7+ Ke8 4.Rd7 Nb5 (4...Nxe6 5.Rxe7+ Bxe7 6.Qxg6 Nf4 7.Qf5 g5 8.Ne5 Nd5 9.Bxd5 cxd5 10.Qf7+ Kd8 11.Qxd5+ Ke8 12.Qxb7 Rd8 13.Qb5+ Kf8 14.Qf1+ Kg8 15.Qf7#) 5.Bxb5 cxb5 (5...Qxf7 6.exf7+ Kxf7 7.Bc4+ Ke8 8.Rc7 Nf5 9.Qxf5 Bc5+ 10.Qxc5 Rd8 11.Qe7#) 6.Nd6#] 2...Nb5 3.Bxb5 Black Resigned. White threatened mate in one for the last time. Happily, we don’t get letters anymore saying Black can give up his queen, etc.. It just prolongs the mate a bit, but doesn’t stop it. Whoever Black was had the good sense to resign. This was a nice series of mate in one threats.

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.