ArcaMax

If you’ve been with us a while, the first move should be an easy guess, but can you see it all the way to the end?

This position, won by Arencibia in Cuba in 2006, will require some thought, but at the same time the first, and winning move, just follows one of the basic rules of thumb of chess.

Sometimes winning is so simple. From Mikhalevski-Wojtkiewicz, Lake George 2005.

This question arose in the game Pilnik-Olafsson, Reykjavik, 1956. Black has several checks and an easy draw. Should 1…Qf4+ be the check he chooses to try for a win? If yes or no, what will happen after that?

If you understood the point of the last puzzle, you should find it easier to deal with this position from an actual game, Colle-Gruenfeld, Carlsbad, 1929.

Just a few men on the board, but do take time to think. White can win.

This is our last bishop and knight mating theme. Hopefully, you should get this one fairly quickly, having learned from the other two.

Our second example of the same theme from Monday

This will be a theme week to help you recognize mating patterns.

A mate in two by Ebert.

A cute tactical composition by Tim Krabbe.

A composition by Knudsen. Mate in Two.

Black has just taken White’s knight on d4. What should White do about that? From a game Karf-Lugatsch, Berlin, 1937.

This puzzle is an excellent mental gymnastic that forces you to think many moves ahead. The nice thing is that all the moves by White are checks. If you don’t do it the first time, then play through the solution and keep doing it until you do the whole line. It’s like push-ups. Start with 5, then 10, then 15, etc.

The great Italian champion, Sergio Mariotti, once forced the resignation of his opponent with a move in this position.

A mate in three, composed by Adolf Anderssen nine years before he became world champ in 1851.

A mate in two! One of the problems solved by GM Ian Watson in winning the British Chess Solving Championship.

A fine finish by Alekhine against Nenarokof in Moscow, 1918.

Another one move wonder forced resignation in Avrukh-Kantsler, Israel 2002

Ree stunned Piket in 2001 with this next move.