ArcaMax

William Steinitz was a great world champion. Against an amateur, he started out without his queen rook and found himself with his queen under attack.

This is a real first-class grandmaster attack which starts out with one of the most useful moves in the GM toolbox and finishes with a flourish. You might have to sit down and really think this one out. Here’s a hint: indirect attack and vacating!

The diagram is correct. It’s not legal, but it’s correct! It’s a task problem by Shinkman. Your task is to make ten white moves (the bishop stays on the dark squares) to create a position where Black, by putting a knight on the board can checkmate White with that knight placement.

Our last entry for tricky week. Actually, it’s quite diabolic. White wins this double rook and pawn ending and uses every trick in the book. The trick at the end is one every chess player should know about.

In our tricky week, this one is priceless. Two big bad rooks vs.two teeny weeny pawns who want to queen. White wins! To be nice, I’ll give you a big hint: BOTH PAWNS DO PROMOTE TO QUEENS!!

I got a comment that Friday was too easy. OK, we will start off with slightly tricky and then go to very tricky. Here, White has to try and draw.

A handy little endgame lesson to learn. White can save himself here. How?

It may not look like it, but White has a forced win here! However, you have to find very concrete moves all the way to mate.

This one is a maneuvering win.

Mate in Four!

Chess is not just a game. You don’t roll dice. You compete to win. Thus, at every moment in a chess game you have to treat each position with respect. You can’t just take a lazy look and say that’s PROBABLY best. Your have to wring out of the position every last feature and truth in it. Then you’re playing chess. Otherwise, you’re just...

This is an endgame study, and a very practical one from Sam Loyd, who was playful enough to make it a mate in 5. That pawn about to queen is a steady threat, so White has to measure his moves carefully. You must figure out how to pick up time so the queen can get closer.

Sometimes beginners ask an interesting question: can you mate by moving the king? Sure! That’s our mate in three for today.

Once the king is exposed, an attacking played has to “know” there is a mating attack or at least the win of heavy material. That is the case here.

Another golden oldie to have some fun with. Great for kids, too. Your task is to put the chessmen you see along the bottome two rows on the board so they STALEMATE the black king on d4. To be clear, you don’t have to make moves with the pieces. Just pick them up and put them in a stalemate position on the black king, which does not move from ...

This is a tricky mate in three, but once you figure out why you shouldn’t promote to a queen on a8, you’re well on your way.

This week will be old favorites week. They will be composed problems have very short solutions, as with today’s mate in two. Good luck

Some chess games have started out this way: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5.dxc3 [We are now in the famed Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit.] 5...d6 [A losing move. 5...f6 is best, but people unfamiliar with the line are very reluctant to play it because it opens the whole diagonal for white's B on c4.] 6.Nxe5 [Also working is 6.Ng5 but the way...

The Danish Gambit is a promise of exciting chess. White gives up material for a lead in development and Black tries very hard not to make a mistake in defense. In our position today, Black does make a critical mistake on move 8. If you were in charge of the white forces, how would you continue here?

Even though the calendar says summer isn’t for a few weeks yet, we’re going into summer mode with positions that will be fun and/or educational. If you know someone who’s a beginner, the problems in the coming week will be a nice introduction into the variety of chess. This week, we’re going to open with---opening positions! In this ...