ArcaMax

Threatened with mate, Black finds that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Our World Champion, Carlsen, gave an instructive finish in 2009 against Grischuk.

Last time out you had to solve a mate in two with queen and knight and king vs. king. This time it’s the same cast of characters, but it’s a mate in three. The last problem may give you the shadow of a hint.

A real minimalist two-mover for you by “Nemo.”

This is a mate in 6 for which you have the last two moves of the solution, courtesy of our last column. Now, see if you can come up with the whole solution.

This mate in two is actually the last pair of moves in a longer mate in 6 that we will show next. Just thought we would warm you up with this, so next time out you can say you solved a mate in 6!

The first move will be obvious to many of you, but can you see it all the way to mate?

This game was played between Haag and Csiszar in Hungary in 1963, and went this way: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 c6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. a3 O-O 8. b4 Re8 9. Bb2 dxc4 10. Bxc4 e5 11. O-O-O exd4 12. Rxd4 Qe7 13. Rhd1 Bc7 14. Bb3 a5 15. Ng5 Rf8 16. Rh4 h6 (See Diagram)at which point White came up with a pretty finish.

In this odd little miniature White concocts a bizarre attacking plan against Black’ Stonewall Defense and finds out why it’s called “Stonewall.” It started out: Distler-Eriksen, London, 1949 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 f5 4.Nh3 Nf6 5.f3 c6 6.e3 Bd6 7.Bd2 0–0 8.c5 Bc7 9.f4 Ne4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Ng5? h6 12.h4 hxg5 13.hxg5 with a fantasy idea of ...

A little change of pace from what we’ve been doing. A composition by H. Cohn.

White is clearly winning, but he needs it wrapped up in a nice neat bow. From Margulies-Lwow, Omaha,1949.

Rudolf Spielmann was a grandmaster who loved to attack. His beloved Vienna Gambit was his favorite from the time he was a young man. In this game, against Flamberg,(in a tournament interrupted by WWI)he blithely gives away material to reach our diagrammed position. The game started out 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Qe2 Nc5 7...

This is a whole lesson, so I hope you take out a board and play it through. Lots of good points to learn! The game was Borochow-McCudden, NY 1918: 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Be3 (More precise was 7. h3 to prepare Be3, so there would be no Ng4 by Black) 7... c6 8. a4 Qc7 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qe2 h6 11. Nh4!? (A ...

The Four Knights is unfairly criticized as dull. Here’s a lively little game that started out 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O d6? 6. d4 exd4 7. Nd5! Bc5 8.Bg5 Bd7 9. Re1 a6 and now how would you continue? See if you can see some of the side variations.

From a game, Palau-Kolste, London, 1927. How would you finish it?

From an offhand game at odds won by Barnes in 1873. BTW, The diagram is not a misprint! Black had just taken White’s bishop on c1 with a pawn and promoted to a queen.

Your pieces are all lined up. Do your thing!

Jacques Mieses, who was an old-timer in 1939 in London, gave up two rooks to Craddock’s queen. How did he intend to attack after that? See Diagram!

White does all the things you shouldn’t do to begin a chess game and then tries to exchange all the pieces off. His last offer of 14.Qg3 was a terrible idea. Why? 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6 3.Ne2 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bb5+ Nc6 6.0–0 Bd6 7.Re1 Be6 8.Ng3 Nf6 9.Nf5 0–0 10.Nxd6 Qxd6 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Qf3 Rae8 13.Re3 d4 14.Qg3 See Diagram!

Here’s a nice Alekhine finish. It started out, in Alekhine-Forrester, 1923, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4 8.dxe5 Nxe4 9.Qd4 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Ba5 11.Ba3 b6 [It would be hopeless, but at least make White work harder with: 11...b5 12.Bb3 d5 13.exd6 0–0 14.d7 Qxd7 15.Qxd7 Bxd7 16.0–0–0!]12.e6!! Qf6 [12......