ArcaMax

Register for your free account:

Subscribe to any feature and receive your newsletter directly in your inbox.
Easy email subscription management.
Claim your rewards from the Reader Perks section!

White to Play

Pete Tamburro on Mar 23, 2022

Even though, you may guess at the winning move here, there are a lot of pitfalls for both sides. It’s not as easy as it looks.

The game Vucinic-Djurovic went this way: 1.Nxe5 Bxd1 Black could keep it to just a lost pawn with 1...Qh4 2.Nf3 Qe7+ 3.Qe2 Bxf3 4.Qxe7+ Bxe7 5.gxf3, but White will win with the queenside pawn majority 2.Bxf7+ Ke7 3.Bg5+ Kd6 4.Ne4+ Pitfall One--4.Bxd8 Nxe5 and Black wins! 4...Kxe5 5.f4+ Kd4 Cute finish with 5...Kf5 6.Ng3+ Kg4 7.Bh5# 6.Rxd1 Qxg5 No point in moving the queen away--6...Qd7 7.c3+ Ke3 8.f5# 7.c3+ Ke3 8.0–0?? Pitfall Two--A terrible mistake, which Black doesn't recognize. Easy win with 8.fxg5 Ne5 9.0–0 Nbc4 10.Rfe1+ Kf4 11.g3+ Kg4 12.h3+ Kxh3 13.Be6+ Ng4 14.Re2 Bc5+ 15.d4 Bxd4+ 16.Rxd4 h6 17.Rh2# 8...Qh4?? Pitfall Three--Black could turn the tables with 8...Qg4 9.g3 Qe2 10.Rfe1 Rd8 11.Rxe2+ Kxe2 12.Rd2+ Ke3 9.Rf3+ Ke2 10.Rd2+ Ke1 11.Rf1# Very instructive!

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.

More Chess Puzzles

Black to Play

Chess Puzzles / May 14, 2025

From one of those wild King’s Gambits from the 19th century. This time, Black bites back. A great mating attack by Falkbeer in 1853.

White to Play

Chess Puzzles / May 09, 2025

Queen sacrifices are always entertaining to chess players. This game, Potter v. Anonymous, London, 1870, is unique because Mr. Potter sacrificed his queen before the game started! Queen odds! His opponent may very well ...Read More

Black to Play

Chess Puzzles / May 07, 2025

From a 100+ year old game between two anonymous players in England. Still, a lovely finish.

White to Play

Chess Puzzles / May 05, 2025

This is from a 5-minute game I recently played. I had about 20 seconds to make my move here, and there are some bad choices here.

White to Play

Chess Puzzles / May 02, 2025

A very important lesson on why you should not have weak dark squares.

Black to Play

Chess Puzzles / April 30, 2025

Some of you more experience solvers will realize that the white queen has just taken a rook on h8 leaving a bishop that can’t move because of the loss of yet another rook; however, if you don’t know this theme, then ...Read More