ArcaMax

This tenth instructional game is special for me since I knew the winner. Herman was a magnificent storyteller at dinner and very jovial. I met him in the 1970s, almost 30 years after this game was played. Miguel Najdorf was one of the greatest players in chess history, so Pilnik beating him was no small accomplishment. Pilnik,H. - Najdorf,M. (...

The ninth in our series of instructional games. Black makes a classic error. Will you find the winning line? Dobkin - Grinberg (B18) Tel-Aviv, 1944 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0–0 Ngf6 9.Re1 e6 10.Ng5 Bxd3? (Better was 10...Bd6) 11.Qxd3 h6?? (SEE DIAGRAM) A fatal mistake. Why?

The eighth in our series of instructional games. Both players had opportunities to win. Several mistakes were made. Well worth going over to test your tactical sense at several points in the game. Hanning - Langerner (C80)Berlin, 1926 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 exd4? (Best not to open the e-file when you aren't ...

The seventh in our series of instructional games. We’re going to comment more on this one for the less experienced players as there are lessons throughout rather than just after the diagram. Przepiorka,D - Patay,J. (B06)Meran, 1926. Here’s the game: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Bd3 e6 5.0–0 Ne7 (These days known as the Hippopotamus.)6.Be3 0...

The sixth in our series of instructional games. Albin,A. - Bernstein,O. (C50)Vienna, 1904. The game is pretty level for a while until White forgets a basic principle: get castled! 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 d6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Be6 7.Nd5 Bxd5 (Better was 7...Na5 To get the two bishops.) 8.Bxd5 h6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.c3 Rb8 12.b4 ...

The fifth in our series of instructional games. White starts out with an odd fourth move, for which we give instruction in the notes, but still manages to get the better game. Black uses his one chance—the f-file, and it becomes an exciting king hunt as the White king marches up the board to his fate, which is a great lesson in itself. The ...

The fourth in our series of instructional games. This one starts our fairly sedately, then goes off the beaten path for no apparent reason at all. The game started out Cukierman,J. - Voison (D12)Paris, 1929

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.e3 Bf5 4.c4 e6 5.Qb3 Qc7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bd2 Nbd7 8.Rc1 Qb6 (More Slav-like was 8...dxc4) 9.c5 Qc7 10.Nh4 Bg6 11.f4 Be7 12....

The third in our series of instructional games. An example of how to follow up a well-known attacking sacrifice. Alekhine,A. - Asgeirsson,A. (C14) Reykjavik, 1931. The game began with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.Nf3 0–0 7.Bd3 Re8 (Black needed to counter sooner with 7...c5)8.e5 Be7 9.h4! c5 (and now a position we didn't ...

The second in our series of instructional games. An attacking masterpiece! Weenink - Landau B08 Amsterdam, 1930

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 Nxe4 A risky try before one has castled 5...0–0 6.Bb3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nc6 9.Be3 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd5 with a slight edge to White. 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe4 Rf8 8.h4 ...

We’re going to start a series of instructional games from the “good ol’ days” of early to mid 20th century chess. If you play through the games, it will add to your strength as a chess player because you will learn some new ideas. Our first game is Noteboom,D. - Mindeno,S. Holland, 1927 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 5.exd5 ...

A mate in three. And a very irritating mate in three as there are so few pieces on the board. This. will end our composed problems for a while. Hope you found them challenging. Hint—the only check is the mating check.

A mate in three. I was reminded of the Star Wars line, “It’s a trap! It’s a trap!”

Does White win, lose or draw this position?

Composed problems like this drive me crazy. It’s a mate in three. The only hint I can give you is that the only check is the last one, which is mate. Don’t look at the answer. Take the weekend, but try to solve it.

This is a very special mate in three as the choices are few since it is a very restricted position. In one sense, though, anything goes!

OK, enough with the in-depth chess lessons! Recreational change of pace—composed chess problems. This one’s a mate in two. Have fun!