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Hi. Yes it is that time of year when I treat you all to one of my special and eagerly looked forward to ‘Christmas Quizzes’ so let us start with’
What Christmas Carol is this?
Noel...Noel.....Noel...No-el...
What Christmas Carol is this?
Noel...Noel....No-el...the second verse!
What opening is this?
A Groucho Piano
I’m having fun, surprised Russ has not been along to tell me to stop messing about.
What opening are you playing if you eating a can of carrots?
OK no need to say anything Boss. I’ll get on with it. (the Caro Kann.)
There is a famous problem by Alain C. White (1880-1951) who set a problem inside a pyramid with the Black King (in that case King Tut) in the centre of the pyramid. You have to mate in two moves. I’ve turned in a Christmas puzzle.
That is not making much sense it is. I’ll give you a normal diagram.
White to play and checkmate Black in two moves.
1.d6 Black any move - and it checkmate on the next move.
Remember I am showing RHP games so look for Christmas Bloomers.
Higgo - Lanphwen RHP 2023 (White to play)
What do you think happened next?
1.Qxb4 Rd1+ 2.Rf1 Rxf1 checkmate.
Next find the worse move on the board and then give three reasons why this move is a triple blunder. (Magnificent play. dongbrain - Thank You)
dongbrain - Kiki RHP 2023 (White to play)
One move that can either lead to a mate, lose a Queen or lose a Rook! (1)
1.d6 Qe1+ and checkmate in two more moves. This happened.
(2)
1.d6 Qxc6 Black picks up the Queen.
(3)
1.d6 Qxb1 Black picks up a Rook. 2.Rg1 Qb7
The 50-50 game. Three moves draw and three moves lose. Tatenko - Checkov RHP 2023 (Black to play)
To let the Black e-pawn advance The Black King has six moves. Your task. Which three moves draw and which three moves lose? Draws
1...Ke2 or 1...Kc2 or 1...Kc3
Loses
1...Kc4 or 1...Ke3 or 1...K e4
Tatenko - Checkov RHP 2023
Header
FEN
8/8/8/6P1/3p4/3k4/6K1/8 b - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/6P1/3p4/3k4/6K1/8 b - - 0 1"] 1... Ke4 {Black played one of the losing moves. 1....Ke3 2.Kf1 or 1....Kc4 2.g6 as in the game.} 2. g6 d3 3. Kf1 {The idea Black missed. The White King can prevent the pawn from promoting.}
The last one is a genuine Christmas Cracker. Land Crawford - ronymic RHP 2012 (White to play}
(1) How should the game go? (2) What do you think really happened? (1)
1.b8=Q b1=Q 2. Qh8 checkmate.
(2)
This happened. 1.b8=Q b1=Q 2.Qxb1 stalemate.
You are White and you have to draw both games. Good things to be learnt here.
Composed by V. Kalandaze in 1956. (White to play and draw.)
The Rook can check and chase the King to b1 then what? a8=Q is a check!
Composed by J. Moravec in 1931 (White to play and draw this a toughie.)
Black is angling to play a Rook check and h1=Q so be careful.
Before the solutions. The worst Christmas Chess Joke of all time.
The Kalandaze Study. Once you see the idea it is fairly easy.
Header
FEN
K5R1/8/8/8/8/8/pP5k/8 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "K5R1/8/8/8/8/8/pP5k/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Rh8+ {1...Kg3 2.Rh1 White wins.} 1... Kg2 {The Black King has to stop the Rook from reaching the first rank.} 2. Rg8+ Kf2 3. Rf8+ Ke2 4. Re8+ Kd2 5. Rd8+ Kc2 6. Rc8+ {6...Kxb2 7. Rb8+ Ka3 8.Rb7 and Ra6+} 6... Kb1 7. Rc7 {White calmly lets Black promote with a check.} 7... a1=Q+ 8. Ra7 {The Queen is trapped and if...} 8... Qxb2 9. Rb7 {A draw.}
The Moravec Study. This one needs a bit more craft. First I’ll show you the wrong way. I thought I had solved it but missed a cute move by Black.
Header
FEN
8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1"] 1. Rc2+ {This obvious move (my first attempt) losses.} 1... Kd6 {Why back here. Watch this bit of triangulating from Black. It wins.} 2. Re2 {If 2...Ke5 then 3.Kf3+ and 4.Kg2 draws. My original line. I thought it was too easy.} 2... Kd5 {The cute move. White has only one move.} 3. Rd2+ {Now Black plays Ke5...} 3... Ke5 {...and Kf3 is not a check.} 4. Re2 {To stop Re1+ and h1=Q} 4... Kf5 5. Rf2+ {White has to keep checking and this is the only check.} 5... Kg4 {6 Re2 Kg3 holding the h2 pawn. There follows Ra1 etc.} 6. Rf4+ Kg5 {White cannot stop Re1+ and h1=Q. 0-1.}
Now we see how White can draw this.
Header
FEN
8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1"] 1. Kd3 {How the White King masks itself from the Rook check and h1=Q is very instructive.} 1... Kd5 2. Kc3+ {It seems odd to move the King away from the h-pawn but the idea soon becomes clear.} 2... Ke4 3. Rc2 {To stop Rc1+ and h1=Q.} 3... Kf3 4. Kc4 {The main idea. The King gives checking room to the Rook which is stopping Rc1+.} 4... Kg3 5. Rc3+ Kh4 {Don't be clever with 6.Kc5 Ra1 is 0-1.} 6. Rc2 {When not checking the Rook must go back to attacking the h2 pawn.} 6... Kh3 7. Rc3+ Kg2 8. Rc2+ Kg1 9. Rc1+ Kg2 10. Rc2+ Kg3 11. Rc3+ Kh4 12. Rc2 {A draw.}
