A Chess Sock and a BCM

What is this? It is a Chess Sock. I use to have two, one for each foot.
I made the mistake of putting them both in the washing machine at
the same time and now it appears this sock has eaten the other one.

I cannot find it’s partner anywhere. My wife, who does not believe
this sock is a cannibal theory, told me to check out my sock drawer.
(that pun ‘check out’ whilst looking for a chess sock is deplorable.)


What is this? I found it in my sock drawer. It is a June 1977, minus the
cover, British Chess Magazine. I have no idea how it got there or whose
picture was on the cover. (Amos Burn? inside there is an article on him)
but I did find a blog idea on page 280, the Studies section, by C.M. Bent.

First of all I’ll set it up the main feature (White to play and win)


1.Rh8+ K-any 2.Rh7+ and Rxa7. wins. But if we add a White Knight


Now the win is not so simple (BTW this was composed by L. Topcheyev in 1927)

What is the difference. 1.Rh8+ Kd7 2.Rh7+ Kd6 Rxa7


It is Stalemate. I will play through the win.



Quite a few RHP examples pf KRN v K ending in stalemate. I’ll just give two.

Dale Ward - Bbbumpy RHP 2013 (mate in 3)


1.Nd4 Kc8 2.Kb3 and mate next move. .
In fact 1.N anywhere except 1.Ne7 wins
White played 1.Ne7 stalemate.

Pololo - midandroid RHP 2018 (mate in 3)


This time there is only one way to mate in three
1... Na4 2. Ka6 Re7 3. Ka5 Ra7 Checkmate.
1... Na4 2. Kxa4 Kc5 3. Ka5 Ra3 Checkmate.
Instead Black played 1...Rb3 and that is stalemate.

This next game segment was also in the 1977 BCM

Ormush - Betotsky, Budapest student Ch., 1951




No.1 is a sad tale but it does give us two puzzles for the price of one.

OneThird - Beatleboy RHP 2026 (Black to play)


How can Black win one of the White Rooks.
Black played 41...Nd4 what happened next?

Win a Rook Reveal Hidden Content
Lose the game.Reveal Hidden Content

I cannot recall where I got his one from (Black to play and win)


Reveal Hidden Content

A. Feuerstein - J. Bennett, New York, 1955 (we will play to puzzle position)




White to play and win,

Reveal Hidden Content

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 205906