Chess and the Coal Miners + another Archie.
By on 01 Apr 25
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I am definitely on a culture kick. Last week we looked at the artwork
of James Todd. This week whilst on a day trip to Durham I came across.
Created by Andrew Turner in 2010. You will note the chessboard - hence
the chess connection. I do not know why there is a lone Back King on g6 .
It could be random but these artistic types are into cryptic messages hidden
within their artwork. Maybe (says I clutching at a lone straw) there was a
coal mine coded and called G6 and this was the last pit to defiantly close.
L. Cheng - Y. Zhu, Hastings Masters 2024-25 (White to play)
There is actually a wee clue in the Andrew Turner banner.
Did you play 1.Qxf6 Wrong 1...Qd1+ 2.Bxd1 gxf6 is probably a draw.
I’ve noted up the whole game. You will see what happened below.
J. Nunn - J. de la Villa Garci, Hungary.1987
It was not played but what happens if White plays 1.Bxd3.
1.Bxd3 Qxf2+ 2.Kxf2 Bd4++ 3.Ke2 Bg4 mate.
This next one appeared in Hugh Courtney’s Christmas Quiz 1972.
White to play and checkmate in one move.
Clue:
it is one them sneaky puzzles - what was Black’s last move?
We have to look at each Black piece and decide what was the last piece to move.
Black’s last move could not have been a King move. Kings can never meet
and it could not have come from e3 or g3 in check from an unmoved pawn.
It cannot have come from e2, g2 or g4. There are still piece on those squares.
It could not have been the g8 Bishop else the White King would have been
in check. It cannot be Black’s move if White was in check. Maybe Black has
just played h2xg1=B. No. Count the White units. Nothing has been captured
We can also rule out both Knights as there are pieces on the square they could
have come from (impossible) or they too would have had the White King in check.
That leaves the pawn on d4. It could not have come from d3 as the White King.
would have been in check. Therefore Black’s last move must have been 1...d7-d5.
Thus allowing White to play 2. cxd6 Checkmate.
For a Red Hot Pawn example of an en passant mate I can do no better than the
one I gave in back 2022. It is incredible and one of the best finishes on RHP.
Bobbyt65 - Stewie rules RHP 2006 (White to play)
1.Bf4+ g5 White has the choice of two en passant captures. They played 2.hxg6 mate.
I’ve been pointed towards another Archie Comic with a chess theme.
It is from 1973 so this one has obviously been inspired by the Fischer - Spassky match.
It would be nit-picking on a grand scale to highlight the fact the position on the chessboard
and the demo board differ. (it’s a comic) but I have noticed the chairs are very similar to
the chairs used by both players. Spassky’s copy of Fischer‘s chair arrived after game 6.
The first puzzle solution. L. Cheng - Y. Zhu, Hastings Masters 2024-25
Contained an interesting idea that Black took a while to cotton onto.
There are quite a few RHP examples of the Nxe5, Qxh5 trap I mentioned
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 202400
