Chess Before the Internet
By on 22 Jan 25 09:14
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Before the Internet we relied on daily or weekly chess columns to inform
us what was happening in the chess world. Rather than keep the complete
newspaper, I know I was not alone in cutting out the columns and gluing
them in to a notebook. It is where we get the term ‘cut and paste’ from.
You were told who won what, where and when and perhaps a game from
the event in question along with a puzzle. This blog is like a chess column
except I’ve mixed bits of MAD magazine, comics and occasionally Chess.
The first of this weeks puzzles comes from an old chess column written by
Bernard Cafferty in The Sunday Times. It mentioned that this study was
composed in 1987 so it was around then that I cut it out and pasted it into
a note book. I just knew that 40 years later I would be using one of them. .
This problem was composed by Machatidze in 1987
White to play and mate in 4 moves. Solution below.
The columnist, Bernard Cafferty, warns his readers not to play 1.g8=Q
because that is a stalemate so I will do the same. Do not play 1. g8 =Q.
Next we have a mate in three composed by Adolf Anderssen (1818-79)
Clue: This one breaks a rule in set problem by having the first move as a check.
Solution
The part I enjoy the most in setting these puzzles is finding RHP combinations.
in similar settings. Here we need a Queen Sac, a Rook Sac and a checkmate.
RHP has 100’s with most of them are common back rank mates.
Matheiy003 - mig21 RHP 2018 (White to play)
33. Qd8+ Rxd8 34. Rxd8+ Rxd8 35. Rxd8 Checkmate.
However these two, a Queen Sac, a Rook Sac and mate are quite good.
taff438 - Joey Bennett RHP 2019 (White to play)
23. Qxc6+ Bxc6 24. Rb8+ Qxb8 25. Rxb8 Checkmate.
Peregrino - zdzicht RHP 2006 (White to play)
26. Qxh7+ Nxh7 27. Rxh7+ Kxh7 28. Rh1 Checkmate.
Final position
Just after the World Rapid and Blitz events Magnus Carlsen got married.
(note how I reined myself in by not adding any ‘mated at last’ comments.)
Gukesh arrived in Holland on the morning of his round one Tata Steel game v Giri.
In the game Giri, with 40 seconds left on his clock missed a win and went onto lose.
Gukesh - Giri, Rd 1, Tata Steel, 2025.
A picture of the two players after Giri knows he missed the win.
Picture from the Indian Express.
The problem composed by Machatidze. Checkmate in 4 moves.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 201787
