618 views | 2 edits | Last edit on 21 Jan 25 10:57
Whilst on the subject of Christmas Presents (see the last blog) I was given this by my granddaughter who has inherited the tidy up house proud gene from her mother who picked it up from my wife.
Knight Bookends! So at least now a small selection of my chess books look tidy.
Like last week a few RHP games to give a clue to the main puzzle.
atlas1 - devilsvalet RHP 2024 (Black to play)
14... Qh1+ 15. Kxh1 Nxf2+ 16. Kg1 Nh3 checkmate
colin mcqueen - paulaston70 RHP 2019
Black missed the idea shown in the previous game and went onto lose.
20... Qh1+ 21. Kxh1 Nxf2+ 22. Kg1 Nh3 mate but the game ended 1-0.
Staying on the theme of a Queen going to h1 with a check.
The main puzzle is by Herbert Grasemann 1950. White to play and mate in 4 moves.
Unlike the majority of set mate puzzles, the first move is a check. Solution below.
Let us see how the atlas1 - devilsvalet RHP 2024 came about.
Header
EVENT
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SITE
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DATE
????.??.??
ROUND
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WHITE
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BLACK
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RESULT
*
PGN
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 {This is OK if followed up correctly. It is usually seen with 6.Bb3 Bc5.} 6. Bb3 Nxe4 {But this is dodgy. White can now get a good game with 7.Re1 or 7.d4.} 7. c3 {A standard Ruy Lopez move but too slow here.} 7... Bc5 {It seems both players have the systems mixed up. This was OK on move 6. Now 7...d5 was better.} 8. Nxe5 {8.Qe2 or 8.d4 the plan behind 7.c3 was another way to go.} 8... Nxe5 {8...Bxf2+ 9.Rxf2 Nxf2 was a try, If 10.Kxf2? Nxe5 and Black is winning.} 9. d4 Bb7 {That is good. The white king is looking a bit tender without the f3 knight.} 10. dxc5 {Taking the most dangerous of the two pieces but that e5 knight has big say in what happens.} 10... O-O 11. Bc2 {I'm thinking White has the idea. If 11...Nxc5 12.Bxh7+ Kxh7 Qh5+ and Qxe5..} 11... Qf6 {Good. The c5 pawn is ignored. and now the e5 Knight is protected.} 12. Qd4 {This looks good. Holds the c5 pawn and attacks the e4 knight but....} 12... Nf3+ {...now White is lost.} 13. gxf3 {The knight has to be taken else white drops their queen.} 13... Qxf3 {If White wanted to play on then giving up the queen with 14.Bxe4 Bxe4 15.Qxe4 was the only way.} 14. Qd1 {And now we reach the puzzle position. Checkmate in three moves.} 14... Qh1+ 15. Kxh1 Nxf2+ 16. Kg1 {Only move.} 16... Nh3 {Checkmate.}
H. Grasemann 1950. White to play and mate in 4 moves.
Header
FEN
8/8/8/7N/8/8/4P2p/3QKn1k w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/7N/8/8/4P2p/3QKn1k w - - 0 1"] 1. Qd5+ {The only way to checkmate in four moves.} 1... Kg1 2. Qh1+ {I did give a couple of clues that this move was in the solution.} 2... Kxh1 3. Kf2 {Black has only Knight moves left and then it is checkmate on the 4th moves.}
