![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651683533.png)
Chess Review, August 1948
![green pawns](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1490275699.png)
This problem appeared in 1898 Scotsman by Mr W. Finlayson
![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651414233.png)
With the caption: White to play and mate in 4 moves.
In the next edition we learn that the White Knight on b8 is infact a Black Knight.
How did these things happen? In them days you sent in your problem
in Forsyth Notation. The above position would have looked like this
![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651683690.png)
You can see how easily it would have been to misread that especially if the
person setting up the page was not a chess player and not forgetting it is a
chess problem which at first glance can often look like a random position.
If it was a position from a ‘normal’ game the mistake would be spotted..
For example here you can see right away something is wrong. (or would it. read on...)
The problem as it was originally printed is a mate in three.
So we can see how important that Knight on b8 was. It stopped the Qc6 ideas.
Here is the corrected position.
Now it is a mate in four moves.
Speaking of mistakes in chess positions I recently came across this chess stamp.
![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651414197.png)
It is from a Tal game and of course that Bishop on d3 is a White Bishop
A mistake I find hard to accept, surely someone would have noticed it.
And books. How on earth did they get this date wrong (from Edward Winter’s site)
![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651433629.png)
And lets not forget the ultimate over the board mistake. Resigning a won game.
I came across this position in...
![no title](/imgu/blog/1/b4u437199-1651414214.png)
It is also No. 236 in ‘Blunders and Brilliancies’ by Ian Mullen and Mo Moss.
A classic case of a player resigning in a won position
Béla Sándor - Zoltan Herendi, Budapest, 1948
1...Rxf7 Nxf7 mate. 1...h6 2.Nxg6 Mate if the Bishop moves then Qxh7 mate.
The threat is Qg8+ and Nf7 mate. Black resigned. But there is a saving move.
The answer, but try and find it first
1...Qf2 and Black wins
By the way a few people are looking for the score of
this game. If anyone can help then please let me know.
And now you will be expecting a whole bucket load of Red Hot Pawn games
with players resigning in a won position. It is actually quite difficult to search
for games where a player has resigned in a won position. You need to be sneaky.
One method I came up with was to look for this basic position with White wins.
And quickly go though each position and see if any pop up with possible defences.
I looked for games from 2020 till the present and nearly gave up. But thankfully....
Pudge - PB1946, RHP 2021
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 193131
.