Knight v Rook Pawns + a Zwischenzug

We start with an easy and pretty obvious one. White to play and win


Reveal Hidden Content

I had to add the 3rd move because it is easy to make a hash of it.
Blanca - skater1978 RHP 2017 (White to play)

White played 39.axb7? and the game was drawn. 39.a7 is 1-0.

Rhymester - Muxagata RHP 2022

White played 54.hxg7? and the game was drawn. 54 h7 is 1-0.

Next puzzle, look at the two diagrams, it is White to play in both.


Why is the one on the left a White win and the one on the right only a draw.

Left Reveal Hidden Content
Right Reveal Hidden Content

An idea worth knowing when all looks lost.
RoblinJohn - fastasleep RHP 2017

Black played 1...Kf7 and the h-pawn promoted. but;
1... Nf5 2. h7 Nd6 3. h8=Q Nf7+ followed by Nxh8.

We end with a normal puzzle.
J. Esteban - L. Caballero, Spain 1999 (White to play)

I think if I had been playing I may have...no, probably would have, spotted
that the Queen is protecting the d8 Rook and the f6 pawn and played 1.Qh4.
However being told there is something good in this position I looked deeper.



Amazing Look-A-Like No.113


A young Bill Hartston and Alfred E Neuman of Mad comics.


I have been following the Norway Chess tournament which is taking place in
...er... Norway! where in an effort to beat the dreaded GM draw they introduced
3pts for a win. If the game is drawn then they play an Armageddon game with
the winner getting 1.5 pts the loser 1 pt. Armageddon!!....I have a knock knock joke.


These things must be tried and all credit to them for trying something different.
Also no increment till move 41. Good. An increment from move one is silly.

I was impressed with one move from a Caruana game. It involves a neat
zwischenzug. Sadly I cannot think of Knock Knock zwischenzug joke.

Yi Wei - Fabiano Caruana, Norway Chess .2025 (Black to play)


27...Bxd3 is the obvious move and there is noting wrong with it.

Caruana played 27...Rxd3 which of course is just a blunder if you or me played it.
White plays 28. Rxc5 and the Rook on d3 is now undefended. 28...bxc5 29.Qxd3.

But Caruana looked past our obvious blunder. This is what the good guys do.
They look a bit deeper without a dismissing a move after two seconds of analysis..

28.Rxc5 Qc4!

Black is threatening Rxg3+ winning the undefended Queen and once White
has taken care of that threat with say 29.Qf2 (there is nothing better) then
Black plays 29...Qxb5 and is the exchange and a pawn up. White reigned.

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 202794