...on the inside back page the magazine it shows you how to castle.
The magazine cost £7.99 but it came with came with a chess piece.
This is just some of them.
But what we can do is over the coming weeks I’ll post some pictures the pieces. You print them out, glue them to a stiff piece of cardboard then get an adult to carefully cut out the pieces with a pair of scissors.
You will soon have you own Marvel Chess Set and know how to castle!
Keres - Podgorny, Prague 1943 (White to play)
Your bog standard bread and butter position. Spot the loose piece and play chess.
1.Rxe7 Qxe7 2. Qxg4+ was played and 1-0
That was easy. This next one by Sam Loyd is a bit more difficult. Not a super tough Sam Loyd where you start cursing his parents but it a typical Loyd with a cute idea.
White to pay and mate in three moves.
1 a8=B Kf8 2.b1=Q+ Kf7 3.Bd5 mate.
1 a8=B Ke6 2.Ke6 or 1...Kg8 2. Kg8 in both case mate next move. .
Finally, this is the tail end of a Troitsky study. The beautiful idea part.
White to play and win.
It is mate in 4 I did not want say that as it was too much of a clue.
1.g8=Q+ Kxg8 2.Ke6 Kh8 3.Kf7 e5 4.Bg7 mate.
There are a few RHP games finishing with the above mating pattern. It is quite a tough set up to reach with the King having to cover the flight squares and the Bishop being able to reach the mating square. With that in mind, White need not have lost the following two games.
Ben Chadwick - Johnnyray RHP 2024
Header
FEN
4RQ2/p4p1p/5kp1/1P6/3P1P2/6Pb/PP1r3P/7K w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "4RQ2/p4p1p/5kp1/1P6/3P1P2/6Pb/PP1r3P/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. Qh8+ Kf5 {White has to be a bit careful because of the mate with Rd1.} 2. Re5+ Kg4 {Now 3. Re1 and with the threat of mate gone White can bring the Queen into the game and mop up.} 3. Rg5+ {OOPS! White cannot save the game after this move.} 3... Kf3 4. Qa8+ {There was nothing better than this move, Now 4...Kf2 and White can resign.} 4... Ke3 {Oh No. Now the game is a draw.} 5. Re5+ Kf2 {The draw here is 6. Re1 Kxe1 7. Qf3! with perpetual check variations. 7...Rd1 8.Qe3+ and Qf3+ etc and etc. Trying to avoid a perpetual and Black can end up losing} 6. Qe4 {It appears White was determined to lose this one. Once again Black has the win and this time no mistake.} 6... Rd1+ 7. Qe1+ Rxe1+ 8. Rxe1 Bg2 {Checkmate.}
Farkas (1318) - jimbishop122247 RHP 2014
Header
FEN
5Q2/7p/pp4p1/3R4/1PP1p1k1/4q1Pb/P3n2P/7K w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "5Q2/7p/pp4p1/3R4/1PP1p1k1/4q1Pb/P3n2P/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. Qc8+ Kf3 2. Qf8+ {Black did not want to take their Bishop off h3. 2....Bf5 is the move here and Black wins in a canter.} 2... Nf4 {Now the game should be a draw but as this is an RHP game and no matter the material balance, both sides in every RHP game has a chance of winning until someone is checkmated.} 3. Qxf4+ Qxf4 4. gxf4 Kf2 5. Rd2+ Kf1 6. Rd1+ Kf2 {7.Rd2+ and 8.Rd1+ etc Draw.} 7. Rg1 {Now Black is winning.} 7... e3 8. c5 {Black can ignore this and play 8...e2 but it appears they bypassed this pawn so its promotion square is c8 and the h3 Bishop covers it.} 8... b5 9. c6 e2 10. c7 e1=Q 11. Rxe1 Bg2 {Checkmate.}
