…and what presents did you get?
The challenge I set my mob this was something to do with Chess.
Not a chess book, not a chess set, not a chess a clock.
I got the usual men’s things.
Smelly stuff for the face and armpit, brightly coloured socks and a
mug telling me I’m the greatest Dad in the world.
Chess stuff…Well they rose to the challenge. I’m chuffed.
A Coat Hanger shaped like a Queen and a Chess Breakfast Tray (the Duck got nothing.)
Had a devil of job fixing the coat hanger to the wall.
The nails had a groove across the top and a spiral thread from the point up to the base.
It was really awkward to hammer them it. Got it right on the third attempt.
Saw this idea for Christmas present in a British publication called ‘The Metro’.
58 zonks for 32 pieces of chocolate. I don’t know if you get that roll up board with it.
(by now the keen-eyed chess players will have noticed the board is the wrong way around.)
A common theme at this time of year is for the columnist (that’s me) to look back
over the past year and fob you off with stuff you already know under the guise of
‘Highlights of 2012.’.
Fobbing off my readers (that’s you) is not my style so here is a what may have
happened in 1972!
We go back to 25th July and game 7.
Spassky offered the first Poisoned Pawn. (he offered the pawn again in Game 11
and recorded a famous win.) But let us stick with Game 7.
Spassky here played 8.Qd2 and Game 7 was drawn.
Instead he should have tried 8.a3.
And if Fischer had taken the pawn (and why not, he took the b-pawn in Games 7 and 11)
then 9.Na4 traps and wins the Black Queen.
Never mind the ‘Match of the Century’, that would have been the ‘Trap of the Century.’.
But I can hear you mumbling through mouthfuls of Christmas turkey.
“Nobody will fall for that.”
Ullr - scottcrockart RHP 2008 and Ullr - themightyrobbo RHP 2008
OK. I can hear you mumbling through your Christmas mince pies.
“What happens if Black does not take the b-pawn and get his Queen trapped?”
Ullr - IlMio RHP 2008
The Trapper Trapped Part II
SwissGambit - ItsYouThatIAdore RHP 2010
The sheer joy of showing a Swiss Gambit loss on here is my Christmas present to myself.
Did you spot the other wee Queen winning trick in that game.
Instead of going for the d-pawn, can White play 17.g5.
Everybody does these things. I won’t break with tradition.
The hard bit is coming up with fresh puzzles with a Christmas theme.
Here is an original one.
The Knight on h1 is Santa Claus, he has to visit every house in the land.
(that is every square.) just once, deliver the presents and move on.
On the 64th move he must land back on h1.
You green fake. That is not original, that is a Knights tour, it’s been known
for at least 1,000 years. You cannot draw a red hat and false beard on a
Knight and claim it’s your original idea.
OK what about this:
This looks lost for White, The Black Snowman cannot be caught by the White King and.....
That is the famous Reti Study. Green guts your Christmas Quiz is a farce.
I’ve got this one.
The star at the top of the tree. It’s White to play and checkmate Black in 4 moves.
Well it’s sound. Never seen it before. OK keep that one in.
End of Christmas Quiz.
Finally a little stocking filler. This is from BCM March 1983.
Jens Kieffer-Olsen had a quiet Christmas in 1982. He spent the day trying
to beat world record for a double stalemate in the fewest moves.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 150460
RJHinds
Paul Leggett
