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It is that time of year when once again we feast on merriment.
What famous chess player had to cycle to a chess tournament so he would not lose on a time forfeit.
Answer Q.1
Magnus Carlsen
What famous chess player got in trouble for wearing a pair of these.
Answer Q.2
Magnus Carlsen
What famous chess player had their unbeaten streak of 124 games broken on the 10th of October 2020
...er...let me check...
Answer Q.3
Magnus Carlsen
Answer Q.4
Magnus Carlsen
Answer Q.5
Magnus Carlsen
Yes!
Where we see a White pawn sliding along the 7th rank. White to play and deliver checkmate in two moves.
1.b8=N Ke6 2.Rh6 mate.
White to play and deliver checkmate in two moves.
1.c8=R Ke6 2.Rc6 mate.
White to play and deliver checkmate in two moves.
1.d8=Q+ Kc6 2.Qd7 mate or 1...Ke6 2.Rh6 mate,
White to play and deliver checkmate in two moves.
1.e8-B Ke6 2.Rh6 mate.
Finally try this one. White to play and win.
Clue Moonwalk
Header
FEN
6q1/1r5k/1p2NQ2/6p1/5PP1/1K3P2/8/8 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "6q1/1r5k/1p2NQ2/6p1/5PP1/1K3P2/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qf5+ Kh8 {1...Kh6 2.fxg5 Qxg5 3.Qxg5+ etc.} 2. Qe5+ Kh7 3. Qe4+ {The White Queen Moon walking is going to go backwards till it reaches a1.} 3... Kh8 4. Qd4+ Kh7 5. Qd3+ {5...Kh6 is still met with fxg5+} 5... Kh8 6. Qc3+ Kh7 7. Qc2+ Kh8 8. Qb2+ Kh7 9. Qb1+ Kh8 {Now White can force swap everything off and win the ending.} 10. Qh1+ {10...Qh7 11.Qa1+ Kg8 12.Qa8+ and Qxb7+} 10... Rh7 11. Qa1+ Rg7 12. Qxg7+ Qxg7 13. Nxg7 Kxg7 14. fxg5 {Wonderful}
This pencil is on display at the Edinburgh Chess Club
As is well known Fabiano Caruana takes a packet of new pencils with him everytime he enters a chess tournament. If he does not win the game, then he leaves the pencil behind next to the chess board. However if he wins, he keeps that pencil until that pencil runs out of luck.
I went down to London to see the 2018 Carlsen - Caruana match.
Yes, I'm afraid that is me in the striped jersey.
The match was drawn 12 - 12 (12 pencils) and Carlsen won the tie break.
After game 4 and when the players had left the arena I noticed Caruana s pencil still at the side of the board, nobody was looking so I pinched it. I then ran across the road to Ladbrokes and using the pencil I wrote out a bet. 4.00 on dog number 4 in the 4th race at 4 o clock....
...it came in 4th.
In the puzzles section we saw a pawn on the 7th rank under promoting to a Knight. In RHP and OTB games it is very rare to see a Knight promotion as the only move. But I have found a good RHP example. Playagainstme - kenny campbell RHP 2014.
Header
FEN
8/1PB5/k5p1/P6p/3p3P/3P1pPq/2P5/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/1PB5/k5p1/P6p/3p3P/3P1pPq/2P5/1R4K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. b8=N+ {White had to promote with a check else Black will play 1....Qg2 mate.} 1... Ka7 {Only move.} 2. Nc6+ {2....Ka8 3. Rb8 mate,} 2... Ka6 3. Rb6 {Checkmate.}
A Black under promotion dragonslayer - bowizard RHP 2018
White did not play 1.Qc3 mating in a few moves. 1.Kxa3 b1=N+ followed by 2...Nxd2 a draw.
j2nx - zorro2008 RHP 2008
Header
FEN
1k6/7R/R7/p2pPp2/2pP4/PpP1K3/1n4r1/8 w - - 0 58
PGN
[FEN "1k6/7R/R7/p2pPp2/2pP4/PpP1K3/1n4r1/8 w - - 0 58"] 58. e6 {Better winning chances were offered with Rd6 but this too looks good.} 58... Nd3 59. e7 f4+ 60. Kf3 {Only move.} 60... Rg3+ 61. Ke2 Re3+ 62. Kd2 {White stays off the first rank, they do not want the b-pawn to promote with a check.} 62... b2 63. Rb6+ Kc8 64. Rg6 {White is now hoping for b1=Q when Rg8+ will mate Black in a few moves.} 64... b1=N+ {Black can force three fold rep.} 65. Kc2 {Kd1 and Black wins with Re1+ and Rc1 mate.} 65... Nxa3+ 66. Kd2 Nb1+ 67. Kc2 Na3+ {Again Kd1 here and Black mates with Re1+ and Rc1.} 68. Kd2 Nb1+ 69. Kc2 Na3+ 70. Kd2 Nb1+ 71. Kc2 Na3+ {And as they used to say in the old days; The game was abandoned as a draw.} *