Test Tube Chess

By 09 Mar 23 on

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Today we meet an old friend with whom I had lost contact with many years ago.

We recently met again courtesy of a friend unloading his chess books.

When ever this book came up in conversation I always mention that I nearly gave
up ever looking inside because the first things I did was to try the White to play
and win puzzle that is on the cover. The blurb told me it was study No. 333

The actual study is by the author A. J. Roycroft.

White to play and win. The cover picture is four moves later.

15 minutes of trying to solve the cover picture by moving the pieces all over
the place I finally gave up and choked when I saw the solution. I could quite
easily have tossed the book aside but thankfully I rejoiced in being traumatised.

The cover puzzle. White to play and win. A. J. Roycroft 1965

Only one move guarantees a clear win everything else allows Black to draw.

FEN 8/6B1/5N2/8/1Kp5/2Rbn3/1k6/8 w - - 0 1

[FEN "8/6B1/5N2/8/1Kp5/2Rbn3/1k6/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Bh8 {You might not believe it but only this move wins.} 1... Nc2+ {This is the mainline and the main idea behind the composition.} 2. Ka4 Kxc3 3. Ne4 {Checkmate. I was not even close to solving this one.}

I think the lesson is be careful in choosing a position to solve on the cover of a book.

Leonard Barden got it right with his book of puzzles. At first glance it looks solvable
and invites the reader in. The one on the cover of ‘Test Tube’ could have put me off
studies forever. Fortunately not and I’ve been a fan ever since this I dived into this book.

The Barden Cover Puzzle. (White to play and win)

It’s straight forward and can be done without a board. (clue = win the e8 Knight)

FEN 1r2nbk1/R7/p2pN1p1/1pp5/6N1/2P5/1P3PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1

[FEN "1r2nbk1/R7/p2pN1p1/1pp5/6N1/2P5/1P3PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Nxf8 {This is the only move that wins.} 1... Kxf8 {No other choice, Black has to re-capture the piece.} 2. Nh6 {Threatening mate with 2.Rf7 and no matter where the e8 Knight goes it is lost. 2...Nc7 3.Rxc7 or 2.Nf6 Rf7+ 3.Rxf6 and....} 2... Ng7 3. Rf7+ Ke8 4. Rxg7

Lets us take a look at another of piece of chess sorcery from within ‘Test Tube Chess.’

K and A Sarychev 1928. (White to play and draw.)

If White can get that b-pawn off the board then the conditions for a draw are met.
Not an easy draw. 1.c8=Q Bf5+ and Bxc8 protecting the b-pawn is a Black win.
Obviously some craftiness is required is to get that b-pawn and ensure the draw.

FEN 8/1pPK3b/8/8/8/5k2/8/8 w - - 0 1

[FEN "8/1pPK3b/8/8/8/5k2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kc8 {A wonderful key move. Blocking the c-pawn from promoting.} 1... b5 {Black has to keep the b-pawn to be able to win.} 2. Kd7 {Black can allow White to promote as long as Bf5 is a check.} 2... b4 {That pawn is out of sight.} 3. Kd6 {Not 3.Ke6 Ke4 and the b-pawn runs home.} 3... Bf5 {Black has to stop c8=Q. Now if 4.Kc5 b3 just wins for Black.} 4. Ke5 {White gains a rank with tempo by hitting the Bishop.} 4... Bc8 {The best winning chance. Now the Bishop blocks the c8 square. A marvelous concept.} 5. Kd4 {Now we see why 4...Bc8 was played, the Bishop can go to...} 5... Ba6 {... and the White King cannot get near the b-pawn...a Black win?} 6. c8=Q {Now the c-pawn promotes to deflect the Bishop and allow the King to approach the b-pawn.} 6... Bxc8 7. Kc4 {Followed by King takes Pawn and that is the draw.}

Not too difficult, it was one I managed to solve, that is why I showed it.

Roycroft mentions that some may pooh-bah studies as never happening in a real game.
He then gives examples of where they have appeared in actual play or the game has
inspired a study. To me, and thankfully many others, studies are part of the ‘real’ game.

You can get just as much fun and admiration from a sudden unexpected move in a study
as you do from a middle-game sac-fest. The game is very rich in works of creative art.

So that is it for a mini book review of ‘Test Tube Chess’ a worthwhile addition to any
chess library. It’s not just a book of studies but it contains the history of this genre as
well as solving tips and much more. It’s well written by someone who loved this aspect
of the game. His affection for it is enlightening. well researched and very contagious.

I went fishing in the deep dark waters of the RHP database for study like endings.

IZEcube - Davidxf RHP 2018 (White to play and win)

White played 52.g3. 52 gxh3 wins as White has the correct Bishop for the h-pawn.
After 52.g3 the White King and Bishop could only look on in horror as the Black
King strolled to e4. f3, g2 took the pawn on h2, played Kg2 and promoted the h-pawn.

Next we see a player happily chopping wood to go into a won ending. (OOPS!)
Angry Boy - happypainter RHP 2022
FEN 2B5/8/3b4/1Rp5/1p2k3/1K6/2P5/8 w - - 0 56

[FEN "2B5/8/3b4/1Rp5/1p2k3/1K6/2P5/8 w - - 0 56"]
56. Kc4 Ke3 {White now finds a way to trade down to a simple won ending.} 57. Rxc5 Bxc5 58. Kxc5 Kd2 59. Bf5 { It appears White got as far as here before embarking on his trade down combination.} 59... Kc3 {They have missed this move.} 60. Bd3 {Be6 to stop Black's next move would allow Kxc2.} 60... b3 61. cxb3 {White has to take the b-pawn else b2 and b1=Q (see the next game)} 61... Kxb3 {A draw.}

In this next one with the same pieces. White with the Bishop was very lucky to draw.

DTH - jrps33 RHP 2022
FEN 6Br/7P/8/p4K2/k1P5/8/8/8 w - - 0 52

[FEN "6Br/7P/8/p4K2/k1P5/8/8/8 w - - 0 52"]
52. Kg6 Kb4 53. Kg7 {This looks like it was quite a game. Black now has to play.} 53... Rxh7+ 54. Kxh7 a4 55. Kg6 {The worst move on the board. If Black now plays Kc5 Black wins.} 55... a3 {Kc5 and the Bishop cannot prevent the a-pawn from Queening.} 56. c5 {White got away with it....Lucky!} 56... Kxc5 {The game was agreed drawn a few moves later.}

Finally an RHP endgame that could easily form the basis of a study.

BigJase - svincent RHP 2018 (White to play and win)

White failed to find the win. it continued 43 .Kg4 g2 and Black went onto win.
There is a study like continuation ending with a neat two Bishop checkmate.

FEN 8/8/2B5/3p3K/3Bk3/4P1p1/8/8 w - - 0 1

[FEN "8/8/2B5/3p3K/3Bk3/4P1p1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Ba4 {The only move to stop g-pawn.} 1... g2 2. Bc2+ {To kick the King off e4 so the d4 Bishop can cover g1.} 2... Kf3 3. e4 dxe4 {Here 4.Bg1 fails to 4...e3 one last key move to find.} 4. Bd1+ {This important is check is reason why 1.Ba4 was the only correct move.} 4... Kg3 5. Bg1 {The pawns are blocked. The White King will round them up and mate with the Bishops} 5... e3 {One last trap. 6.Bxe3 Kh2 is a draw.} 6. Kg5 {Nothing saves the game and suddenly we have a checkmate in the position.} 6... Kh3 7. Kf4 e2 {Going for stalemate.} 8. Bxe2 Kh4 {Careful not 9.Bg4 = Stalemate.} 9. Bf3 Kh3 10. Bg4+ Kh4 {Only move.} 11. Bf2 {Checkmate.}

We end on a sad note. When looking for KBN v KP endings I found 235 drawn games.
I discovered the player with the Bishop and Knight won the remaining pawn but could
not deliver a checkmate within the required 50 moves to do so and eventually just gave up.

One player tried for 113 moves to mate their opponent. Now I am thinking that the lone
King player knew the 50 move draw rule but was waiting till their opponent finally
found the right idea and then they would claim the draw one move from being mated.

Another player (I won’t name them - they probably know who they are.) has had this
ending KBN v K five time with them failing to find the win in four of their games.

The funny part is the game they won. It appears that their opponent thought
they knew how to checkmate with a Bishop and Knight so they just resigned!

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 196398

Test Tube Chess

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Test Tube Chess

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