I tinkered with the original which had checkers as the theme.
and this next one was sent to me by a colleague who knows I like these things..
This weeks study is by Novomesky & Siran, 2002
White to play and win. Once you get the idea it is quite easy.
But you have to see the idea. The whole thing is a study in
Zugzwang and there are quite a number of them, I make it 8!
I’ll give you a visual clue.
In this position with Black to play then Black is lost.
1...b5 then 2.Qc2+ and any sensible Black Queen move
allows White to give a checkmate on either a3 of b3.
FEN
8/p5p1/1pP3p1/p5p1/k3p3/4p3/K7/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/p5p1/1pP3p1/p5p1/k3p3/4p3/K7/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. c7 e2 2. c8=Q e1=Q {So far so forced, now what?} 3. Qc4+ {Black has only one move.} 3... Qb4 4. Qc6+ {4...b5 then 5.Qc2+ Qb3+ 6.Qxb3 mate. That pattern crops up again and again.} 4... Qb5 {Forced.} 5. Qxe4+ {Picking up the kingside pawns with a check is the main theme of the study.} 5... Qb4 {Only move.} 6. Qc6+ Qb5 {Now White sets up a Zugzwang.} 7. Qe4+ Qb4 8. Qd3 {The Black Queen cannot move without allowing Qa3 mate or Qb3 mate.} 8... g4 {So Black is reduced to pawn moves. If ever b5 then Qc2+ and mate next move.} 9. Qd7+ Qb5 {Forced.} 10. Qxg4+ Qb4 {Forced.} 11. Qd7+ {White sets up that Zugzwang position again and reduces Black to pawn moves.} 11... Qb5 12. Qd4+ Qb4 13. Qd3 {There it is. Now we await another pawn move.} 13... g5 14. Qd7+ {White sets up the Zugzwang position again.} 14... Qb5 15. Qd4+ Qb4 16. Qd3 {There it is...you will be getting idea now.} 16... g4 17. Qd7+ Qb5 18. Qxg4+ Qb4 19. Qd7+ Qb5 20. Qd4+ Qb4 21. Qd3 {What happens if Black moves that a7 pawn? Then the same thing happens.} 21... a6 22. Qd7+ Qb5 23. Qd4+ Qb4 24. Qd3 {So Black has to move the g-pawn.} 24... g6 {and off we go again.} 25. Qd7+ Qb5 26. Qd4+ Qb4 27. Qd3 {White uses the Zugzwang till the g-pawn can be picked up with a check,} 27... g5 28. Qd7+ Qb5 29. Qd4+ Qb4 30. Qd3 g4 31. Qd7+ Qb5 32. Qxg4+ Qb4 33. Qd7+ Qb5 34. Qd4+ Qb4 35. Qd3 {6....b5 37.Qc2+ and if the Black Queen moves then it is either Qa3 mate or Qb3 mate.}
I hope you had as much fun skipping through it as I did setting it up.
I use this one when coaching. I’m sure I got it from Leonard Barden’s puzzle book.
It is good because it is easy to remember to set up and it looks very simple to solve.
White to play and mate in four moves.
Students usually (always ) go for 1.e8=Q d1=Q 2. Qh8+ and mate next move. However...
FEN
8/4P3/8/8/8/8/3p1K2/7k w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/4P3/8/8/8/8/3p1K2/7k w - - 0 1"] 1. e8=Q d1=N+ {They think this makes no difference but it does cost one of the four moves.} 2. Kg3 {White now threatens mate in one with Qe1.} 2... Ne3 {This stops the mate and there are other mates but not in four moves and} 3. Qxe3 {Is a stalemate.}
Back to the drawing board and hopefully they will eventually spot.
FEN
8/4P3/8/8/8/8/3p1K2/7k w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/4P3/8/8/8/8/3p1K2/7k w - - 0 1"] 1. e8=R {This is the move for a mate in four. Get them thinking about under promotion.} 1... d1=N+ 2. Kg3 {Threatening Re1 mate.} 2... Ne3 {This time it does not work, there is no stalemate.} 3. Rxe3 Kg1 {Only move.} 4. Re1 {Checkmate in four moves.}
A simple setting hiding within it two under promotions and a very plausible stalemate.
I’ll refrain from adding one of the 1,700 RHP games where a Queen move stalemates
Hang on a minute, there is a call from Russ on the hotline.
“Hello...Ahuh...Yup...Ahuh....Ok you’re the boss.”
Russ wants to see one of the 1,700 RHP Queen move stalemates.
Tarsus - tonymelissa RHP 2020
White played 77.Qc5 stalemate when 77 Qe5 was checkmate next move.
You can guess what is coming. Mega sacs including two Rooks from the year dot
and then an RHP example. Not quite. The RHP game comes first and the sacs are
not intended, they are outright blunders. Black in this game is actually two Rooks
and a Knight down when suddenly they are actually threatening a mate in one.
ovidosu - t8r10 RHP 2014
White’s 4th move is not in any of my OTB databases so it is a TN.
(OTB is an Over The Board game a T.N. is a Theoretical Novelty )
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. d3 c6 {So far as in Bowdler - Conway, 1788.} 4. Qh5 {The TN. threatens mate and the e5 pawn.} 4... g6 {4....Qf6 was OK. This is a bad mistake.} 5. Qxe5+ Qe7 6. Qxh8 d5 {Black has missed the g8 Knight goes with a check.} 7. Qxg8+ Kd7 8. Bb3 Kc7 9. Kf1 {White unpins the e4 pawn. 9.Ne2 was better.} 9... Be6 10. Bf4+ Kb6 11. Nc3 f5 12. Qh8 {That is the only safe square for the Black Queen.} 12... g5 13. Bxb8 {Black is now a Rook and two Knights down,} 13... fxe4 14. Bc7+ Kxc7 15. Qxa8 Bc8 {The White Queen is trapped.} 16. Re1 Qf6 {Suddenly Black is threatening mate on the move.} 17. f3 {17.Nd1 looks calm enough. But White wants to use this Knight to free the Black Queen,} 17... g4 18. Na4 Bxg1 19. Kxg1 gxf3 {Now was the time to get the Queen back into the game with 19...Qxa7.} 20. Rf1 Qg5 {Again threatening mate next move.} 21. g3 {Black needs that c8 Bishop to win this. White could have played 21...Qxc8+ then 22. g3.} 21... Qe3+ {Amazingly Black now has a forced mate.} 22. Rf2 Qe1+ 23. Rf1 Qe3+ 24. Rf2 Bh3 {White cannot prevent the coming mate.} 25. Nc3 Qe1+ 26. Rf1 Qxf1 {Entertaining, slightly flawed, but without the errors we would never have seen it.}
And now an example of a good player who knew when it was time to go all romantic
I’ve not used a well known game that everyone uses. The chances are you may never
have this game before so it fits the bill. A lesser known player with an unknown game.
R. Buckmire - G. Lawton, British Championship1985
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 {The Trompowsky, Carlsen used it in his younger says with a fair bit of success.} 2... Ne4 {Instead of this Karpov always played 2....e6 here.} 3. Bf4 c5 {Now the most popular choice is 4.f3.} 4. d5 {But this is still perfectly playable.} 4... Qb6 5. Nd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 Qxb2 {A blatant pawn steal. Black knew it would cost them time and trouble, but a pawn is a pawn.} 7. e4 {And that natural looking move is how most games go in this line.} 7... e6 {Challenging the d-pawn right away. I guess it is either this move or 7...g6.} 8. Nf3 {White wants Black to take on d5, Black wants White to take on e6.} 8... Be7 9. Rb1 {In the 7...g6 line it goes 8.Rb1 and if 8...Qxa2 9.Bc3 is 1-0.} 9... Qa3 {I can seen nothing concrete now against 9...Qxa2 only the fact I would not play it.} 10. Bd3 Na6 {The Knight has to develop side ways because of the d5 pawn.} 11. dxe6 {The d5 pawn having done it job (a misplaced Knight) chops on e6.} 11... dxe6 {That does not good. 11...fxe6 was surely better.} 12. Bb5+ {The obvious reply 12...Bd7 13.Bxc7+ Kxd7 wins the Black Queen.} 12... Kf8 {I don not think Black saw this position coming when they played 11...dxe6.} 13. Ne5 {Which switches neatly into romantic mode and starts hitting f7.} 13... c4 {Possibly played to stop Rb3 and Rf3 or Rg3 ideas or free the c5 square for the a6 Knight.} 14. Qh5 {Straight from the 17th century school of chess. If Black messes about in the opening, hit f7} 14... g6 {Black resigned! We are playing on to see the mess they are in.} 15. Bh6+ {I like this, White ignores the attack on the Queen and goes for an f7 mate with the Bishop.} 15... Kg8 16. Be8 {With the threat of Bxf7 mate Black has to give up their Queen Qc3+ and Qxe5 to stop it.} 16... Qc3+ 17. Kf1 Qxe5 18. Qxe5 {But we will not be robbed of the Queen sac and Bxf7 mate.} 18... f6 19. Rxb7 fxe5 20. Rxe7 {This time Bf7 mate next move cannot be stopped.}
