This will be 'Test Tube Chess' part II

And speaking of covers. I always try to start off this blog with an interesting
picture or drawing or what ever. Last week I did a piece on ‘Test Tube Chess’
A few days after posting I thought up a good cover for that book which, if you
recall the cover position to solve nearly put me off chess studies forever. .


No need to applaud or PM me with praise as to how gifted I am. I already know.

To kick of the games section of this blog an RHP game that could have
appeared in ‘Test Tube Chess ’ in the studies from actual games section.

Both players are guilty of going through the motions in a drawn ending.
The wrong Bishop for the Rook’s pawn draw misleads both players.

Daanv - svincent RHP 2018 (Black to play)


Thinking any old move would draw Black did not play the move that would have
guaranteed a draw. A few moves later White also in draw mode let the win slide by.


Lets us make a switch from Chess Studies to the world of Chess Problems
Here is a goodie from actual play which I got from CHESS, March 2023.

K. Malinovsky - V. Rasik, Czech League 2022 (White to play)


In Chess Problem terms think not of a Grimshaw but a Nowotny.

This a Grimshaw White to play and mate in two.
(The bones of a Sam Loyd problem simplified.)


The first move is 1. Qd6


Black is in Zugzwang. 1...Bf6 cuts off a flight square 2. Qd2 mate.

The Grimshaw is the square g7
1....Rg7 2. Qxe5 mate. The Rook blocks the defence of the e5 square..
1....Bg7 2. Qg6 mate. The Bishop blocks the defence of the g6 square..

A Nowotny is when a piece is placed (usually a sacrifice) on the Grimshaw square
So we go back to K. Malinovsky - V. Rasik, Czech League 2022 (White to play)


Spot the Nowotny square.

Reveal Hidden Content


I have found on the Red Hot Pawn Database 841 instant stalemates,
that is the moment a player has promoted to a Queen it is stalemate.

An instant stalemate from last year. jp4995 - Ironknee RHP 2022

Black played 56...f1=Q stalemate. Taking a Rook was easy an win as is promoting
to a Bishop. Taking a Knight would draw.(56...f1=N+ 57.Kh3 followed by Kxh4)

Let us not waste the diagram (they cost money) Black to play and mate in 4 moves.

Reveal Hidden Content

paynie - lcfcjsp RHP 2017
The player of the White pieces carefully nurtured their win for 107 moves.

107. Rf8 Rxf8 108. gxf8=Q stalemate. promoting to a Bishop or Knight wins.

Seanychelm - wiz444 RHP 2022
Not quite an instant Stalemate but promoting was a slack move
White has a mate in 3 starting with 47.Qa5+ instead they promoted.

47. b8=Q missing that the Black Rook can check forever on g3,g2 and g1
There is no escape, taking the Rook is stalemate and that's what happened


So the lesson for today (as in previous blogs) always pause before promoting.
Think; ‘why am I being allowed to this?’ or ‘Why has my opponent not resigned.’
And always be alert for cute shots to wrap up a won game. Do not play on auto-pilot.

Shaun12 - Uncle Nicholas RHP 2014 (white to play)

White promoted to a Queen. The Black Rook kept checking White and
eventually White took it. Stalemate. There was a way to avoid the draw
but that does not concern us. I’ll show what I would have done as White.


AG Hammer - seoiv RHP 2006

You are White here. It looks pretty grim, what would you do?

Go though that previous one again. What kind of devious mind did Kh1 come from?

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 196472