Today you are Bobby Fischer

Now don’t just flick past this bit. It took me ten minutes to do.

I took it from here and messed about with it.

So you are now Bobby Fischer giving simultaneous displays all
over America in the 1960’s I have five very easy puzzles for you.

(1) R. Fischer- J. Jones, simul Detroit, 1964

(2) R. Fischer - M Bedford, simul California, 1964


White to play. What did Fischer play to make Black resign?

(3) R. Fischer - J Hurt, simul Little Rock, 1964


What did Fischer play here?

(4) R. Fischer - J. Owen, simul Hartford, 1964


If you got the last one then the same theme. What did Fischer play?

(5) R. Fischer- J. Kelley, simul Houston, 1964


Last one. What did Fischer play. (don’t give up - finding the 3rd move is important.)

Solutions at the end of this blog.


I’m fun loving boy and I really enjoy messing about with other peoples chess games.

Today I jump into idjakboz - Júlio Flores RHP 2015

Watch how the Black Bishops tie up the White Rooks.

Was that not fun? I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with games, finding other ways to
win. setting myself wee problems like the one above, mate without taking a Rook.

I’m not too sure if it improves your game, although I’m not alone. Others have
said they ‘sometimes’ do the same thing. Paul Keres was a won game tinkerer.

Of course one should put more effort in how to get a won game rather than
mess about with games that are already won. But I (we) really enjoy doing it
and I’m sure in the long run, apart from devoting your time to something more
worthwhile regarding the game, this dismantling of games and putting them back
together again (to see how they work) does no real harm. Try it. Have some fun.

The Fred Reinfeld Note

In this book by Alburt and Palatnik

The two grandmasters (Fred was not a grandmaster) walk into...

Wait a minute. One thing I enjoy just as much as won game tinkering is
Chess Book Cover Watching. What is the position and from what game?

This is the position on the cover.

I ran through my games database and found nothing I even flipped the boards.

The thinking guy playing White.


And the thinking guy playing Black.



Nothing. Nor can I see any clever dick ways for either side to win no
matter what colour the thinking guy is.......There is one unforced line.

The Thinking guy is Black and has the move.

OK fun over, back to the Reinfeld Note.

One thing I liked about Fred’s writing was his ability to look at a position
and pre-empt a question a student of the game might ask. Here is one such
example taken from Fred’s masterpiece ‘Tarrasch’s Best Games of Chess.’.

Durisch, Han & Hisler - Tarrasch Consultation game, Nuremberg 1904.

White to play


The f-pawn is attacked White played 26.Bg3. Alburt and Palatnik advise
us on page 44 that 26.g3 is bad because Black then has 26...Qh5 and Qd5.


Looks good but White has a move after Black’s 26...Qh5

So back to the original position in question.


Reinfeld gives the correct reply to 26.g3 which is 26...Bb7!


This backward attacking move (always hard to see) vacates c6 for the Black
Queen and even if White plays 27.Qe2 and 28.Qxe6+ the Black attack wins.

So today’s lesson is. Never trust everything you see in books, always look
out for the Backward Attacking move and read your Fred Reinfeld carefully.

The Fischer Solutions

(1) . R. Fischer- J. Jones, simul Detroit, 1964


Fischer played 8.Bh6+ but if you played 8.Qh6+ you score an extra point for effect.

(2) R. Fischer - M Bedford, simul California, 1964


White to play. What did Fischer play to make Black resign?

Fischer played 1.Bh6 the threat as well as Rxg7+ is Bxe6+ winning the Queen.



(3) R. Fischer - J Hurt, simul Little Rock, 1964


What did Fischer player here?

(4) R. Fischer - J. Owen, simul Hartford, 1964


If you got the last one then the same theme. What did Fischer play?

(5) R. Fischer- J. Kelley, simul Houston, 1964


Last one. What did Fischer play. (don’t give up - finding the 3rd move is important.)

Staying on the Quiz them we end with a tale of horror from last year..

wjin - lmenzel RHP 2015


What did White not play and then went on to lose. (White played 33.h4)