A few interesting and (dare I say) instructive positions from the
book Chess: Serious; for Fun by the Russian writer L. Birbrager.
White to play and mate in two moves. Not three moves or four moves but
two moves and when you have solved that try Black to play and mate in
two moves. having solved the White one the Black solution will be easy.
Also try and solve this one within 12 minutes.
That is how long a 1961 computer took to solve it.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.
Then some merriment and again (dare I say) instructive positions from the 2018 Olympiad.
What happens in Khan-Ghebremdhn if black doesn't take the new bishop? Surely two pieces against nowt is easier than three pieces against a rook, particularly as the two bishops are both on white and thus don't form a pair. If I were black, I'd be tempted to swap my rook for the knight instead, and then put everything on black.
2018 Chess Olympiad and a Cardboard Box
10 Oct '18 09:44
