Answers to the 7-26-07 puzzle

Puzzle #1:
White should play 1.b4!
White will either win Black's queen, or checkmate Black with Rf8#.


In Puzzle #2: White no longer wins with 1.b4 because Black has 1.. Re1+
If White plays 2. Rxe1, Black plays 2.. Qxc3.
If White plays 2. Qxe1 Black checkmates White with 2.. Qb2#

Answer to Mating Attack Question

The game went: 19. Qh6 g6 20.Rxg6+ fxg6 21. Qxg6+ Kh8 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Rg1+ Kf7 24. Qg6#

Also winning is: 19. Rxg7+ Kxg7 20. Qg5+ Kh8 21. Qh6+ Kg8 22. Rg1+ Ng4 23. Qh7#

White to Play, Mate in 2
Alekhine,A - Asgeirsson,A 1931.

To view the whole game with the solution to the puzzle, either click on the diagram to the left or click here.

Hi everyone. I haven't really been updating as much as I should. I've been busy with a lot of chess related stuff.

I would like to congratulate all of my students and friends who played in the T.H. Rogers tournament. So many people I know did well. Martha Jenkinson did a wonderful job running the event as always. The people of Houston appreciate all of her great volunteer work.

I would also like to thank my good friend Justin Gardner for making the trip from Dallas to help analyze games at the tournament. He will be moving to the Houston area in January to teach chess professionally. Houston is very lucky to have a strong player and great coach such as himself.

Enjoy the puzzle and the game! 

Basic Checkmate for beginners and intermediate players.

This is a basic checkmating pattern. From the first position (Diagram 1).
1. Qxh7+! Kxh7
2. Rh1+ (Diagram 2) Bh6 (Diagram 3)
3. Rxh6+ Kxh6 (Diagram 4)

Can you find the final winning move?
 

Variaton 1:
Rd8+ Rxd8
Rxd8+ Kh7
Qe4+ g6
Qb7 (position below) Kg7 Qe7
and White is winning (mating).

Variation #2:
Rd8+ Kh7
Be4+ g6
Bxg6+! fxg6
R1d7+ and Black loses the queen.
 

Mate in 4 Thursday, September 28, 2006

1. Nc7+ Nxc7
2. Qd8+ Kxd8
3. Bg5+ (double check) Ke8
4. Rd8 # 

Answer to Mate in 6: Tuesday September 19.

1. Qh7+ Kxh7 (if Kf8 Qh8#)
2. Nf6+ (double check) Kh8
3. Bxg7+ Kxg7
4. Rg1+ Kxf6
5. Rg6#

On this blog I will start posting answers to chess puzzles I have on www.chesstrainingblog.com