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.