Solutions


CHESS TOENJOY (page 17)


Problem I. 1. ... Rd2! 2. Qxd2 Nxf3+ and 3. ... Nxd2. Or 2. Rc1 Qxc1! 3. Qxc1 Nxf3+ 4. Kh1 Rh2 mate.


Problem II. 1. ... Rc2 2. Re2 Nf3+ 3. Kh1 Nd2! wins (4. Bc3 Rc1, threatening ... Rxf1 mate). Or 2. Ba1 Bxd5 3. exd5 Bb6 4. Rc3 Rxf2.


Problem III. 1. hxg6 threatens, among other things, 2. g7 Re8 3. Rxh7! Kxh7 4. Rh1+ and mates. White also mates after 1. ... fxg6 2. Qd5+ Kh8 3. Rxh7+! Kxh7 4. Rh1+ and 2. ... Rf7 3. Rxh7! Qf8 4. Rdh1. Also 1. ... hxg6 2. Rh6 and Rdh1.


Problem IV. 1. ... Qxe2+! wins material, e.g. 2. Kxe2 Bxc4+ 3. Kd2 Re2+ 4. Kc1 Rxc2+ 5. Kxc2 Bxf1 or 2. Qxe2 Bxc4 3. Nc3 Bxc3+ and 3. Qxe8+ Rxe8+.


Problem V. 1. ... Ngf4!, e.g. 2. Re4 Nxf2 (also 2. ... Qxe4 3. Nxe4 Ne2+) or 2. Bxf4 Nxf4 3. Ree1 Qg6!, threatening ... Qxg2 mate.


Problem VI. 1. ... Qd2+ 2. Be2 Qd4+ 3. Kf1 Ng4! threatens 4. ... Qf2 mate or 4. ... Nxh2 mate. The attack wins after 4. fxg4 fxg4+ 5. Bf3 gxf3, e.g. 6. g3 Bh3 mate or 6. Nd1 fxg2+ 7. Kxg2 Qd2+.


SOLITAIRE CHESS ABCs of Chess (page 19)


Problem I. Discovery: After 1. ... d3+, White is forced to play 2. Kb1, after which Black trades queens and then promotes.


Problem II. Pin: The knight is lost after 1. ... Qb4.


Problem III. Discovery: Black wins with 1. ... Nd3+. If 2. Kd2 (or 2. Kd1), then 2. ... Nxb2+; and if 2. Kf1, then 2. ... Qh1 mate.


Problem IV. Simplification: Black trades down successfully


with 1. ... Qf6+.


Problem V. Removing the guard: Black forces mate with 1. ... Rxd1+.


Problem VI. Trapping: With 1. ... Qg6+, Black will be able to snare White’s rook shortly.


Total your Solitaire Chess score to determine your approximate rating below:


Total Score 95+


81-94 66-80 51-65 36-50 21-35 06-20 0-05


Approx. Rating 2400+


2200-2399 2000-2199 1800-1999 1600-1799 1400-1599 1200-1399 under 1200


PUZZLES Construction Puzzles (page 36)


Problem I. 1. e4 Nc6 2. e5 Nxe5 3. Nf3 Nxf3+ 4. Ke2 Ne1 5. Kxe1


Problem II. 1. e3 Nf6 2. e4 Nxe4 3. Ne2 Nxd2 4. Nec3 Nxb1 5. Nxb1


Problem III. 1. Nc3 Nf6 2. Nd5 Ne4 3. c3 Nxc3 4. Nxe7 Nb1 5. Ng8


Problem IV. 1. c4 Nc6 2. c5 Nd4 3. c6 Nxe2 4. cxb7 Nxg1 5. b8=N


Problem V. 1. Nc3 b5 2. Nd5 Ba6 3. Nxe7 Nxe7 4. e4 Ng6 5. e5 Bd6 6. e6 Kf8 7. e7+ Kg8 8. e8=N Bg3 9. Nd6 Qh4 10. Nf5 Qa4 11. Nd4 b4 12. Nde2 Bxe2


Key number: 2012


ENDGAME LAB Benko’s Bafflers (page 45)


Problem I. 1. Bg4!! The only move. If 1. Be6? Rf8 2. Kc5 Rf2 3. Kd6 Kf8 we have a theoretically drawn position.


1. ... Kf8 Castling is illegal because Black moved his rook or king on his previous move while 1. ... Rg8? is met by 2.Ra8+ Kf7 3. Be6+. Finally, 1. ... Rf8 2. Bh5+ Kd8 3. Bf7 fol- lowed by Kc5 and Kd6 also wins.


2. Bh5 Rg8 3. Rf7+ Ke8 4. Kc5 Kd8 5. Kd6 Kc8 6. Kc6 Kd8 7. Rd7+ Kc8 8. Ra7 Kb8 9. Rb7+ Ka8 Playing 9. ... Kc8 10. Bf7! Rg2 11. Be6+ Kd8 12. Kd6 Rd2+ 13. Bd5 leads to a winning “Philidor” position.


10. Bf3! Rg6+ If 10. ... Rg3 11. Be4! Re3 12. Bd5 Rd3 13. Re7 Rc3+ 14. Kb6+ Kb8 15. Be6! wins.


11. Kc5!! Ra6 12.Bc6 h5 13.Kd6 h4 14.Rd7+ Kb8 15. Rd8+ Ka7 16. Kc7 wins.


Problem II. 1. Kf8 Kg5 2. Kf7! White must preserve the e-pawn so Black won’t have any stalemate possibility.


2. ... h4 3. Ke6 Kg4 4. Ke5 h3 5. Ke4 Kg3 6. Ke3 Kg2


Without the e-pawn 6. ... Kg2 would save the game.


7. Ke2 h2 8. Rg8+ Kh3 No better is 8. ... Kh1 9. Kf2 e5 10. Rd8 e4 11. Rd1 mate.


9. Kf2 h1=N+ 10. Kf3 Kh2 11. Rg2+ Kh3 12. Rg7 Kh2 13. Rxe7 wins.


Twin 1. Rg7+ Either 1. Rh8? e5! or 1. Rxe7? Kg5 2. Kf7 h4 3. Ke6 Kg4 4. Ke5 h3 5. Ke4 Kg3 6. Ke3 Kg2! draws.


1. ... Kf5 2. Kh7 h4 3. Kh6 h3 4. Kh5 Kf4 5. Kh4 h2 6. Rf7+ Ke3 7. Rf1 e5 8. Kg3 e4 9. Kxh2 Kd2 10. Kg2 e3 11. Kf3 e2 12. Rf2 wins. It is interesting to see that a small change led to a completely different solution.


The USCF Mission


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CHESS LIFE USPS# 102-840 (ISSN 0197-260X). Volume 67 No. 1. PRINTED IN THE USA. Chess Life, formerly Chess Life & Review, is published monthly by the United States Chess Federation, 137 Obrien Dr., Crossville, TN 38557-3967. Chess Life & Review and Chess Life remain the property of USCF. Annual subscription (without membership): $50. Periodical postage paid at Crossville, TN 38557-3967 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Chess Life (USCF), PO Box 3967, Crossville, Tennessee 38557-3967. Entire contents ©2012 by the United States Chess Federation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise without the prior written permission of USCF. Note: Unsolicited materials are submitted at the sender's risk and Chess Life accepts no responsibility for them. Materials will not be returned unless accompanied by appropriate postage and packaging. Address all submissions to Chess Life, PO Box 3967, Crossville, TN 38557-3967. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Chess Federation. Send all address changes to: U.S. Chess, Membership Services, PO Box 3967, Crossville, Tennessee 38557-3967. Include your USCF I.D. number and a recent mailing label if possible. This information may be e-mailed to addresschange@ uschess.org. Please give us eight weeks advance notice. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 41473530 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO EXPRESS MESSENGER INTERNATIONAL P.O. BOX 25058 LONDON BRC, ONTARIO, CANADA N6C 6A8


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