Solitaire Chess / Instruction ABCs of Chess
These problems are all related to key positions in this month’s game. In each case, Black is to move. The answers can be found in Solutions on page 71.
July Exercise: After playing through a worthwhile game, print it out in a large font. Cut out each of the moves separately, making sure to eliminate move numbers and any of Black’s dot, dot, dots, so that moves stand alone. Mix the cut-out moves together. Then, picking out the notations, one by one, try placing them on a blank score sheet, with each move positioned by correct number and column. True, the exercise may not say if we’re good at jigsaw puzzles. But it can be fun, and it may tell us if we have nothing better to do with our time.
Problem I Pin
Problem II Discovery/fork
Problem III Mating net
Problem IV Double threat
Problem V Mating net
Problem VI Mating net
23. 23. 24. 24.
25.
Qxe5 …
Rxe5 …
Rf1
Par Score 5 Qxe5
Par Score 4 Bf5
His only chance to make problems is to hang on to the d3-pawn.**
Par Score 6 Botvinnik tries to eliminate the g4-pawn,
leaving himself with two connected passers on the kingside. Less convincing is 25. Rd1 Kd7 26. Ne4 (2 points part credit) because of 26. ... Rac8 followed by Rc2.
25. 26. 26. … Kd7
This is played to connect the rooks and maybe bring the king to d6.**
f3 … Par Score 6
With this advance White continues the plan begun with his previous move.
b5 So Black tries to stir confusion. A nor-
mal move like 26. ... Kd6 fails against 27. Re3, threatening 28. fxg4 Bxg4 29. Rxd3. And if 27. ... gxf3, then 28. Rexf3 is a winning pin.**
27. fxg4 Par Score 5
Deduct 2 points for 27. Nxb5, answered by 27. ... gxf3 28. Rxf3 d2 29. Nc3 Bc2.
27. 28.
…
Bxg4
The threat is 28. ... Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 d2 (1 bonus point).**
h3 Par Score 5 The bishop is short of squares. Now 28.
... Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 d2 is met by 30. hxg4 (1 bonus point).
28. 29. … b4
Flohr pushes the knight from d1, invit- ing complications.**
Ne4 Par Score 5 Deduct 3 points for 29. Rxf8 bxc3 30. Rf1
(30. Rxa8 d2) 30. ... d2 31. hxg4 c2 32. Ree1 Rf8! and Black wins. Accept only 2 points part credit for 29. hxg4 Rxf1+ 30. Kxf1 bxc3 31. bxc3 Rc8, when White’s pawns are messed up and it’s not at all clear if he’s still winning.
29. … Rxf1+ Or 29. ... Be2 30. Rxf8 Rxf8 31. d6 Rf1+
32. Kh2 Rd1, threatening 33. ... d2, 34. ... Rh1+ and 35. ... d1=Q(+). But White’s d- pawn proves more formidable: 33. Re7+ Kc6 34. d7 Kc7 35. Nc5, queening shortly (2 bonus points).**
30. 30.
Kxf1 …
31. Ke1
Par Score 4 Rf8+
Par Score 4
The king takes over coverage of the d-
pawn. 31.
32. 32.
… g4
… Bf5 Par Score 5
As before, the bishop is short of squares. Bg6
Flohr tries to avoid 32. ... Bxe4 33.
Rxe4, which is just a lost rook-and-pawn ending.**
33. Re6 Par Score 5 If 33. ... Be8, or 33. ... Bh7, then 34.
Nf6+; if 33. ... Bf7, then 34. Rf6 Ke7 35. d6+ Ke8 36. Ng5 is Zugzwang (36. ... Bxa2 37. d7+). So ...
33. … Black resigned
TOTAL YOUR SCORE TO DETERMINE YOUR APPROXIMATE RATING BELOW:
Total Score Approx. Rating 95+
2400+
81-94 66-80 51-65 36-50 21-35 06-20 0-05
2200-2399 2000-2199 1800-1999 1600-1799 1400-1599 1200-1399 under 1200
www.uschess.org 17
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