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.
June Exercise: When studying a subject it can be of value to review its evolving history. So, if you wanted to study the Ruy Lopez, you can start with Morphy, for example. See how he played it. Then you can move to Steinitz and his cohorts to grasp how they improved upon Morphy. Then you can review Emanuel Lasker’s generation to see what it added to theory, and so on, right down through history, leading up to today’s standard bearers. This overall study approach, as advocated by Richard Reti and others, can only serve to improve one’s true understanding of an opening.
follows 17. Bxe7 Nxe7 18. Nd6+ (1 bonus point).**
17. Qh4 Par Score 4 There’s nothing much to think about.
White saves his queen, guards his bishop, and attacks the black knight.
17. … Bxg5+ Black agrees to the trade of dark-square
bishops, since, with his next move, he sees how to keep the white knight from d6. The scrambling 17. ... f6 doesn’t feel right after 18. exf6 gxf6 19. Qxh5 fxg5 20. Rxe6. After 20. ... Qc5 21. Qf7 Bf8, White has 22. Rd4, threatening 23. b4, trapping the queen. Accept 2 bonus points for seeing that and evaluating it to be in White’s favor.**
18. 18. Qxg5 … Par Score 4
White removes the checking piece from the board.
Nxe5 After the initial shock, Kazzaz has done
what he can, always being ready to return his extra piece to stay afloat. After 18. ... g6, White has 19. Nd6+. Here, at least, Black has control of d6.**
19. 19. Qxh5 … Par Score 4
It’s time to recover the sacrificed piece. Deduct 2 points for 19. Rxe5? f6!.
d4
Scrambling. If Black moves the attacked knight, then 20. Qxf7 is trouble. And if
Problem I Take and Mate
Problem II Consecutive Captures
Problem III Consecutive Checks
Problem IV Knight Fork/Skewer
Problem V Removing the guard
Problem VI Fork
19. ... g6, then 20. Qh3 Nc4 21. fxe6 etc. Having seen this, add 1 bonus point.**
20. Rxe5 … Par Score 5 White is ready to enter the technical
phase, where he has superiority in pawns. 20.
dxc3
You take my knight, I take your knight: standard capture and recapture.**
21. Nxc3 21. 22.
22. 23. 23.
… Qxd1
The queen returns to camp. …
Qe1 …
Par Score 5
The knight has done its work at b5. Now it returns to camp.
Rxd1+
Black clears d8 so that he can bring his king-rook into the game.**
Par Score 4 Rd8
Par Score 5 exf5
Following the defender's general recipe,
Black is trying to reduce the number of pawns on the board.
24. 24.
Rxf5 …
Par Score 5 Qh6+
Black is still trying to reduce the number
of pawns on the board. Otherwise, Black could try 24. ... f6, and in light of what later happens, this would prolong resistance.**
25.
25. 26.
Kb1 …
Par Score 4
Deduct 5 points if you blocked the check. Qxh2
Rxf7 Par Score 5 Not just picking up a pawn, but also
posing the rook strongly on the seventh rank.
26. … Qxg2 At first glance, it appears that Black
has not done badly. He’s reduced his deficit to one pawn, and even has two connected passers on the kingside.**
27. Qe6+ Par Score 5 It’s too bad for Black that the issue will
be decided by the lack of pawn cover for his king.
27. 28. 28.
…
Qe5+ …
Kb8 Par Score 6 Black resigned. If 28. ... Kc8, then 29. Qc7 is mate; and
after 28. ... Ka7, then 29. Qa5+ picks up a rook with check.
Turn to page 71 for scoring table.
Be on the lookout for your USCF election ballot arriving via first class mail this month if you are eligible to receive one. See page 14 for more details, including the candidate’s statements. (Additional statements appear in the April and May issues.)
www.uschess.org 45
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