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: Let’s say you’re trying to develop an opening repertoire, but you’re having trouble playing against a particular system. You study it, but you’re not sure what to look out for. Here’s a thought. You can take the other side in practice games, especially by facing evaluating software. In playing against the computer, you’re also playing for yourself. That role change should provide lots of new weapons for your arsenal. And it doesn’t have to stop there. Having seen it all from another perspective, you might find you like the other color even more. Who knows? You could become your best opponent.
14. 15. … b4! 0-0
Black thinks he can now breathe. He’s finally castled.**
Par Score 6 A nice move. Not only does White stop
the advance of Black’s b-pawn, he gets potential use of the square a5 for a knight. But the game goes a different way, and that’s great for all of us.
15. 16. 16. … g4 … Bd7
Black clears the home rank. Maybe things aren’t so bad after all.**
Par Score 6
Hoffmann begins his kingside avalanche. The threat is g4-g5.
d5 The principle recommends meeting a
flank attack by countering in the center. Black also attacks the b-pawn. But here, White has more than a suitable answer.**
17. e5 Par Score 6 Award yourself 1 bonus point if you had
planned to answer ... d6-d5 with this counter. Of course, Black hopes for some counterplay of his own.
17. …
delays the inevitable.** 18.
f6 Ne4 This is it. But it’s not really it. Black just Par Score 6 First: a word from our sponsor. With this
Problem I Mating Net
Problem II Mating Net
Problem III Driving Off
Problem IV Mating Net
Problem V Promotion
Problem VI Mating Net
advance, White causes a breach in Black’s kingside pawn wall. Accept only 3 points part credit for 18. Nxe4, which after 18. ... dxe4 forces White to slow down to save his queen.
18. 19. … exf6 gxf6
Now Black’s kingside is weakened and exposed irreparably.**
Par Score 5 Black is not looking well. Now if 19. ...
Bxf6, give yourself 2 bonus points for ana- lyzing the line 20. Nxe4 Bxd4 21. Bxd4 dxe4 22. Qf6, and Black has little hope.
19. … Bd6 Black decides to play it safely, but a
dying man can eat anything. He might have tried 19. ... Bxb4 (a pawn is a pawn in any chess club in the world).**
20. Bh6 Par Score 6 The h6-square was screaming out for
this invasion. The immediate threat is to win the Exchange, but White is playing for more.
20. … Rfc8 This saves the Exchange and it clears f8
for the bishop, just in case such a defense is needed.**
21. Nxe4 Par Score 6 White gets rid of a key defender of the
dark squares. Now he looks to get his queen to g5.
21. … dxe4**
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www.uschess.org 47 This block is unanswerable. Add 1 bonus
point if you saw that 23. ... Bf8 is met by 24. Qg5+ Kh8 25. Bg7+ Kg8 26. Nh6 mate.
23. … Black resigned. See scoring box on Solutions, page 71.
22. Qe3
Par Score 5 Add 1 bonus point if you saw the mate
threat, starting with 23. Qg5+, followed by 24. Qg7 mate.
22. … 23. Nf5! Qd5
Black centralizes his queen and guards g5. But there’s a fly in the ointment.**
Par Score 7
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