I spent my afternoon today revisiting a couple of my favorite chess puzzles composed by Johan Axel Åkerblom (10/21/1904 – 6/5/1980). Åkerblom was a strong chess player and a professional journalist from Avesta, Sweden. However, he is most famous for his chess compositions and his contributions in this field earned him the FIDE title of International Master for Chess Composition. Dubbed “the Swedish Kubbel” (in reference to Leonid Kubbel), IM Johan Axel Åkerblom composed more than 2,500 puzzles which subject matters were primarily divided between brilliant checkmating problems and fascinating endgame studies.
Johan Axel Åkerblom
Below I am sharing an absolutely ingenious Mate in 2 problem by Johan Axel Åkerblom. Don’t be fooled into believing that this simplistic looking puzzle will be easily solved. In fact, I betcha can’t solve today’s chess puzzle!
White to move and mate in 2 (by Johan Axel Åkerblom, from Nya Dagligt Allehanda, 1930).
Chris Torres is a nationally renowned scholastic chess coach working in the San Francisco Bay Area. His classes have attracted players of strengths ranging from rank beginners to world champions. A chess professional since 1998, Chris is widely recognized as one of the main driving forces behind the explosion in popularity and sudden rise in quality of scholastic chess in California. Chris Torres served as the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy from 2005-2020 and currently is recognized as a correspondence chess master with the United States Chess Federation. Since 1998 Chris Torres has taught 6 individual national champions as well as led multiple school teams to win national championship titles. In addition, Chris Torres has directed and taught at 10 different schools which have been California State Champions at chess. In 2011 and 2012, several former and current students of Chris Torres have been selected to represent the United States at the World Youth Chess Championships. Mr. Torres’ hobbies include playing classical guitar and getting his students to appear on the national top 100 chess rating lists.
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