The 1927 World Championship Match was a fiercely contested clash of chess styles. Jose Raul Capablanca had a straightforward playing style which, combined with his famously precise endgame play, was his recipe for success. Alexander Alekhine, on the other hand, preferred creating complexities and oftentimes employed risky attacks in route to his victories. Capablanca wasContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 143”
Tag Archives: chess problems
Chess Position Worth Sharing 142
Tonight I showed Werner Springe vs Hans Gebhardt, Munich 1927 to my chess students at Gomes Elementary School in Fremont, California. This game, played by relatively unknown players, is a delightful choice for a chess lesson. In the position below, black has just played pawn to h6 threatening white’s bishop. What is white’s best move?ContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 142”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 45
A training game against my student took an interesting turn today. I had the black pieces and after some opening inaccuracies committed by my opponent, I believed I had the game well under control. However, I let down my guard and nearly lost the game in dramatic fashion. What is white’s threat and what isContinueContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 45”
Winning Chess Moves: Le Quang Liêm vs. Jorden Van Foreest, 4/28/22
Chess Superstar GM Le Quang Liêm played a spectacular finish in route to his Round 7 victory over Dutch Grandmaster Jorden Van Foreest. In this first diagram, Van Foreest (black) has just played 23… Bd6 threatening white’s queen. Position after 23… Bd6 GM Le Quang Liêm ignores his opponents’ formidable threat and replies with oneContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Le Quang Liêm vs. Jorden Van Foreest, 4/28/22”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 141
“A popularly held theory about Paul Morphy is that if he returned to the chess world today and played our best contemporary players, he would come out the loser. Nothing is further from the truth. In a set match, Morphy would beat anybody alive today… Morphy was perhaps the most accurate chess player who everContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 141”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 140
A young fan of this blog enjoyed the last Sam Loyd puzzle I shared (see: Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle 63) but asked if I had a “slightly easier problem by Samuel Loyd.” So, as was requested, this evening I am sharing another Sam Loyd mate in 3 that is much easier to solveContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 140”
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 64
German chess puzzle composer Herbert Ahues (1922-2015) specialized in the art of the mate in two. He composed more than 4000 chess problems and was awarded the title of Grand Master of Chess Composition by FIDE in 1989. Below is one of his final masterpieces first published in the year of his passing. White toContinueContinue reading “Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 64”
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 63
During the mid-nineteenth century, Samuel Loyd was one of the strongest chess players in the United States. However, his real passion was for the compositional art of chess puzzles, not tournament play. Known as the “Puzzle King”, his book Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles was published in 1914, three years after his death. Below is aContinueContinue reading “Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 63”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 139
Mentally visualizing possible chess positions while calculating accurately is an essential skill for chess players to possess. Since, the ultimate goal in chess is to checkmate, it therefore makes sense to incorporate checkmating puzzles into chess visualization training. A good training puzzle for this purpose should challenge the solver’s ability to properly visualize the squaresContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 139”
Winning Chess Moves: Repka vs Ali Marandi, 2022 Spring Chess Classic
Tonight’s chess position comes from Round 1 of the 2022 Spring Chess Classic organized by the Saint Louis Chess Club. Black (GM Cemil Can Ali Marandi) has just played 28… Qxf5. Grandmaster Christopher Repka (white) plays a powerful move that causes black to resign immediately. What move did GM Repka play? White to move andContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Repka vs Ali Marandi, 2022 Spring Chess Classic”
Puzzle Worthy Position 37
We truly are living in the Golden Age of Chess as it seems everywhere one looks, incredible chess is being played. Just today, GM Harsha Bharathakoti played a truly breathtaking move in his victory over GM Arjun Erigaisi in the Bangladesh Premier League. Can you spot white’s best move in the position below? What isContinueContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 37”
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 62
Whether you prefer racking your brain, wracking your brain or even wrecking your brain, this chess puzzle is for you. White to move and mate in two by Herbert Siegfried Oskar Ahues (Troll, 1/2001). Whit to move and mate in 2 (Herbert Siegfried Oskar Ahues, Troll 2001).
Puzzle Worthy Position 36
Today’s puzzle worthy position comes from the exciting Round 3 chess game between IM Roberto Carlos Sanchez Alvarez and GM Jorge Cori played in Mexico City at the Iberoamericano chess tournament on 2/13/2022. In the position below Grandmaster Cori (black) has just played 22… Qa5. What brilliant move did IM Roberto Carlos Sanchez Alvarez (white)ContinueContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 36”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 44
There are few things in chess more satisfying than snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat. Tonight I couldn’t help but smile when my opponent played right into a game saving tactic. Black to move and smile!
Winning Chess Moves: Shahaliyev vs Hasanzade, 2022 Azerbaijan Championship
Tonight’s chess position comes from Round 6 of the 2022 Azerbaijan Championship played on February 10 in Nakhichevan. Black (IM Toghrul Hasanzade) has just played 26…Qd6. International Master Ismayil Shahaliyev (white) finds a pretty tactic that causes black to resign immediately. What move did IM Shahaliyev play? White to move and win (Ismayil Shahaliyev vsContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Shahaliyev vs Hasanzade, 2022 Azerbaijan Championship”
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 61
“If you are curious, you’ll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.” – Erno Rubik White to move and mate in 2 (Emilio Battaglia, Scacco! 1997).
Chess Grandmaster Yuri Averbakh Turns 100!
Out of the nearly 8 billion people in the world, there are only about 300,000 who are living centenarians (someone who has lived for at least 100 years.) Since 1950, FIDE (the world chess organization) has awarded less than 2000 Grandmaster titles in total. So, its not surprising that centenarian chess grandmasters are rare. InContinueContinue reading “Chess Grandmaster Yuri Averbakh Turns 100!”
Winning Chess Moves: Ehlvest vs. Kasparov, 1977
The remarkable career of Garry Kasparov makes him one of the most influential chess players of the twentieth century. Kasparov, who views chess as both a sport and and art has stated that “Chess is one of the few arts where composition takes place simultaneously with performance.” His style of neatly combining the art andContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Ehlvest vs. Kasparov, 1977”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 138
Tonight’s chess position comes from a game played by a talented student. Avik (black) found himself in a difficult situation where his opponent was threatening checkmate with Qh8 and also threatening to capture his queen with Rxa4. Avik, who goes by crosserbishop on chess.com, analyzed all of his checks, captures and threats and went onContinueContinue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 138”
Winning Chess Moves: Carlsen vs Tallaksen Ostmoe, 7/05/2005
Chess is booming in popularity and one of the reasons why is our current world champion Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen regularly produces stunning works of chess art that’ll make you want to play chess. Of course, Magnus’ primary goal in every chess game is winning. However, the very best chess players in history have a wayContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Carlsen vs Tallaksen Ostmoe, 7/05/2005”