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).
Tag Archives: Chess Puzzles
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”
Winning Chess Moves: Jonkman vs Nepomniachtchi, 1/18/2007
Ian Nepomniachtchi scored an impressive 10/13 in the 2007 edition of Corus Group C Tournament played in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands from the 13th-28th of January. However, his strong performance was only good enough for a second place finish as Michal Krasenkow took first with 10.5/13. Today’s puzzle comes from round 5 where Harmen JonkmanContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Jonkman vs Nepomniachtchi, 1/18/2007”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 43
National Chess Day is celebrated in the United States on the second Saturday in October. The 38th U.S. President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. declared National Chess Day on October 9th, 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. Today, the day honors chess’ lengthy history and the role it has played in uniting people fromContinueContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 43”
Winning Chess Moves: Borisenko-Belova vs Nakhimovskaya, 1968
During her illustrious career, WGM Valentina M Borisenko-Belova (1/28/1920-3/6/1993) won the Women’s Soviet Championship five times (a record she shares with Nona Gaprindashvili.) Zara Nakhimovskaya was a formidable chess player who won the Latvian Chess Championship for Women four times. In our feature position, Valentina M Borisenko-Belova is playing with the white pieces against ZaraContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Borisenko-Belova vs Nakhimovskaya, 1968”
Winning Chess Moves: Mamedyarov vs Artemiev, 9/29/2021
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov demonstrates a useful tactical motif in his round 5 victory over GM Vladislav Artemiev at the Meltwater Tour Final 2021. Can you spot white’s winning move? What is white’s best move? (Mamedyarov – Artemiev, Meltwater Tour Final 2021, R5)
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 60
I enjoy mating puzzles where the target king is surrounded by open squares. In these puzzles, the appearance of freedom for the target king is only an illusion because, in reality, the open squares surrounding it are not free from the influences of distant pieces. In tonight’s puzzle, the black king appears to have severalContinueContinue reading “Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 60”
Winning Chess Moves: Nakamura vs Shankland, 9/9/2021
The Champions Showdown 9LX is a rapid Fischer Random/Chess960 chess tournament that is currently taking place in Saint Louis, USA. Today’s winning chess move comes from the round 2 game between Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Sam Shankland. White (Nakamura) has just recaptured with Rxe5. What is black’s (Sam Shankland’s) winning move? What is black’s winningContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Nakamura vs Shankland, 9/9/2021”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42
This evening’s position is from a training game I played with a student earlier today. My young opponent just blocked my rook’s check with Bd3 so as to avoid losing his queen on d1. Does this work? What is black’s best move? Sign up for a private chess lesson with Chris Torres and maybe aContinueContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42”
#Chess Position Worth Sharing 137
In round 4 of the 2003 Corus Chess Tournament, Michal Vladimirovich Krasenkow fought admirably for 79 moves before allowing Vladimir Kramnik to end the game with a cute one-two combination. Can you spot Kramnik’s mating maneuver? White to move and mate in 2 (Kramnik vs. Krasenkow, 2003 Corus Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Ned.).
#Chess Position Worth Sharing 136
Great chess players have a way of making it look easy. However, making it look easy requires a lot of work. For instance, just to get to the feature position in today’s puzzle, Boris Spassky had to spend hours grinding out a winning position. (Not to mention the years of hard work to become anContinueContinue reading “#Chess Position Worth Sharing 136”
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 59
Considering that the black king is utterly alone in a forest of white pieces, this mate in two puzzle is rather tricky. Can you find the only two move checkmating line for white? White to move and mate in 2 (composed by Nils Adrian Bakke, 2006).
Winning Chess Moves: Bronstein vs Geller, 1961
There have been many great chess players over the years, but only a small percentage of them manage to captivate the public imagination and receive considerable mainstream attention at any given time. David Bronstein never became a world champion, but there’s no denying that at the height of his career, he frequently captivated imaginations whileContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Bronstein vs Geller, 1961”