Solution to Problem # 12

This puzzle, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is from the game Lahno-Etmans, Wijk aan Zee 2004.

White wins beautifully with 1.Qf7+ Kh4 2.Rd4+ Qxd4 3.g3#.

Solution to Problem # 11

This puzzle, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is from the game Ashley-Van Buskirk, Los Angeles 2000. GM Maurice Ashley won with the simple 1.Qf6, threatening Qg7#. If 1...Nxf6, then 2.Rd8 quickly leads to mate.

Solution to Problem # 10

This puzzle is taken from the game Plakhetka-Zinn, presented as lecture material at the Chess-Live site.

The game continued: 1.Qh5 Nf6 (1... gxh5 2.Rg3+ Kh8 3.Nxf7#) 2.Ng4 Nxh5 3.Nh6#.

Note that if instead, Black plays 2... gxh5, various beautiful mates also result: 3.Nxf6+ Kg7 4.Ne8+ Kh6 (4... Kg6 5.Rg3+ Kf5 6.Rg5+ Ke4 7.Nf6#) 5.Bg7+ Kg6 6.Rg3+ Kf5 7.Rg5+ Ke4 8.Nc3#.

Three beautiful mates from one position!

Solution to Problem # 9

This problem is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com. It is from Nimzowitsch-Giese, Riga 1914.
White wins with 1.Qxh6+ Kg8 (1...gxh6 2.Nf6+ Kh8 3.Rf8#) 2.Nf6+ Kf8 3.Qh8+ Kf7 4.Qg8#.

Solution to Problem # 8

This problem, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is taken from the game Nakamura-Grischuk, Turin 2006. White wins with 1.Rxf8+ Kxf8 2.Qb8+. If 2...Ke7 or 2...Kg7 then 3.Qe5+. If 2...Kf7 then 3.Qa7+. In all cases, White captures the Black rook at d4.

Solution to Problem # 7

Here is our starting crosstable, before we've added any details.

Now let's proceed one step at a time:

1. We're given the following specific results: Ann beat Bill (clue #2), Chris beat Bill (clue #5) and the game between Dan and Bill was a draw (clue #7). With this data, our crosstable now looks like this:

2. Clue #2 tells us that Ann's only win came against Bill, so we know that Dan either drew with Ann or defeated her. We also know from clue #4 that Dan lost exactly two games. Since the crosstable already shows Dan's game with Bill ending in a tie, his only remaining games, with Chris and Ed, must be losses.

3. Clue #3 informs us that Ed scored two points total. Incorporating all of this new data, we now have the following crosstable:

4. Clue #1 tells us that Ed had the same result against Ann as he did against Chris. We know already that his game against Ann must have been a draw or a win. But if his game against Ann was a win, then from clue #1 this would mean he also defeated Chris. But this would give him a total of at least 3 points and we know (from clue #3) that he only scored 2 points total. Therefore, his games against Ann and Chris must both have been draws. This also means that Ed must have lost to Bill in order for Ed to total 2 points for the tournament. Now our crosstable looks like this:

5. We're almost done now. Clue #8 tells us that Bill had the same result against Ed as Dan did against Ann. Since Bill defeated Ed, this means that Dan also won against Ann. The last bit of information we need comes from clue #6, that at least four games were drawn. Since we only show three draws so far, the remaining game (Ann vs. Chris) must have been a draw. We can now complete our crosstable:

So Chris won the tournament with 3 points, Ann and Ed tied with 2 each, and Bill and Dan brought up the rear with 1.5 points each.

Now honestly, wasn't that fun?

Hint #1 for Problem #6

Hint #1: start with 1.e6+. Good luck!

Hint #2 for Problem #6

Hint #2: 1.e6+ Kc6 2.Nd4+ Kc5 3.Qxf5+. Good luck!

Solution to Problem # 6

This puzzle, from www.wtharvey.com, is taken from the game Ray Robson - Pieter Bierkens, Chicago 2006. The mate in 8 proceeds as follows:
1.e6+ Kc6 2.Nd4+ Kc5 3.Qxf5+ d5 4.Na4+ Kb4 5.a3+ Ka5 6.b4+ Kxa4 7.Qc2+ Kxa3 8.Qb3#

Solution to Problem # 5

This problem, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is from a 2003 game of the Norwegian teenage grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.
Magnus quickly put an end to the game with 1.Qxg5+ fxg5 2.Rf7+ Kxh6 3.Rxh7#.

Solution to Problem # 4

This problem is from Korneev-Zelcic, 2005 European Championship, Warsaw, after 31... Rxg2. The game continued 32.Qxe6+ Nd7 33.Qe8+ Kc7 34.Bf4+ Kb6 35.c5+ Ka6 36.Bc4+ Ka5 37.Bd2+ Rxd2 38.Qxg6 1-0.

However, Fritz9 lists 32.c5 as much better, with 32.Rh1 also good. Of course, the move played (32.Qxe6+) seemed to work well also!

Solution to Problem # 3

This position is from Sadvakasov-Sher, Paris Championship 2005, after 29... Nd5.
White won quickly with 30.Qh5 (threatening 31.Rh8#) Kf8 31.Bd6+.

Solution to Problem # 2

This position is from Botvinnik-Stepanov, USSR, 1931. White proceeds 1.Bxf7+ (in order to clear c4 for his knight) 1...Rxf7 2.Nc4, winning Black's queen.

Solution to Problem # 1

The move 1... Qh2+ loses the queen but saves the day! After White responds 2.Kxh2, Black has no legal move. He is stalemated and the game ends in a draw. Not as nice as a win, but a lot better than a loss!