Solution to Problem # 50

Additional commentary about this game and about back rank mates can be found at this Chessville article by IM Igor Khmelnitsky.

White wins with the dramatic 1.Nf5. Khmelnitsky writes:
"After 1…exf5 2.Qxc8+ Nxc8 and, suddenly, the Rook on e1 has its path to e8 cleared – like magic, all three pieces (Ne3,Pe6,Ne7) have vanished and the defender (Rc8) is gone as well! 3.Re8#. All other Black responses would lead to losing a ton of material."

Solution to Problem # 49

This position is taken from the game Penrose-Popov 1963, in the ChessBase DVD PowerPlay3: Pawn Storm, by GM Daniel King.

Although the game did not follow this course, King shows the following beautiful win for White:

1.Rxg7! Kxg7 2.Qg4+ Kh8 3.Qh4 f5 4.exf6 Rf7 5.Qxh6+ Kg8 6.Bh7+ Rxh7 7.Qg6+ Kf8 (7...Kh8 8.Qe8+ with mate to follow) 8.Qxh7+-

Solution to Problem # 48

This position is from round 1 of the 2007 U.S. Championships, in the game Becerra-Aigner. White wins with 37.Nh6. Here is the complete game score:

Becerra,Julio (2608) - Aigner,Michael (2300)
The Frank K. Berry 2007 US Championship Stillwater United States (1), 15.05.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.d3 d6 9.c3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.Nbd2 Nd7 12.Nf1 Nb6 13.Ng3 Nc6 14.h3 Be6 15.Qe2 Re8 16.Bd2 Rb8 17.b3 Nd7 18.Be3 d5 19.d4 cxd4 20.cxd4 exd4 21.Nxd4 Nxd4 22.Bxd4 Bf6 23.e5 Be7 24.f4 Bc5 25.Bxc5 Nxc5 26.Rad1 Qb6 27.Kh2 Rbd8 28.f5 Bc8 29.Qh5 Nd7 30.e6 fxe6 31.fxe6 Rxe6 32.Qxh7+ Kf8 33.Nf5 Qc7+ 34.Kh1 Nf6 35.Qh8+ Ng8 36.Rf1 Rf6 37.Nh6 Be6 38.Nxg8 Bxg8 39.Rxf6+ gxf6 40.Qxf6+ Bf7 41.Qh6+ Kg8 42.Bh7+ Kh8 43.Bg6+ Kg8 44.Bxf7+ 1–0

Solution to Problem # 47

This position occurred in the game Langer-Perelshteyn from the first round of the 2007 U.S. Championship. White won two pawns, and ultimately the game, with 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Qxe6+ Kh8 16.Qxa6. Here is the complete game score:

Langer,Michael (2334) - Perelshteyn,Eugene (2611)
The Frank K. Berry 2007 US Championship Stillwater United States (1), 15.05.2007
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qd3 b6 6.Qe3 Ba6 7.Bxa6 Nxa6 8.Bd2 Nf6 9.0–0–0 0–0 10.Nge2 Rc8 11.Be1 Be7 12.Nf4 b5 13.exd5 cxd5 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Qxe6+ Kh8 16.Qxa6 b4 17.Nb5 Qd7 18.Bg3 Rc6 19.Qxa7 Qxa7 20.Nxa7 Rb6 21.Rhe1 Ng8 22.c4 bxc3 23.a4 Rxb2 24.Nb5 Bg5+ 25.f4 Rxf4 26.Re3 Rxd4 27.Nxc3 Rxd1+ 28.Nxd1 Re2 0–1

Solution to Problem # 46

This position occurred in the game Ehlvest-Pruess in round 1 of the 2007 U.S. Championship. White won with 28.Nc7! Nxc7 29.Bc3. The complete game score is as follows:

Ehlvest,Jaan (2683) - Pruess,David (2473)
The Frank K. Berry 2007 US Championship Stillwater United States (1), 15.05.2007
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nd2 Bg7 8.e4 0–0 9.Be2 Na6 10.0–0 Nc7 11.a4 Re8 12.f3 Nd7 13.Nc4 Ne5 14.Ne3 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.f4 Nf7 17.Rf3 Bd4 18.Kh1 Bd7 19.Bd2 Qf6 20.Nc2 Re7 21.Rg3+ Kh8 22.Bh5 Nh6 23.Nxd4 cxd4 24.Ne2 Ng4 25.Bxg4 fxg4 26.Nxd4 Nxd5 27.Nb5 Rae8 28.Nc7 Nxc7 29.Bc3 Nd5 30.Bxf6+ Nxf6 31.Kg1 Ne4 32.Re3 h5 33.Qd5 Nf6 34.Rxe7 Nxd5 35.Rxd7 Nxf4 36.Rxb7 d5 37.Rf1 Ne2+ 38.Kf2 Nd4 39.Re1 Rf8+ 40.Kg1 a5 41.Rd7 1–0

Solution to Problem # 45

This position is from Bernstein-Capablanca, as found in Chess Traps: Pitfalls & Swindles, by Horowitz and Reinfeld. Black proceeds as follows:
1... Nxc3 2.Rxc3 Rxc3 3.Rxc3


Now here Black must be careful. At first glance, he might want to continue with 3... Qb1+ 4.Qf1 Rd1, but White follows with 5.Rc8+, with mate to follow.

Instead, Black plays 3... Qb2! and White cannot protect both his rook and his queen.

Solution to Problem # 44

This position is adapted from a position in Fine's Basic Chess Endings. White wins with the elegant 1.f6 gxf6 2.Kf7! f5 3.g7+ Kh7 4.g8=Q#.

Solution to Problem # 43

This position is from the game Gruenfeld-Soltis, 1979 and is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com.

White wins with 1.Nxg6. If 1...Kxg6 2.Bh5+ Kf6 3.Bxe5+.

Solution to Problem # 42

This position is from the game Bradford-Mirabile, Foxwoods 2007. White won with the pretty 21.Nxg6 fxg6 22.Rxc8 Raxc8 23.Qxe6+ 1–0
(23... Kh7 24.Qh3+ Bh6 25.Rd7+ Rf7 26.Rxf7+ Kg8 27.Qxc8+ with mate to follow shortly)

Solution to Problem # 41

This position occurred in the game Vertkin-Stripunsky, Foxwoods 2007.

Black won with 16…Ng4+ 17.hxg4 hxg4+ 18.Nh5 Bf2! 0-1

Here is the complete game score:

Vertkin,Sergey (2242) - Stripunsky,Alexander (2638)
9th Foxwoods Open: Open Section Foxwoods, 04.04.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Qc7 6.0–0 Nf6 7.c4 Bd6 8.h3 Nc6 9.Ne2 Ne5 10.b3 b6 11.Nbc3 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh2 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Qc6 15.Ng3 h5 16.Re1 Ng4+ 17.hxg4 hxg4+ 18.Nh5 Bf2 0–1

Solution to Problem # 40

Our thanks go out to www.wtharvey.com for this puzzle. The position shown is from Arkell-Krush 2000 and Black won with the simple 1... Be4. If the White rook moves off the b-file, the White knight is lost, but if White moves 2.Rb2 or 2.Rb3, Black will mate with 3.Ra1.

Solution to Problem # 39

In Reinfeld's words, "Black finds an extraordinary finesse" which "has to be calculated to a hair." He wins as follows: 1…Rxd5 2.Rxd5 Qb7 3.Qg2 Qb1+ 4.Qg1 Qe4+ 5.Qg2 Qxg2+ 6.Kxg2 Nf4+ forking White's king and rook.

Solution to Problem # 38

This position is shown in Fred Reinfeld's excellent book The Complete Chessplayer. White wins with 1.Rc8 Rxc8 2.Qe7! [not 2.dxc8(=Q)+ since Black has 2…Qxc8] and Black will either be mated or lose his queen.

Solution to Problem # 37

This position is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com and features a game from Teimour Radjabov,when he would have been only about ten years old.

White wins with the simple 1.Nh7+ Ke8 2.Nf6+, forking the Black king and queen.

Solution to Problem # 36

This position comes from the game Waitzkin vs. Hoyos-Millan, New York, 1992 and is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com.

White wins with 1.Rxg6+ fxg6 (1...Qg7 2.Qxg7#) 2.Rf8#.

Solution to Problem # 35

This position is from Dlugy-Stoyko, Cherry Hill, 1991 and is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com.

White wins with the simple 1.Rh6, threatening both 2.Ng6 and 2.Qxe7.

Solution to Problem # 34

Black won with 1…Re2+ 2.Kxe2 Bxg4+ 3.Ke1 Re8+ 4.Be2 Rxe2+ 0-1
(from Szukszta-Tal, 1956)

Solution to Problem # 33

This position is from Melia-Khotenashvili, Tbilisi, 2002 and is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com.

White wins with the simple tactic 1.Qxd8 Qxd8 2.Ne6+.

Solution to Problem # 32

In this position from Van Wely-Karjakin 2005, White caused Black's immediate resignation with 24.Nf6+
(24…Kh8 25.Ne8 Qe7 26.Qxf8+)

Solution to Problem # 31

White put a quick end to the game with 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Rd1+ and Black resigned.

Solution to Problem # 30

This position comes from the game Reyes-Lozoya 2005. White wins with 1.Bg7+ Kg8 (1… Rxg7 2.Qh5+ Kg8 3.Qe8#) 2.Bh7+ Kxh7 3.Qh6+ Kg8 4.Qh8#.

Solution to Problem # 29

This problem is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com and comes from the game Silman-Johnsen, London 1978. White wins with 1.e6 Qd6 (1...fxe6 2.Qd4+ e5 3.Nxe5) 2.exf7 Rc8 3.fxg6.

Solution to Problem # 28

This is one solution. Can you find another such that no two queens are attacking each other?

Solution to Problem # 27

This position is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com and is from the game Melia-Hoolt, Belfort, 2005.

White wins with 1.Rxd7+ Bxd7 2.Rf7+ Kd8 3.Qxd7#.

Solution to Problem # 26

This position arose in the game Reti-Tartakower, Vienna 1910. White wins with 1.Qd8+ Kxd8 2.Bg5+ Kc7 3.Bd8#.

Solution to Problem # 25

Black wins with 1…Rf1+! 2.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 3.Kxf1 d2+ followed by 4…d1=Q.

Solution to Problem # 24

In this position, from Paul Morphy-Alonzo Morphy, 1849, White wins with 1.Rxe7+ Kf8 2.Qd5 Qc4 3.Rxf7+ Kg8 4.Rf8#.

Look at this final position:


In this amazing position, White has given double check with his rook and queen, both of which are attacked by their Black counterparts. Yet because it is double check, neither can be captured and it is mate!

Here is the entire game score:

Morphy,Paul - Morphy,Alonzo [C51]
New Orleans 1849
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.0–0 Na5 9.Bd3 d5 10.exd5 Qxd5 11.Ba3 Be6 12.Nc3 Qd7 13.d5 Bxd5 14.Nxd5 Qxd5 15.Bb5+ Qxb5 16.Re1+ Ne7 17.Rb1 Qa6 18.Rxe7+ Kf8 19.Qd5 Qc4 20.Rxf7+ Kg8 21.Rf8# 1–0

Solution to Problem # 23

This famous position is from the "Evergreen Game," Anderssen-Dufresne 1852. In this remarkable game, White wins with 20.Rxe7+. Black has three possible replies:

1. 20…Kf8 21.Re3+ followed by Rxf3
   
2. 20…Kd8 21.Rxd7+ Kxd7 (21...Kc8 22.Rd8+ Kxd8 23.Bf5+ Ke8 24.Bd7+ Kd8 25.Bxc6+ Qxd1+ 26.Qxd1+ Bd4 27.Qxd4+ Kc8 28.Qd7#) 22.Bf5+ Ke8 23.Bd7+ Kd8 24.Bxc6+ Qxd1+ 25.Qxd1+ Bd4 26.Qxd4+ Kc8 27.Qd7#
   
3. 20…Nxe7 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Bf5+ Ke8 23.Bd7+ Kf8 24.Bxe7#

Here is the entire game score:

Anderssen,Adolf - Dufresne,Jean [C52]
'Evergreen Game' 1852 Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.0–0 d3 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Re1 Nge7 11.Ba3 b5 12.Qxb5 Rb8 13.Qa4 Bb6 14.Nbd2 Bb7 15.Ne4 Qf5 16.Bxd3 Qh5 17.Nf6+ gxf6 18.exf6 Rg8 19.Rad1 Qxf3 20.Rxe7+ Nxe7 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Bf5+ Ke8 23.Bd7+ Kf8 24.Bxe7# 1–0

Solution to Problem # 22

This position is from "The Immortal Game," Anderssen-Kieseritzky 1851. White wins with 1.Nxg7+ Kd8 2.Qf6+ Nxf6 3.Be7#.

Note: In order to reach this position, Anderssen earlier sacrificed both rooks. The entire game score is reproduced here:

Anderssen,Adolf - Kieseritzky,Lionel [C33]
'Immortal Game' 1851 London
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 b5 5.Bxb5 Nf6 6.Nf3 Qh6 7.d3 Nh5 8.Nh4 Qg5 9.Nf5 c6 10.g4 Nf6 11.Rg1 cxb5 12.h4 Qg6 13.h5 Qg5 14.Qf3 Ng8 15.Bxf4 Qf6 16.Nc3 Bc5 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Bd6 Qxa1+ 19.Ke2 Bxg1 20.e5 Na6 21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Qf6+ Nxf6 23.Be7# 1–0

Solution to Problem # 21

White wins with 1.Bxf7+ Kxf7 (if 1…Kf8 2.Ng5 with a significant advantage) 2.Ng5+ Kf6 (if 2...Ke8 or 2...Kf8, 3.Ne6 captures the Black queen) 3.Qf3#.

Solution to Problem # 20

This position appeared in the game J. Polgar - Angelova, Thessaloniki 1988. White wins with the beautiful 1.Qxf8+ Kxf8 2.Bh6+ Kg8 3.Re8#.

Solution to Problem # 19

This position, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is from the game Keres-Petrov, Tallinn 1933. White wins with 1.Be4 Qg4 2.Qxg4 Bxg4 3.Bxb7.

Solution to Problem # 18

This position occurred in the game Carlsen-Nielsen, Malmo 2004, as shown at www.wtharvey.com. White wins with 1.Qe7! (threatening 2.Rh8+ with mate next move) Qc7 2.Qe8+ followed by 3.Qxa4.

Solution to Problem # 17

This position, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com, is from the game Carlsen-Gretarsson, Rethymnon, 2003.

White wins beautifully with 1.Bg6+. If 1...Rxg6, 2.Qe7# and if 1...Kxg6, then 2.Qh5#!

Solution to Problem # 16

This problem is courtesy of www.wtharvey.com from the game Maurice Ashley-David Arnett, New York 1993. White wins with 1.Bb5 Bc6 2.Bxc6+ Qxc6 3.Rh8+ Kd7 4.Qd8#.

Solution to Problem # 15

This position is from the game Kotov-Ragozin, Moscow 1949, which I found in Kotov's book Play Like a Grandmaster. White won with 1.f4 (threatening 2.Rh7#) Qxe3+ 2.Kh2 Qxe5 3.fxe5 1-0.

Solution to Problem # 14

As I was looking through the "Famous Games" feature of Chessmaster 10, I came across the game Corzo-Capablanca, Cuba 1901. In this game, the 12-year-old Capablanca defeated Cuba's top player at the time. Here's how he finished it: 1...Rg2+ 2.Kf1 Rf2+ 3.Ke1 Nd3+ and White resigned in the face of 4...g2 and 5...Nxe5.

Solution to Problem # 13

This problem is from the game between Jennifer Shahade (White) and Josh Waitzkin (Black), Chicago 1997, courtesy of www.wtharvey.com.

Black wins with 1...Bb2+ 2.Kxa2 Bxc2+ (discovered check) 3.Bxa8 Rxa8#. Isn't that beautiful?