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.