Norway Chess 2024, featuring two Americans, two Indians,
a Chinaman and a Norwegian was won by the Norwegian.
This week’s puzzle I tested recently on the kids I coach. I showed it to them one
at a time. They were not allowed to move the pieces. One or two of them struggled.
White to play and win.
clue
Look for backward attacking moves.
Too easy for some of you OK try this from B. Harley in 1926.
White to play and checkmate in two moves.
FEN
6k1/4q1p1/6P1/1p6/6Q1/2p3P1/7P/7K w - - 0 1
[FEN "6k1/4q1p1/6P1/1p6/6Q1/2p3P1/7P/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. Qc8+ {Always look at the forcing moves first.} 1... Qf8 {Forced!} 2. Qe6+ {It was this move and the next move that gave them trouble.} 2... Kh8 3. Qh3+ {Backward attacking moves are not easy to see in you mind's eye.} 3... Kg8 4. Qh7
The mate in two by B. Harley. The answer is 1.Ra5
No matter what Black plays it is checkmate on the next move.
Recently I happened across this position.
S. Bekmukhanov - T. Haugen, Norway 2024 (White to play)
Spot the Black threat and what happened when White played 16.Qe3.
The threat 16..Qxc3 and 17...Nxe2+ The blunder was 16.Qe3 Qg5!
Now a couple of RHP games featuring this Nf4 and Qg5 pattern
Alexander Svetchnikov - Fre O Fortuna RHP 2022
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {A reasonable way of avoiding the Four Knights (3...Nc6)} 4. d3 {Accepting the challenge with 4.Nxe5 is the most poplar move here.} 4... Bxc3+ {I'm not fond of this unforced exchange, it's OK but 4...d5 has more clout.} 5. bxc3 Nc6 6. Be2 d6 7. h3 {It this really needed. 7.0-0 Bg4 8.Ng5 or 8.Rb1. were good options.} 7... O-O 8. O-O Be6 {8...d5 looked OK. Now White can play 9.Ng5 with f4 ideas.} 9. Bg5 h6 {Now 10. Bh4 see if you can tempt 10....g5 when 11.Nxg4 with f4 looks like fun.} 10. Be3 {Centralising. fair enough, it has d3-d4 ideas.} 10... d5 {A bit late IMO but well played.} 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Qd2 f5 {I think I would have played that as well, let us see what happens next.} 13. Bc5 Rf7 14. c4 Nf4 {...Bxc4, dxc4 Qxd2, Nxd2 Nxe2+ idea are surfacing.} 15. Nxe5 {White thought this move refuted 14...Nf4 but now the White Queen is undefended.} 15... Qg5 {With the threat of mate on g2 and Nxh3+ winning the Queen on the board.} 16. Qe3 {It's lost, better an end without horror than a horror without end.} 16... Qxg2
s4a2h - tigerkid RHP.2018
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. h3 {A King's Indian, 6 h3 prevents Bg4. but 6.Be2 Bg4 is OK for White.} 6... e5 {White usually continues with 7.d5 or 6.dxe5 here.} 7. Be2 Nc6 {7.d5 here looks best.} 8. Be3 {Natural but Black can chop on d4 and play Re8 and game on.} 8... Nh5 {bit of a gamble hoping White will not play 9.dxe5 when the h5 Knight is misplaced.} 9. Qd2 {Black's idea has worked.} 9... exd4 10. Nxd4 Nf4 {And the Knight is back in the game. 11.Bxf4 Nxd4 or 11.Nxc6 Nxg2+ and Nxe3+} 11. O-O {White has walked into the theme of the week. Will they miss the trick.} 11... Nxd4 {12. Bxf4 is the move here.} 12. Bxd4 {White was expecting 12..Nxe2+ Nxe2.} 12... Qg5 {White has three choice, lose the Queen, get mated or resign. They resigned.}
