A Retiremnt Home for Chess Players

White to play and win (do this one within 30 seconds else it is a fail.)

Reveal Hidden Content

Next a couple of combos from one of the greats, Mikhail Botvinnik

Clue: Reveal Hidden Content
They are 'Black to Play and Win' If you like me you struggle with these from
diagrams use the wee button on the top right of the diagram to spin the board.

A. Kotov - M. Botvinnik, Leningrad 1939 (Black to play)

Reveal Hidden Content

I. Bondarevsky - Ml Botvinnik, Moscow 1941 (Black to play)

Reveal Hidden Content

The current British Chess Championship is taking place onboard a ship
sailing around the British Isles. No reports of any sea sickness but there...

Are you sure about this greenpawn....onboard a ship?....Russ

Yeah. Hull.

(That joke was sent in by one of you lot, they asked that they remain anonymous.)


I have been warning everyone here for about 12 years they must
Pause Before Promoting. I m still finding needless stalemates.

Steven Steven - Jor Martin RHP 2024

1.b8=Q Stalemate. 1.b8=R Ka7 2.Rb6 and then bring the King to c7.

WelshWhirlWind - TemplarExemplar RHP 2024

1...cxb1=Q Stalemate. 1...cxb1=R is checkmate next move.

When a pawn is on the 6th or 7th rank new tactical possibilities appear
but with it come new opportunities to make blunders and miss tricks.

mike andrews - Scotty70 RHP 2024 (White to play)

White saw they could deflect the c2 Rook with 1.Rxh2 and then play 2.c8=Q.

But look at the position of the Kings. That pattern with the Kings directly
opposite of each other one file or rank apart. is always worth a second look.

The game went 1.Rxh2 Rxh2 2.c8=Q and now we see the mistake White has made.


Black can force the White King onto the c-file and skewer the new Queen with 2...Rd2+

So back here...

White should have played 1.Rh7+ to break up that King pattern and then play 2.Rxh2.
By slipping in the sly check White could have drawn this game instead of losing it.


Look at what the good guys do, they never relax and occasionally add a bit of panache.
Looking for cute way to wrap up games is a good way to prevent clumsy blunders.
Some would call it showing off or playing to the crowd but it does keep you alert.

J. Lentzos - J. Merriman, British Chess Ch. Hull, 2024 (White to play)

White is never going to fall for 48.f8=Q Re7+ 49 Kxe7.stalemate and showing even
at this late stage of the game there is no need to stop thinking and slipped in a charmer.

48.Rh6+! Then the f-pawn promotes with a check and no matter where the Black
King goes, a choice of four squares. a Queen check will pick up the loose Rook on d5.

Well worked out and proof the good guys are always working.

A good player is like a duck on the water. When you see a duck effortlessly
gliding along the it looks it is chilled out, hanging loose, but underneath
the surface of the water its wee legs are peddling like crazy to move it along.

At the board a good player may appear relaxed and mellow but their brain will
be working overtime interrogating and enquiring all kinds of moves and options.

You are at you most vulnerable when you have a won game. Try not too relax.



(that one was sent in by me.)

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 200359