White to play. Trisha Kanyamarala–Roderick Mckay, EJCOA Forest Hall Invitational, 2021. White found a brilliant strike on the kingside, forcing a quick mate. What did she play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 15 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a
White to play. Short-Ye, Sanjin Hotel Cup 2004. A snappy finish from a game in Winning. Which move allowed Short to force a quick checkmate? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 8 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
Black to play. Turner–Jackson, Hull 4NCL GM Tournament 2021. Which move did James Jackson play to ensure a decisive advance of his passed a-pawn? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last
White to play. Bjerre–Maiwald, Bundesliga 2021. Black has menacing counterplay, so White’s attack needs an accurate conclusion. What did he play next? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six
White to play and mate in one. I found this puzzle online, composed by someone with the pseudonym ‘Illion’. I was stumped for several minutes before the solution dawned on me. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a
White to play. Mamedyarov–Artemiev, MeltwaterChampions Final 2021. Black’s last move, was Ra8-a4, attacking the pawn on g4. But it allowed Mamedyarov a decisive tactical opportunity. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please
White to play. This was a variation which could arise in the game R. Pert–M. Parligras, Manx Liberty Masters 2021. Here, White has a surprising way to conclude the game. What is the winning move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct
Black to play. J. Polgar — Gaprindashvili, Novi Sad Olympiad 1990. Gaprindashvili’s next move prompted immediate resignation. What did she play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by 27 September. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery.
White to play. Gaprindashvili–Servaty, Dortmund 1974. The dark squares around Black’s king are critically weak, and White found an accurate way to conclude the attack. What was her winning move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 20 September. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat.
White to play. Harvey–Roberson, Northumbria Masters 2021. Black’s last move, 37…Kf7-e7 looked plausible, but walked into a clever tactic. What was White’s next move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 13 September. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and
White to play. Swiercz–Xiong, Sinquefield Cup 2021. 1 Kxb2 allows a perpetual check. But forcing an exchange of queens would allow the f6-pawn to decide the game in White’s favour. Which move did Swiercz play to bring that about? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 September. There is a prize of £20 for the
Black to play. Geller–Sveshnikov, USSR Ch 1978. Geller’s last move, 34 Rb1-e1 looked clever, since Black cannot safely capture the queen. But Sveshnikov’s next move exposed a critical flaw in Geller’s idea. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 30 July. There is a prize of £20 for the first
White to play and draw. The conclusion of an endgame study composed by J. Hašek (1951). Black is preparing a queen infiltration via a6. But with the right move, White can ensure that is not fatal. What should White play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 August. There is a prize of
White to play. Abdusattorov–Durarbayli, Sochi 2021. The endgame looks tricky, but White found a way to force a quick mate. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 16 August. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six
White to play. Adhiban–Delgado Ramirez, Sochi 2021. White has more than one good move, but Adhiban found a spectacular way to force mate in four. What did he play?Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 9 August. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include
White to play. Greco–NN, 1620. The centre is a dangerous place for the king. Which move does White play to force mate in two moves? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 3 August. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address.
White to play. A variation from Grandelius – Xiong, Fide World Cup, Sochi 2021. With an accurate queen check,White can force an exchange of queens and march the h2-pawn. Which check should White choose? Answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 26 July. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a
White to play and mate in two. Composed by Sam Loyd, Sunny South, 1885. Nearly all Black’s legal moves can be met by Qg8 mate, but White must prepare a response against 1…Rg7. What is the key first move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 19 July. There is a prize of £20
Black to play. Daggupati–Mishra, Charlotte 2020. 1…Rf1+ 2 Kg2 is a dead end, as White’s queen covers the f2 square. Mishra found the only way to draw; his subtle move combined a threat of perpetual check with a stalemate motif. Which move did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 12 July.
White to play. So–Vachier-Lagrave, Paris, June 2021. The queen on e7 can be taken, but Black’s last move was …Rd8, counterattacking White’s queen. Which move did White play to expose the flaw in this idea? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 July. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct
