Written by Robert Jamieson on 12th Mar, 2010
How do you think you would go against the highest rated chess player in the world?
In a full game of chess you would clearly lose, but what if you took over a game that was already half-way through? Perhaps then you have a chance?
The world’s highest rated player is 19 year-old Magnus Carlsen from Norway who will no doubt be world champion before too long. He has an unfair advantage of course as his coach is a guy named “Kasparov”.
So, let me get you started against Carlsen. You can play black in the following position taken from one of Carlsen’s games in the Norwegian Championships. It’s Carlsen’s move and he plays 1.f3 …. now off you go!
2b3k1/ppp4p/6q1/3pr2r/4p3/1NP1Q3/PP3PPP/4RR1K w – - 0 1White plays 1.f3. Can you beat him?
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Written by Robert Jamieson on 5th Mar, 2010
Today is shaping up as another glorious day in marvellous Melbourne. The temperature is 25 degrees, my boss (the Chess Guru) is on holiday roaming around Europe, so I’m free to do whatever I want. I’ve decided that listening to old goon shows on the radio, watching Tomic play in the Davis Cup on TV (with the sound turned down) and eating Lindt chocolates is the way to go. That takes care of the senses of sight, sound and taste so all I need now is a bit of intellectual stimulation. That must be why chess was invented. I could drag out Fred Reinfeld’s book “1001 Chess Combinations” but I’ve found his puzzles on the internet via my iphone and so am working my way through them.
I particularly like endgame puzzles where, despite the absence of many pieces, you can still find a quirky twist or an unexpected finish. Here is one that appealed to me with only four pieces on the board. I’ll give you a Lindt chocolate if you can solve it in under 30 seconds.
8/8/8/6pp/6pk/1R6/6KP/8 w kq – 0 1White to play ... Find the Quickest way to win
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Written by Robert Jamieson on 26th Feb, 2010
For today’s puzzle I decided to hop onto the internet and search for “best short chess games” to see if that would come up with a nice tactic to show you. The first post that came up was “Nigel Short’s best games!” Don’t you just love the way computers think. Nigel Short is the famous British chess prodigy who has been a leading grandmaster for may years and once challenged Kasparov for the world championship. Whether Short played may short games however is unclear. I guess you could argue that they were all “Short” games!
Instead I have a position from Alekhine v Nenarokov 1907 (see diagram). Alekhine has just played 1.a3 to attack that annoying N on b4. This seems strange as doesn’t that just force Black to play Nxd5 which is the move he wanted to play anyway? Has Alekhine just wasted a move with a3 or is he perhaps setting a trap? Of course you and I would immediately have our suspicions aroused and check …Nxd5 before playing it, but Nenarokov was more trusting.
2kr1bnr/ppp1pppp/8/q2P4/1n6/P1N2P2/1P1B1PPP/R2QKB1R b KQ – 0 9Black plays 1...Nxd5. What is White's reply? Read more…
Written by Robert Jamieson on 19th Feb, 2010
I’ve been playing through some of Pal Benko’s games lately. Benko was a Hungarian Grandmaster who moved to the USA and at one stage made the Candidates Matches for the world championship. He was clearly a very strong player, and in today’s puzzle from back in 1960 was pitted against the British IM Bob Wade, who Benko would be expected to beat.
They reached the following position when Wade shocked Benko with the sacrifice 1.Rxg7. Benko can’t take it because of 2.Nh5+ but has a few tricks of his own with 1…e3 2.Qd4 Rxf4.
This puzzle is how did the game end? Did Benko save the game or was Wade’s sacrifice sound?
r4r1k/pp1b2bp/q2p4/3P4/4pN1B/5P2/PP1Q3P/R3K1R1 b – - 0 1White to play.
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Written by Robert Jamieson on 12th Feb, 2010
I thought for a change we might have a chess “who am I puzzle” to test your brain this week.
This should suit older readers who, whilst their brains may have slowed down a bit, have a lot more to remember. As an additional clue I can confess to having in my possession a letter from this chess player to Cecil Purdy advising how much he charges to give a simul.
WHO AM I? (There are 6 clues if you need them).
1. I was born in 1943.
2. My parentage is a little unclear, and the name I bear is probably not that of my real father.
3. I won my country’s national championship at 14 years of age.
4. I played in the most famous chess match of all time.
5. I fled from my native country and the lived in Germany, Hungary, the Philippines, Japan and Iceland.
6. I died in 2008 and my given names are Robert and James. I am …..
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Written by David Cordover on 9th Feb, 2010
Written by Robert Jamieson on 1st Feb, 2010
Welcome to 2010. We should all be back at school or work now after the Xmas holidays so to ease into the new year I offer a cute little puzzle that’s not too difficult.
Have a look at the position below (with White to move). Clearly Black is well up on material and in normal circumstances would win comfortably. White doesn’t seem to have a checkmate in the offing and he’s not threatening to win material back so it doesn’t look good.
There is however a neat way that White can save the game …. and even win!
Can you find it?
8/qp6/p7/pk6/2R5/P2K4/8/8 w - 0 1 White to play.
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Written by David Cordover on 30th Jan, 2010
With the Australian Junior just finished it might be interesting to see the progress that has been made in the past 10 years.
Check out the Tournament Bulletins from 2000 (PDF file, 168 pages, 12.1 mb).
While you’re at it you can see the Australian Championships bulletins from 2002; see how much progress has happened in just 8 years.
Check out the Tournament Bulletins from 2002 (PDF file, 178 pages, 16.9 mb).
Written by David Cordover on 29th Jan, 2010
Our superstars, James Morris and Bobby Cheng had an amazing year. International Master title, Australian titles and finally a World Championship title.
For some this might be enough, time sit back and relax, congratulate each other on a job well done. That’s not Chess Kids’ style. Did Steve Jobs relax when the MacBook came out? What about after iPod or even iPhone? Thank Jobs he didn’t and shortly we’ll have the iPad too.
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Written by David Cordover on 27th Jan, 2010
Bobby Cheng, winning everything!
Chess Kids Superstars Bobby Cheng and James Morris took out Australian Junior Championship titles in Hobart last week!
Bobby Cheng is having a great run, after winning the World U12 championships he won the Best Junior of the Year award and then just a few days later became the youngest ever Australian Junior Chess Champion!
IM James Morris has also had a good streak and took out the U16 Title in a playoff with Yi Yuan.
Full results on the Tasmanian Chess Association website.
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