Chess puzzle

Black to play. Warakomski-–Korobov, February 2021. White has a pin on the b-file and 1…Bxg2+ 2 Kxg2 Bc5 3 Rb7 should suffice for a draw, despite the pawn deficit. But Korobov’s next move provoked instant resignation. What did he play? Answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 March, for a prize of £20 for the first

White to play. Carlsen–Vachier-Lagrave, Opera Euro Rapid 2020. Carlsen played 31 Bd4+ Rxd4 32 cxd4 Bxd4 which should be drawn, though he won in the end. Can you find the much s-tronger move which he missed? Answers to be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 22 February. There is a prize of £20 for the first

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Theodore Herlin, Schachzeitung 1852. Answers to be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 15 February. 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. Last week’s solution 1

White to play. Giri-Wojtaszek, Wijk aan Zee 2021. On his last move, Black waited with 48… Ba1-b2, yielding White a decisive opportunity. Which move enabled Giri to break through? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 8 February. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please

Kokkoris–Kavalek, Athens 1968. Kavalek’s next move initiated a beautiful forced mating sequence. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 1 February. 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. Last week’s

White to play. Howell — Adams, Caplin Hastings Online 2021. Adams’s last move, 35…Ba4-b3, gave Howell the chance for a tactical strike, gaining a decisive advantage. What was his next move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 January. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a

Gormally–Turner, Caplin Hastings Online 2021. Black looks safe, but Gormally’s next move forced a win of material. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 January. 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

Mastrovasilis–Marechal, Cappelle la Grande 2011. Black is a whole rook up, so his last move 34… Nd5-e7, angling for an exchange of knights, looks plausible. Which move did White play to expose a hidden flaw? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 11 January. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct

White to play and mate in five moves. Composed by Kohtz & Kockelkorn, 1875. Be careful — four moves isn’t enough! What is White’s key first move? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 4 January. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a

Four puzzles in one, composed by Werner Speckmann, 1963. In each case, White to play and mate in two. (a) As in diagram; (b) In (a), move Qh7 to a7; (c) In (b), move Ke6 to c6; (d) In (c), move Ke4 to c4. We regret that there is no prize for this puzzle, owing

White to play. A position taken from Chess Improvement (perhaps from Luchowski–Gridnew, Moscow 1992.) Black’s menacing pieces make the situation look desperate. How can White turn the tables? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 7 December. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Sam Loyd, 1857. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 23 November. 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. Last week’s solution 1 Qg7+!!

White to play. Mista–Kloza, Poland 1955 (supposedly). Which move does White play to force a quick checkmate? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 17 November. 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. Last

White to play and mate in 3. A puzzle featured in The Queen’s Gambit, apparently composed by W. Atkinson in 1890. What is White’s first move? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 10 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and

White to play. Wade–Korchnoi, Buenos Aires, 1960. Bob Wade’s next move prepared a surprising and decisive breakthrough. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1…f5!

Black to play. Sjugirov–Paravyan, Russian Higher League, October 2020. A piece for a pawn down, Black’s follow up was subtle but devastating. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 26 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal

Rapport–Sprenger, Bundesliga, September 2020. The game continued 1 Bxc4 Rxc4 2 Bxe5+ f6 3 Bf4 Rxe4+ 4 Kf3 and was eventually drawn. How could Black improve on this sequence? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 19 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please

Black to play. Khodashneli — Willow, European Online Youth Championship U18, September 2020. White has just advanced 40 g3-g4, and England’s Jonah Willow spotted his opportunity. What did he play?Answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 12 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal

White to play. A variation from L’Ami–Caruana, Bundesliga 2020. Caruana avoided this position, where White can force a quick mate. White should begin with a check, but which one? 1 h8=Q+, 1 Ne6+, or 1 Ne4+? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 5 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first