Black to play. This position is from Sasikiran-McShane, Astana 2019. Black’s queen is attacked, his knight is vulnerable and b7 is also under pressure. How did Black solve his problems? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 26 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct
White to play. This is from Finn-Abbas, Varsity Match 2019. A strategic puzzle rather than a tactical one. White has three ways to recapture on e4. Only one gives him the advantage. Which is the best move? Answers via email to victoria@spectator.-co.uk by Tuesday 19 March. There is a prize of £20 for the first
White to play. This position is from Hebden-Williams, Bunratty 2019. How did White finish in fine style? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 12 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six
Black to play. This position is from Wagner–-Eckersley-Waites, Varsity Match, London 2008. How did Black make effective use of the powerful bishop pair? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 5 March or via email to victoria@-spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include
White to play. This position is taken from Galinsky–Gunina, Gibraltar 2019. How can White finish off in this complicated position? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 26 February or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
Black to play. This position is from Gelfand–Kramnik, Berlin 1996. This is one of Kramnik’s finest finishes. Can you spot his amazing winning move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 19 February or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please
Black to play. This position is from Kasparov-Kramnik, Dos Hermanas 1996. Kramnik played 1 … Qh1+ and soon won. But he could have forced mate here. What is the key move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 12 February or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct
Black to play. This is from Howell-Bilguun, Gibraltar 2019. How can Black play for the win? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 5 February or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks
White to play. This is from Carlsen-Rapport, Wijk aan Zee 2019. The influence of AlphaZero is being felt at elite level. Here Carlsen stormed through with an AlphaZero-style kingside attack. How did he finish off? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 29 January or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of
White to play. This position is from Jones-McShane, UK Knockout, London 2018. White’s next move was the start of a clever geometrical combination that wrecked the black position. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 22 January or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the
Black to play. This position is from Botvinnik-Smyslov, World Championship, Moscow (Game 18) 1958. How could Smyslov have forced instant resignation? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 15 January or via email to victoria@-spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal
Black to play. This is a variation from today’s game Aronian-Kramnik, Berlin 2018. How can Black briskly conclude his kingside attack? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 8 January or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal
White to play. This is a variation from Carlsen-Caruana, World Championship (Game 11), London 2018. Carlsen set a small trap for his opponent in this endgame which Caruana avoided and drew easily. This position shows the trap. How can White win at once? Please note that this is not a prize puzzle. This is because
Black to play. This is a variation from Caruana-Carlsen, World Championship (Game 10), London 2018. Black is a rook down. What is the best way to continue the attack? Apologies that there is not a prize puzzle this week. This is because of the Christmas production schedule. Last week’s solution 1 … Rxb6 Last
Black to play. This is a variation from Caruana-Carlsen, World Championship (Game 10), London 2018. The black queen is trapped but Carlsen had planned an ingenious counter. What is it? Answers via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by Monday 3 December (please note early closing date). There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out
White to play. This is a variation from Caruana-Carlsen, World Championship, London 2018. White has sacrificed a piece in order to obtain a powerful central phalanx. What is the most effective way for him to continue? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 27 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize
Black to play. This is a variation from Carlsen–Caruana (Game 2), London 2018. White has forked the black bishop and queen. How should Black react? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 20 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat.
White to play. This is from Carlsen-Caruana, Bilbao 2012. Black has blundered right out of the opening. How did Carlsen gain a decisive advantage? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 13 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please
Black to play. This is from Cornette-Jumabayev, Isle of Man 2018. Black’s next move led to an overwhelming material advantage. What was it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 6 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include
Black to play. This position is from Carlsen-Ding Liren, Porto Carras 2018. Black tried 1 … Nxg4 here but Carlsen eventually held on for a draw. What would have been a better way to try for an advantage? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 30 October or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is
