Beauty of Chess

From time to time a new lesson will be added here - when a new lesson is added, the answer to the previous one wil also be added.

Current Lesson

CCC Game 11 

Can Black save this ending? White starts with Nc3.  


CCC Game 10 

Can White to move win this Rook ending? 


Click here for Answer to CCC Game 10

In Game 10 white wins the game as follows:

1 f6+ Kf7
 2 Rh8   R*a7
 3 Rh7+ K*f6
 4 R*a7
or
 1 f6+ K*f6
 2 Rf8+  Ke7
 3 a8(Q)
 or
 1 f6+ Kh7
 2 f7

CCC Game 9 

White to play and win:


White to play found a win in this position! Can you? 

Tip: Use zugzwang (get position where black must move but does not want to) 


Click here for Answer to CCC Game 9

In Game 9 white wins the game by:

1 Bb7 Bf5
 2 Bf3     Bc8
 3 Be2 Zugzwang - White now controls all the white squares around the pawn and
           whatever black plays loses.
3        Kb4
 4 Ba6 and the pawn will be promoted soon

CCC Game 8 

White to play and win:


White played f6 with the intent to follow with Kg6 and mating black. Black has no choice but to play Kh7 to stop this and white proceeded with f7. The question is can white still win this? 

For instance, Black can follow the f7 move with a beautiful Queen sacrifice i.e., Qe5+ and if white takes the queen, black plays g6 and white is the one being checkmated with an unusual mate!  


Click here for Answer to CCC Game 8

In Game 8 white wins the game by:

1 f6 Kh7
 2 f7        Qe5+
 3 g5   White follows Blacks Queen sacrifice with a Queen sacrifice of his own!
3         Q*e6
 4 f8+(Knight) and wins the Queen back and the game. 

CCC Game 7 

(Famous Reti position - 1921) White to play and draw: 

Blacks King is in the square of the white c-pawn and thus able to stop it. The White King is 2 tempi short to get in the square of the black h-pawn to be able to stop it.  


Click here for Answer to CCC Game 7

In the seventh Game white saves the game by:

1 Kg7   h4
 2 Kf6         h3
 3 Ke7 and both queen at the same time

or

1 Kg7   h4
 2 Kf6        Kb6
 3 Ke5   K*c6
 4 Kf4 and inside the square 

CCC Game 6 

White to play and win: 

Black’s main threat is Kg3 and mate to follow in 4 moves with the h pawn.  The solution is a combination of pawn breaks and the theme of getting/stopping the King getting into the square of a passed pawn. The immediate K*g2 is not the best move. 


Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 6

In the sixth Game white wins by:

1 f6 g*f6

2 K*g2   Kg5

3 a4       b*a3 e.p.

4 b*a3  Kf5

5 a4   Ke5

6 d6   c*d

7 c6   d*c

8 a5   Kd5

9 a6 

CCC Game 5 

Considered to be the most beautiful move ever played:

Black played Qg3 in this position. The Queen can be taken in 3 different ways.

Please calculate the variations.

This game was played in 1912 and the black player was the then USA champion Frank Marshall. 

Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 5

In the fifth Game black wins after Qg3 by:

1 h*g3  Ne2# or

 1 f*g3   Ne2+
 2 Kh1 R*R# or

1 Q*g3  Ne2+
 2 Kh1 N*g3+
 3 Kg1 N*f1
 4 g*h3  and black ends with a piece up

CCC End Game 4 

White to play and win  

Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 4

In the fourth End Game white wins by:

1 Ke5   Kc6
 2 Kd4   Kd7
 3 Kd5   Kc8  (white achieved the opposition after using triangle movement with King)
 4 Ke6   Kd8  (white achieved diagonal opposition)
 5 Kd6   Kc8  (white achieved vertical opposition)
 6 Ke7   Kb8
 7 Kd7   Ka8
 8 c6

 Wrong would be:
 1 c6?    Kc8!            Or   1 c6  b*c?
 2 Kd6   Kb8!               2 Kc5 Kd8
 3 Kd7   b*c=               3 Kd6      Kc8
                                     4 K*c6    Kb8
                                         5 b7 winning

CCC End Game 3 

White to play and win  

Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 3

In the third End Game white wins by:

1 Kf6    Kb5
 2 Ke7   Kc5
 3 Ke6

Black to move draws by

1 ….. Kb5
 2 Ke4   Kc4
 3 Ke3   K*d5
 4 Kd3 with opposition and draws.


CCC End Game 2 

White played Rf4 expecting an easy draw. Can Black win this? 

Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 2

1 Rf4 loses.

1 Rf4    Kg5

2 R*R+ K*R

Black has the opposition which leads to a win.

See if you can win this position as black with a friend.

If

1 Rf4 R*R

2 K*R

White has the opposition which leads to a draw.

See if you can draw this position with white with a friend. 

CCC End Game 1 

Ka6 wins easily! 

1. Ka6 Ka8 2. b6 Kb8 3. b7 Kc7 4.Ka7 winning

Does 1. Kc6 win?

Click here for Answer to CCC End Game 1

1 Kc6 does not win although you can get back to the position with Ka6 and win.

1 Kc6 Ka7

2 Kc7 Ka8

3 b6 is stalemate!