Solutions to the Beauty of Problems

[Hans Jung]

Post 94 Rinck 1.f7, Kf1 2.Kh2, Nf2 3.Kg3, Ne4+ 4.Kf4, Nc5 5.b7 and White wins.

Post 95 Smyslov, Moi Etyudy, 2005 1.Nb6, axb6 2.Ra8, c2 3.Ra4, c1=Q 4.g8=N, h4 5.Nf6 mate.

[Hans Jung]

Post 91 Robert Lemaire, Volksgazet, 1954, 1.Kb8, Kb5 2.c7, f2 3.c8=Q, f1=Q 4.Qa6+, Kxa6 (or White wins black queen) 5.Nc7 mate.

Post 92 Michael Pasman, Stanislav Bilokin, 2024 1.f5, Bg3 2.Kxg3, Rxa6 3.Kh3, Rg6 4.Nxa3, Rg4 5.g3, Rxa4 6.b3, g5 7.fxg6, Rxa3 8.g7, Rxb3 9.g8=B!, Rb7 10.Bd5, Ra7 11.Be4, Rg7 12.g4+, Rxg4 13.Bf3 and wins.

[Hans Jung]

Post 89 Smyslov, Moi Etyudy, 2005 1.Ne2, Be1 2.a7, h2 3.Ng3, Bxg3 4.a8=N, h1=Q+ 5.Ka2, c4 6.b4, c5 7.b5, Qg2+ 8.Ka3, Qb2+ 9.Kxb2, c3+ 10.Kb3, c4+ 11.Kb4, c2 12.Nc7 mate or 12.Nb6 mate. 1-0

Post 90 Smyslov, Mahsarlusky, 2004 1.Ncd5, Qe5+ 2.c3, c6 3.Ng4, cxd5 4.Nxe5, fxe5 5.f6, g5 6.h4, gxh4 7.gxh4, a6 8.Kc1, b5 9.a5, d4 10.cxd4, exd4 11.Kc2, b4 12.h5, d3+ 13.Kxd3, b3 14.Bg7, h6 15.Bxh8, Kxh8 16.Kc3,Kg8 17.Kxb3, Kf8 18.Kc4, Ke8 19.Kc5, Kd7 20.Kb6, Kd6 21.Kxa6, Kc6 22.Ka7, Kc7 23.a6 zugzwang 1-0

[Hans Jung]

Post 87 Smyslove 2001 The mainline goes 1.Nb1, a2 2.Nec3, a1Q 3.b4, f5 First step a nice queen trap is set 4.Kh6, Kh8 5.g7+, Kg8 6.Kg6 king trap 6...Qa5 What a stalemate try! 7. Ne4 take this 7...fxe4 8.bxa5 tit for tat 8...e3 9.f5, e2 the finale race 10.f6, e1=Q 11. f7 mate.

Post 88 Smyslov, 64, 2002, 1.Kf4, c5 2.Ke4, Kc7 3.Ke5, Kc6 4.Ke6, Kc7 5.Ke7, Kc6 6.Kd8, Kd6 7.Kc8, Kc6 8.Kb8, Kb6 9.Ka8, a5 10.Kb8, a4 11.bxa4, Ka5 12.Kc7, Kxa4 13.Kc6, Kb4 14. Kd5 zugzwang 1-0

[Hans Jung]

Post 84 Bielefellt and Cabrera 2024. !.Ne6, Kxe6 2.Qxf7 mate or 1...Bxe6 2.Qe4 mate or 1...dxe6 2.Rd8 mate or 1...fxe6 2.Qxd7 mate

Post 85 Rinck 1928 1.Na5+, Ka3 2.Bc5+, Ka2 3.Ra4 Mate or 1...Kc3 2.Rb4, Kxb4 3.Nc6+ or 2...Qxb4 3.Bd2+ Kd3 or Kd4 4.Bxb4 or 2...Qg8 3.Rb3+ Qxb3 4.Bd2+, Kd3 or Kd4 5.Bxb4 and then you have to mate with knight and bishop.

Post 86 If 1.Kf2 , Ng6 2.Kf1 Nf4 3.Kf2 Nd3 and Black wins, therefore 1.Kf1 is the correct move to draw.

There is so much knowledge in chess that the learning never ends. I find these types of endgame puzzles fascinating.

I am tempted from Post 85 above to compose positions with N,B,B vs Q or N,N,B vs Q or even N,N,N vs Q. Coordination of three minor pieces vs the queen holds a particular fascination for me.