Stories from the Beauty of Problems

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  • #46
    One of the deepest thinkers in chess was Emanuel Lasker. In his Manual of Chess one part explores The Aesthetic Effect in Chess. He may have been the first to delve deeply into this subject with several examples. Quoting from Secrets of Spectacular Chess: 'According to Lasker rhe aesthetic effect in chess depends on the achievement of the pieces. The ideal is when the pieces achieve a difficult task of vital importance (in chess terms) and can do so in one way only. The greater the achievement, the closer to the ideal - the stronger the aesthetic effect. Economy is clearly important since if fewer pieces can accomplish the same task, the greater the achievement. '

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    • #47
      E. Ratner, Emanuel Lasker's Lehrbuch des Schachspiels, 1926, White wins.

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      • #48
        Incredible that the position above in post 47 wins for White. White has a bishop and two knights but he is about to lose one of the knights. Nevertheless : 1.Be2! The only square!

        1.Bd3, kb7+ 2.Kg2, Bd4 3.Nb3, Bxe5 4.Na5+, Kb6! 5.Nc4+, Kc5 6.Nxe5, Kd4 wins one of the remaining two pieces. so therefore the main path of the problem is: 1.Be2, Kb7+ 2.Kg2, Bd4

        3.Nb3, Bxe5 4,Na5+, Ka8 (the only square since 4...Kc8 is followed by 5.Bg4+ and Nc6+)


        Last edited by Hans Jung; Thursday, 11th June, 2026, 02:17 PM.

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        • #49
          from the diagram above in post 48 the following moves are played: 5.Nc6, Bd6 6.Ba6, g5


          The black king is in a box and now all remains is for the white king to do a long walk.

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          • #50
            The king walk follows: 7.Kf3, Bf4 8.Kg4, Bd2 9.Kf5, Bf4 10.Ke6, g4 11.Kd7, g3 12.Kc8, g2 13. Bb7 checkmate.


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