Stories from the Beauty of Problems

[Hans Jung]

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. '

[Hans Jung]

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

[Hans Jung]

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+)

[Hans Jung]

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.

[Hans Jung]

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.

[Hans Jung]

I'm reminded of this endgame from a London simultaneous Loman - Lasker, 1903, 34.Rf8+, Kxf8 35.gxh7, Rc1+ 36.Kf2 , Rc2+ 37.Kg3, Rc3+ 38.Kg4, Rc4+ 39.Kg5 which leads us to the diagram in the following post.

[Hans Jung]

The eye popping move 39...Rh4!! stops the paased pawn on h7. Why? 40.Kxh4 g5+!! 41.Kxg5, Kg7 0-1

[Hans Jung]

Here is Timman's take away from it. He composes a deep study that shows a similar theme. Timman, 2011, White to play and draw. White plays desperate measures.

1.Ne4!! dxe4 2.Rh5! Kxh5 3.g4+ Kxg4 4.Bxe4 White stops the H pawn and saves the draw.

[Hans Jung]

Timman 2008, White to play and win. This was Timman's masterpiece study composition based on the Lasker-Loman theme. It won second prize in The Problemist.

[Hans Jung]

In the diagram in post 54 White is up a piece but there are all sorts of counterplay .

The study solution goes: 1.Rd1, a3

2.bxa3, Ra4+

3.f4!, Rxf4

4.Kg3, Rd4

5.Rxd4, e2 many tricks by Black but White has a deep combinative answer.

6..Rd6+, Kh7 (6....cxd6 7.Ba5 wins)

7.Rh6+, Kxh6 White offers the rook twice and Black must accept, otherwise there will be a mating net.

8.Bg5+, Kxg5

9.f4+ and now we see why the pawn sacrifice on move 3.

and 10.Kf2 and White wins.