GM Jan Timman RIP

[Hans Jung]

Here is the stunning solution to post 97 : White is a piece up but he could easily lose his remaining two pawns. The solution to his problem is dramatic.

1.Bc5 , Kg7 with the threat of 2...Be8 and a draw continuation. 2.Be7 , fxg5 3.Bd6!! The first stunner! cxd6 4.Nd4!! The second stunner!! A double piece sacrifice. 4....exd4

5.b6, d3 6.Kf1, Bh5 7.Ke1 and the white B-pawn promotes.

[Hans Jung]

More of GM Timman's creative genius..... GM Timman, 2010, White to play and win.

[Hans Jung]

Solution to post 95, Jan Timman 1994, 1.Bd6+, Kxd6 2.Rxd5+, Ke7 3.Be6, Kxe6 (or if 3...Qe8+ 4.Kf5, Qh5+ 5.Kf4 and the king will escape to the queenside) 4.Rd8, Bxd8 5.Ra8, Qxa8 Two bishop and two rook sacrifices have set this up. 6.b7, Qxb7 7.cxd8=N+, Kd5 8.Nxb7, Kc4 It looks like a draw but timing is everything. 9.Kf5, Kxc3 10.Ke4, Kb2 11.Kd3, Kxa2 12.Kc2, Ka1 13.Nc5, Ka2 14.Nd3, Ka1 15.Nc1, a2 16.Nb3 mate.

[Hans Jung]

GM Timman's problem composing legacy:

Jan Timman, New in Chess 1994, White wins.

[Hans Jung]

Solution to post 93: 1.h7, Bb2 2.c3, Bxc3 3.e5, Bxe5 4.h8=Q!, Bxh8 and now the knight! 5.Ng7!, Bxg7 all for the bishop to have its way! 6.Bd3, Bd4+ 7.Kh1, g3 8. Bf5 mate.

[Hans Jung]

Here is Timman, at his best, having fun. The knight is lost on purpose, as are three additional pawns, all to set up a grandiose finish.

GM Timman, 2009, White wins.

[Hans Jung]

There are ways to save a lost corner knight but sometimes only one precise way..

Solution to post 91, the Mattison study is: 1.a4, a5 2.Ke2!, Bg1 3.Kd3, Kd7 4.Kc4, Kc6 5.Nc7!!, Kxc7 6.Kb5, Bb6 7.Ka6 and zugzwang and Blaxk must give up the pawn or stalemate.

A little extra thinking will make you realize that all the moves are forced. The alternatives all lead to draws.

[Hans Jung]

Now we come to one of my all time favorite themes: The LOST KNIGHT.

Study 18 Herman Mattison, Latvijas Sacha Vestnesis 1924, White to play and draw.

[Hans Jung]

Timman said Leonid Kubbel is his favorite problem composer, high praise indeed!

The solution to post 89 goes: 1.Nc3+ , Kc2

2.Nd1!! , Kxd1

3.Kh8! , Kc1 if 3....f1=Q 4.Rg1 and if captures then stalemate.

4.Rg2 , f1=Q

5.Rg1 , Qxg1 stalemate.

[Hans Jung]

Leonid Kubbel, Rigaer Tageblatt 1907, White to play and draw.

[Hans Jung]

Solution to post 87: 1.e7 looks like an obvious win but Black has a subtle defence. 1....Rg1!

2.Kxe2 Rg8

3.Nf8 Rg5! Black is playing for stalemate.

4.Ng6!! Take that! A beautiful interference to which there is no good reply. 1-0

[Hans Jung]

According to Timman the next study composer Mark Liburkin was regarded as a genius. In Timmans own words: 'His studies are characterized by fantastical elements, twists and turns that are not easy to conceive. The present study is one of his simpler compositions. In the original version, Liburkin had also built in an attractive bishop sacrifice, but that turned out to be incorrect."

Mark Liburkin, Shakhmaty v SSSR 1939, White to play and win. Corrected by: Jan van Reek.

[Hans Jung]

Solution to post 85. 1.b7, Rf8 naturally but now the great pyrotechnics of the knight aided by the king begin.


2.Nc6, Kf4

3.g4!! A mind boggling move enticing the king to g4.

3....Kxg4

4.Kg7, Re8 forced.

5.Kf7, Rh8

6.Ke7, Rg8

7.Nd8, Rg7+

8.Nf7, Rg8

9.Nh6+ and wins the rook.

[Hans Jung]

Now we are going to introduce the studies of knight and passed pawn vs rook. Study 13.

Sergey Kaminer, Shakhmaty, 1925 White wins. Kaminer composed this when he was 16. He was a good friend of Botvinnik, in Botvinnik's younger years. In 1937 Kaminer gave his notes to Botvinnik, thus his 99 studies are preserved. Kaminer was murdered in the Great Purge the follwing year.

[Hans Jung]

Solution to study in post 83. 1.Be3+, Kb7 The best square for the king as it allows the rook to use the A-file to stop the advanced E pawn.


2.e7, Rxa3

3.Ba7!! Interference

3....Ra1

4.Kf4, Rf1+

5.Bf2!, Rxf2+

6.Ke3, Rf1

7.Ke2 ending with Saavedra's king move.