ArcaMax

We haven’t done a composed problem in a while. This one’s a mate in two and has an interesting story behind it. The great Jose Capablanca couldn’t solve it in 20 minutes. See if you can beat him.

White wrapped this up quickly.

Hector Rosetto as Black against James Sherwin has just played Bb4, hoping to initiate exchanges. Sherwin surprised him. What was the best move and the follow-up in this position?

Mate in three.

Another example of why you should castle.

A fun kingside attack.

This is a spectacular win by I. A. Horowitz against Arnold Denker in 1946. The lines in the notes are worth going over as well.

One more win from Benko. This one was against Horowitz in 1968.

In 1959, Pal Benko missed a chance to gain a winning position against Bobby Fischer. Can you find the key move?

Although we give a lot of mating attacks, there has to be the realization that most games are won by winning material and then grinding out the win until one’s opponent gives in. Today’s game features Sammy Reshevsky finding a way to win material against Svetozar Gligoric and then use his great technical skills to win the game.

This one could be a toughie as Black doesn’t have to cooperate. So you have to figure out both possibilities.

May not be clear, but there is a mating attack here.

Well, there’s no question about where the target is! Can you see all the moves to mate?

In 1925, E. Gruenfeld gave the great chess teacher S. Tarrasch a lesson, starting without a check.

There is no mistaking White’s intentions here. Execute!

From King-Bedian, California, 1962

White is surrounded, or cornered, if you will. Black has a mating attack.

In a great irony at Hastings 1929, Koltanowski, as Black, found himself in a bad way out of a Philidor Defense. His opponent, Tylor, found the winning line.

White has a mate in there somewhere with the two rooks, but there is the matter of what Black can do.

A brilliant first move by White.