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No Big Deal
After you have dealt about half of the 52 cards for a bridge game (with four players), the phone rings. You put down the undealt cards to answer the phone. When you return, none of the cards has been touched, and no one can remember where the last card was dealt. Without counting the cards in any hand, or the number of cards yet to be dealt, how can you finish dealing rapidly and accurately, giving each player exactly the same cards they would have received if you hadn't been interrupted?
View full teaser and answerStep in Step
A man and a boy who are walking together step out with their right feet. The boy walks three paces while the man walks two. When will they both put their left feet forward together?
View full teaser and answerGooglebunnies
Googlebunnies are creatures that come in two types (spooky and flitty) and two genders (male and female). The spooky males and flitty females always tell the truth; flitty males and spooky females always lie.
You come across 3 Googlebunnies. Determine the type and gender of each based on their statements:
A: Ask B what my type is - he will give a truthful answer. C is flitty.
B: A and I are both males. C is a female.
C: A and B are both females. B is spooky.
Which country or nation has a value of 5?
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White to Play
Another thematic finish, but with a heck of a start.
View solutionFind the Fake Coin
There are 12 gold coins. One of the coins is fake. It is known that a fake coin weighs either slightly less or slightly more than a real coin. Using a balance scale, how can you find the fake coin, and determine if it weighs less or more than a real coin, in only three weighings?
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White to Play
I can’t recall having so much fun looking at all the variations and the cooperation of the white pieces. It’s a great lesson on the power of the rook lift (going up to b4)as well.
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White to Play
This win by I.A. Horowitz from 1931 has a mating pattern finish that everyone should know. The first move is quite spectacular on its own!
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White to Play
If you have been with this column a while, you will probably get the first move, but how about the follow-ups?
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White to Play
H.R. Agnel once composed a problem that was a mate in six:
1.Rg8+ Rxg8 2.Qd8+ Qxd8 3.Rxd8+ Ke7 4.Rxg8 Nd6 5.Bc5 b6 6.Bxd6#,but there was a shorter mate in five. Can you find it?
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White to Play
We’re going to finish off golden oldies with a task problem. White to play and mate without moving the king or taking a pawn.
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White to Play
This Golden Oldie is Edward Lasker’s most memorable finish.
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White to Play
This Golden Oldie is a doozy! White has all his forces arrayed, but what is the most efficient sequence?
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White to Play
Another Golden Oldie. Every player of the White pieces dreams of a sacrificial attack against the Sicilian Defense. Over 60 years ago Troinov got his chance. Here’s the game. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Be3 0–0 9.Bb3 a6 10.f4 d5 11.e5 Nd7 12.Qh5 Re8?? At this point Black should have played 12...Qe8,...
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White to Play
Another Golden Oldie. One of the toughest things to do in chess is come up with a plan in a complicated position. Alekhine reached this position years ago and noticed something about a certain pattern based on the placement of the pieces. He noticed that the queen bishop was indirectly attacking the black King. He also noticed that if the a1-a8 ...
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White to Play
I have a hankering for posting some old favorites. So, we’ll do some golden oldies in the coming days, and they will be fun for people who have never seen them. This first one was inspired itself by an older Reti study—White to Play and Draw. That’s a hint for for the experienced players.
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White to Play
You might easily guess the first move, but can you see it all the way to the finish?
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Black to Play
When finishing off a mating attack, you always look for the most efficient way. There are two ways to force a mate here, but one is much more efficient.
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Black to Play
This time Black gets to give White a lesson on why White should not have been so greedy to go after the rook on a8.
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