First the 3 problems that made up the Hastings 1895 solving competition which I posted here. If you got the correct answers in less than 2 hours, you were doing well!
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| White to play and mate in 3 |
1.Kb2 [intending Kc2 and e3#] eg. 1..Bxf7 [1..h5 2.Ng5 intending Ne6 mate; 2..e5 3.Qc2 with e3# to follow] 2.Kc2 and whatever black plays, 3.e3 is mate. The puzzle was set by Berger, but apparently there was a cook so it was changed to this puzzle here.
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| White to play and mate in 3 |
Mate is to be delivered along the a1-h8 diagonal. 1.Rb2 [threatening e5#] 1..Bxb2 [1..Rxe4 2.Qc3+ Re5 Rxf2# Or 2..e5 3.Rxb6#] 2.Qa3 [Threatening Qf8#] 2..Bxa3 3.e5# Absolutely beautiful puzzle by Gold. Apparently, the tries 1.Rxb6 and Rd4 are both defeated by 1..Rf5. 1.Rb2! Rf5 on the otherhand still allows 2..Qc3+ with mate to follow
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| White to play and mate in 4 |
This is fiendishly difficult! 1.Ke7 [with the idea Kf8, Qe8 and Rf4#] 1..Bb3 [black's bishop is the only piece that can move and it must stay on the a2-g8 diagonal defending the rook] 2.Kf8 Bc4 [2..Ba2 allows the alt. 3.Qc3+ Rd4 Qxd4#] 3.Qe8 and whatever move black plays, white has 4.Rf4# This puzzle by D.P is one which requires vision of the mating pattern rather than calculation, as do all of these to an extent.
I then posted this study which I saw in an old BCM.
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| White to play and draw |
This is a stalemate puzzle set by F. Simkovitch. 1.b7 [gets rid on one piece] 1..Nxb7 2.Bc6 [Forking the knights, which looks like the end of the puzzle. However, the bishop will also get forked in return!] 2..Nd6! 3.Bxd5 Nf5+
Now, wherever the white king moves, a knight fork can be created. 4.Kh5 Be2+ 5.Kg6 Ne7+ 6.Kf7 Nxd5
7.g6! [white in turn threatens to promote] 7..Bh5 [ pinning the pawn] 8.Kf8 Nf6! [The last trick! 8..Bxg6 is already stalemate]
9.g7+ Kh7 10.g8=Q+ 10..Nxg8 stalemate, a beautiful final position with white's king not in a corner while all the black pieces are to the short side, and a nice theme allowing the pawn to promote.
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