Chess - with Leonard Barden

Baadur Jobava v Magnus Carlsen, world blitz championship, Moscow 2019. Carlsen captured both the world rapid (30-minute games) and world blitz (5-minute) crowns to add to his classical title, which he will defend later this year. The Norwegian, 29, lost only one game out of 38 in Moscow. In today's puzzle Carlsen (Black, to move) only has level material. Can you work out how he forced a quick win?

Today is my final chess article (dedicated to SJF) for the Evening Standard. The series began on 4 June 1956 and has continued for 63 years, 7 months and 27 days without missing a day, a world record in all journalism for a daily column by a single individual.

Thanks to loyal readers, especially those of long standing who have solved the puzzles over years or decades. Good luck with today's puzzle and with all your future games.

Juren Arizmendi v Alexander Raetsky, Llucmajor, Spain 2019. White (to move) seems to have his attack stymied, since 1 Rdh3 Rd3 is only level. But White found a much stronger first move, a smart tactical coup which led to rapid victory. Can you find it?

Maksim Schekachikhin v Maxim Matlakov, Sochi 2019. Another puzzle where White made just a single move and Black resigned. What was the winner, and why did Black surrender?

Janos Roseneck v Jaroslav Krassowizkij, Magdeburg 2019. A single white move, and Black resigned! What was White’s winner, and why did Black give up?

Tamir Nabaty v Sethuraman Sethuraman, World Cup 2019. The Israeli (White, to move) boldly sacrificed a piece against his Indian opponent so as to drive the black king to the edge of the board. Nabaty now unleashed a brilliant checkmate, which takes a maximum five moves with every white move a check. Can you work it out?

11599 1...Bb4! 2 Nc3 (if 2 Kxb4 a2 and queens or 2 Nxa3 Be1 as in the game) a2! 3 Nxa2 Be1 4 Kc4 Bxg3 followed by Bxh4 and Black won easily with his united passed g and h pawns.​
11598 1 Rc1! overloads the black queen. After Qxc1 2 Qe6+ Kf8 3 Rh3! (better than 3 Rf3+ Qf4) forced Black to resign.
11597 1 Rxh7+! Resigns. If Qxh7 2 Qe8+ Qg8 3 Rh1 mate. If Kxh7 2 Rh1+ Kg8 3 Qxd5+ Qf7 (Kf8 4 Rh8+) 4 Nh6+ wins the queen.​
11596 1 R7d6! Resigns. If the queen retreats White wins rook for knight by 2 Nf6+, while accepting the sacrifice is still worse after Bxd6 2 cxd6 Rd7 3 Nc5 Qf5 4 g4 winning the queen or the d7 rook.
11595 1 Ng7+! Bxg7 2 g4+! when if fxg4 3 Qh2 mate or Kh4 3 Qg3 mate or (the longest line) Kxg4 3 Bd1+ Bf3 4 Bxf3+ Kh4 5 Qg3 mate.

Garry Kasparov v Fabiano Caruana, Champions Showdown speed match, Saint Louis 2019. Kasparov overstepped the time limit a move before he could have reached this endgame position as White (to move). World No2 Caruana thought Black would still have drawn, but later found a subtle white winner in the diagram. Can you do as well?

Magnus Carlsen v Ding Liren, blitz tie-break, Sinquefield Cup 2019. Today’s puzzle shows the final moment of the five-minute tie-break which gave China’s then world No3 victory over the world champion. It was Carlsen’s first defeat in any tie-break for 12 years. Ding (Black, to move) is threatened with Qf8 checkmate. How did he turn the tables?

White mates in three moves (by Philip Williams). This problemist is unknown today, but in his lifetime a century ago he had a large following who enjoyed his offbeat creations. This 1906 puzzle has a striking piece arrangement. The middle 6x6 squares are empty, and both armies congregate in the four corners. White is ahead queen and rook for just a pawn, yet needs care because the obvious choices 1 Rxh2?? and 1 Qc7?? both give a stalemate draw. White can instead force checkmate in three moves, and there is only a single line of play. Can you work it out?

Fabiano Caruana v Garry Kasparov, Champions Showdown, Saint Louis 2019. It was a cameo reappearance by Kasparov, regarded by many as the all-time No1. He retired from competitive play in 2005, but the billionaire Rex Sinquefield persuaded him to take on the current world No2 in a speed event with random starting positions. Kasparov lost by a 19-7 margin, but this flattered Caruana as the 56-year-old, who blamed his defeat on advancing years, had several winning positions which he spoilt by blunders or poor clock management.

Here Kasparov (Black, to move) has a winning position by 1... Re3 2 b3 Qb6 3 Qa4 Bb4 followed by Rxe4 when the bishop and three pawns will beat the rook. Instead Black went 1...Bxb2. What was Kasparov’s idea, and why does it fail?

White mates in two moves, against any defence. It is rare for a high quality composed problem to be created by an active grandmaster, but today’s puzzle has been widely praised by solvers. GM Stuart Conquest, the Gibraltar Open director, devised this diagram where all the action seems to be in the bottom half of the board, although this is deceptive. Can you find the grandmaster’s hidden solution?

11594 1 Bd8! (threat 2 e7+) Re3 2 Bf6! and a white pawn queens.​
11593 1...Ne7! stops White’s Qf8 and threatens Rh1 mate. If then 2 f3 Bxf3 3 Bg1 then Rc2+ wins another piece with an overwhelming material advantage for Black.
11592 1 Kb2! a1=Q+ 2 Rxa1 h1=Q 3 Qxh1 mate.
11591 1...Bxb2?? 2 Qxb2?? Rb3 wins, but Caruana played 2 Rc5! Qb4 3 Rxa5+ Kb6 4 Ra4 Qb3 5 Qxb2 and Kasparov resigned.
11590 1 Rh8! If exh1=Q 2 Rc8 mate. If d2 2 Qh7 mate. If Bxb4 2 Nxb4 mate. If Ne5 2 Ne3 mate.

Bu Xiangzhi v Gawain Jones, International Mind Sports Association games, Hendchui 2019. How did the English grandmaster (Black, to move) defeat an opponent with three victories to his credit against world champion Magnus Carlsen?

Magnus Carlsen v Richard Rapport, Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2019. Norway’s world champion (White, to move) massed his queen and rooks on the g and h files, seeking a decisive break-through. Can you find Carlsen’s next two turns, which forced Black to resign?

Not just a game starting position, but Presto Chess. What’s that? The rules are simple. Whoever checks first wins the game. Too bad that it’s a forced victory for White with best play. A white check can take only three moves, and it’s five moves with optimum defence for Black. Can you (a) spot the winning move (not difficult) and (b) work out Black’s optimum defence to stretch the game to a full five moves (harder)?

Anish Giri v Dmitry Andreikin, Tata Steel Wijk 2017. White (to move) is a pawn down, while material is much reduced. On the other hand, the black king is in serious danger from White’s marauding queen and rook. Giri is a world top 10 grandmaster, but the Dutchman on home territory failed to take his chance, going 1 Rd2? for an eventual draw. Can you find a better plan?

Sergey Karjakin v Levon Aronian, Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2017. Grandmasters do not expect a winning tactic to suddenly occur in a routine opening, which helps to explain why a chance occurred and went begging in today’s puzzle. World title challenger Karjakin chose 1 d3-d4. Can you spot the far stronger move White missed?

11589 1 Nf3+! 2 gxf3 (if 2 Qxf3 Rxe1+ wins) Rg5+ 3 Kf1 Qh3+ 4 Ke2 Rg2 wins the queen, and Black easily converted the material gain.​
11588 1 Bxf6+! Rxf6 2 Rxh7+! and Black resigned. After Qxh7 3 Qxh7+ Kxh7 4 Nxf6+ and 5 Nxe8 White finishes decisive material ahead.
11587 1 Nc3! threatens 2 Ne4, 2 Nd5 or 2 Nb5 with a check next move. Black’s best resistance is 1...e6 2 Ne4! Ke7 3 Nf3 when if Qe8 4 Ne5 or Nc6 4 Nh4 with a check at move five.
11588 1 e5! dxe5 2 Qh8+ Ke7 3 Qxe5+ Kf8 4 Qh8+ Ke7 5 Re2+, when further rook and queen checks will mate or win the black queen.​
11585 1 c4! wins a piece after Nb4/e7 2 c5! Bxb3 3 Qxb3+ and 4 cxb6 or 1...Nf4 2 Bxf4 exf4 3 Rxe6. Black would have to try 1 c4 Bxf2+, but this is insufficient compensation for the lost bishop.

Keith Arkell v Graeme Buckley, Shropshire Open, Telford 2017. Tactical opportunities often occur when queens and rooks are roaming on an open board. Here Black (to move) stands worse because three of his pawns are threatened. Buckley chose Qc2? and eventually lost. How could Black have drawn?

Magnus Carlsen v Anish Giri, Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2017. Today’s puzzle features the worst missed opportunity of the world champion’s career, a simple opportunity to checkmate in three moves or win his Dutch opponent’s queen. Can you do better, and score the point for White (to move)?

Magnus Carlsen v Sergey Karjakin, world blitz championship, Doha 2016. The Norwegian legend is not only the world No1 at classical chess with slow time rates, he is also among the very best at fast speeds such as blitz, with five minutes to make all your moves. But speedy games bring more blunders, and Carlsen is not immune. Here as White he chose 1 e3. Why was this a disastrous mistake?

Ian Nepomniachtchi v Vishy Anand, Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2019. The position should be drawn if the white king can chase away the black knight. The choice is between 1 Kc5 and 1 Kc4. One move draws, the other loses. Which is which, and what happened when Russia’s No1 grandmaster Nepo made the wrong choice?

Magnus Carlsen v Levon Aronian, Grand Tour rapid, Saint Louis 2019. Tournament winner Aronian caught the world champion with "a cheapo" here. How did Black (to move) counter and turn the tables on White's threatened Ng6+ Kxh7 Nxe7+?

11584 1...Rxf2+! 2 Kxf2 Rxf4+! 3 exf4 Qf3+ 4 Kg1 Qg4+ is a forced draw by perpetual check. If White declines the second rook by 3 Kg2? then Black mates by 3...Qd2+4 Kh3 Rf3+ 5 Kh4 Qxh2+ 6 Kg5 Qg2+ 7 Kh5 Rh3 mate.​
11583 1 Rc8+ Kh7 (if Re8 2 Rxe8+ Qxe8 3 Bxe8 and White is a rook up) 2 Rf7+ Kh6 3 Rh8 mate.​
11582 1 e3?? Na5! forks queen and rook so wins decisive material.​
11581 1 Kc5! draws. Nepo chose 1 Kc4?? b5+! and resigned because his planned 2 a5xb6 en passant is defeated by Nxb6+ 3 K moves Rxa7 and wins.​
11580 1...Rxf4! 2 Ng6+ Kxh7 3 Nxe7+ Re4+! when if 4 Kf1 Re8 traps and wins the knight after which Black’s rook, bishop and knight will defeat White’s queen. The game went 4 Qxe4+ dxe4 5 Nxc8 Bxc8 and Aronian’s bishop and knight easily defeated Carlsen’s rook.

Conor Murphy v Conor O’Donnell, Irish championship, Dublin 2019. Murphy, 20, a Cambridge University mathematics student, scored his second major success in under twelve months following his earlier shared first prize at Hastings, but luck was very much on his side in the diagram. Black (to play) has a decisive attack with queen and rooks down the open g and h files, and just has to choose between (a) Rfg7 and (b) Rh7. One move wins, but the other loses, and the unfortunate O’Donnell made the wrong selection. Can you do better?

Jonathan Rowson v Michael Franklin, St Peter’s de Beauvoir, London 1995. How did the veteran London master (Black, to move) defeat Scotland’s best ever grandmaster?

Nico Georgiadis v Sam Shankland, Biel 2019. The 2018 US champion sacrificed a knight, but his attacking rooks and advanced f3 pawn were more than enough compensation. How did Black (to play) force a rapid victory?

Fabiano Caruana v Jan-Kryzsztof Duda, Paris rapid 2019. A double oversight barely out of the opening is rare in grandmaster chess, but it occurred here when Black’s last move allowed world No2 Caruana a winning opportunity. However the American missed it by choosing 1 Qf4. Can you do better?

11579 1...Rfg7 wins as Rxg3 follows. The game went 1...Rh7?? 2 Bxe5+! dxe5 3 Rxg8+ Kxg8 4 Rxd8+ Kg7 5 Qxe5+ and wins.​
11578 1...Qxh3+! 2 Bxh3 Rg1 mate.​
11577 1...f2 2 Rf1 Ra1! and White resigned. If 3 Rxa1 Re1+ 4 Kg2 f1=Q+ wins. If 3 Kg2 Rg4+ 4 Kxf2 Rf4+ 5 Ke3 Rfxf1 wins.​
11576 1 Nxf7! If Bxf7 2 Rxe7 Rxe7 3 Qg5! If 1...Bxg4 2 Nxd6 Bxd6 3 Qg5, and in both variations the extra threat of Qxg7 mate ensures White a clear material advantage.

Vishy Anand v Ian Nepomniachtchi, Paris rapid 2019. A puzzle with a difference, showing an opening principle to remember which could help one of your own future games. This is a normal type of Najdorf Sicilian, where White plans to utilise the d5 square while Black seeks active counterplay. Almost all pieces on both sides are developed, so the natural piece for White to move is his f1 rook. But what is the optimum square for this rook, and why? The answer originally comes from high-class thinking by the former world champion Anatoly Karpov and his aide Ewfim Geller.

Jan Kryzsztof Duda v Shak Mamedyarov, Fide Grand Prix, Riga 2019. The Azeri grandmaster (Black, to play) won this important competition, part of a series to decide world champion Magnus Carlsen’s next challenger, but missed the best move in today’s puzzle. Can you do better? Merry Christmas to all Standard chess solvers.

Jeffery Xiong v Parham Maghsoodloo, chess.com junior speed championship 2018. Two of the brightest teenage talents from the US and Iran met online in a variety of speed disciplines from blitz to bullet. The American won, but only after his opponent experienced connection difficulties at a critical moment. In this puzzle from the match, Black’s queen is threatened with capture. What should he play?

Solutions

11575 1 Rfc1! Not the obvious 1 Rfd1. The point is that White’s strategy is to play Nd5, when the c1 rook prevents Qxc2, and also supports a follow up with c4, b4, c5 and beyond. A simple concept, easy to remember, and of real practical value.​
11574 1...Rxd1! 2 Raxd1 Bxf3+ 3 Kg3 Bxd1 4 Rxd1 e4! planning Qf3+ and Bd6+ ends it.​
11573 1...Nb6! wins for Black as 2 Rxf8 Rxb7 is followed by e4 and Nc4 when the d3 pawn is a winning asset. In the game White tried 1 Qxb6 Qxa8 but the d pawn still soon advanced.

Daniel Alsina Leal v Koby Kalavannan, Yorkshire v Surrey, counties final 2019. Yorkshire retained their title 11-5 with the help of today's top board puzzle, where White's queen and knight are both en prise, and the obvious 1 Rxc6?? fails to exf3+. How did White (to play) demonstrate a win?

Anish Giri v Magnus Carlsen, Zagreb 2019. The world champion’s impressive victory in Croatia began in the very first round when he overwhelmed his Dutch opponent in 23 moves.

A striking feature was that the black queen made just one move in the entire game, from d8 to a8, from where it acted as a general directing the attack on the other flank by Black’s rook, knight and h and g pawns. Can you spot Black’s winning move?

Ian Nepomniachtchi v Magnus Carlsen, Zagreb 2019. Norway’s world champion won the super-strong tournament in Croatia and advanced his overall rating to within a few points of his all-time record set in 2014. On the way Carlsen defeated Nepo, Russia’s No1 and world No4, for the very first time in classical chess after four previous defeats. Today’s puzzle diagram shows the final stage of Carlsen’s attack. Can you find Black’s winning move (easy) and its consequences (a little harder)?

Anish Giri v Shak Mamedyarov, Zagreb 2018. World champion Magnus Carlsen dominated the tournament, one of the strongest in chess history, and his colleagues had to settle for tactical flashes like today’s puzzle where material is level but Black’s king is decidedly unsafe. How did White (to move) take advantage?

Nikita Vitiugov v Pentala Harikrishna, Prague 2019. Black is already two pawns down with a poor position and struggling to survive, and White (to move) now unleashed a coup de grace which induced resignation. Can you work out White’s winner, and explain why Black surrendered?

11572 1 Rxg7+! Kxg7 2 Ra7+ Kg8 3 Qh5! with the winning double threat Qxh7 mate and Qxg5+. If Black tries 2...Qc7 then 3 Rxc7+ Rxc7 4 Qg4 and White emerges a piece ahead.
11571: 1...h3! and White resigned. If 2 Ng3 g4! or 2 gxh3 Qxf3 in both cases with decisive threats to White’s g2.
11570 1...Qh4+ 2 Ke2 Qh2+ 3 Rf2 (if 3 Ke1 g3-g2 wins a rook) gxf3+ and White resigned since he loses a rook after 4 Ke1 Qg1+ or 4 Kxf3 Qxh5+.
11569 1 Rxa6! and if bxa6 2 Qc6+ Kd8 3 Bg5+ wins. Black tried 1...Rb8 but 2 Ra7 Be4 5 Qf7+ Be7 6 Qc4 left him a pawn down with his king wide open, and he soon resigned.
11568 1 Ne6+! and if fxe6 2 Rf4+ Kg8 3 Qxe6+ Kh8 4 Rf7 and White emerges at least three pawns ahead.

Pentala Harikrishna v Jan-Kryzsztof Duda, Prague 2019. World top 30 players from India and Poland met, and the elite grandmaster from Chennai (White, to play) found a slick winning move to gain material. Can you work it out?

This is a variation from the game Ray Robson v Hikaru Nakamura, US championship, Saint Louis 2019. Robson avoided the position, which if it had occurred would have given Nakamura (Black, to play) the opportunity for a sacrificial brilliancy. Can you work out Black’s winning move?

Gata Kamsky v Judit Polgar, Buenos Aires 1994. It looked all up here for Polgar, the only woman ever to hold her own against the top men, as White threatens instant checkmate by d8=Q or Qf8. Yet cool Polgar had foreseen this position several moves earlier and was ready with a coup of her own. What was Black’s winning move?

Vasiliy Korchmar v Dmitry Kokarev, Moscow Open 2019. White (to play) has allowed Black’s knights the run of the queen’s side and lined up his army against the black king. What was White’s winning move?

Changren Dai (China) v Lalith Babu (India), Aeroflot Moscow 2019. White (to move) has pressure despite level material, but Black’s defences look solid. Can you find White’s surprise coup which induced Black’s resignation?

11567 1 Qh4! (threat 2 Qd8 mate) Be7 2 Nxe7 Qxb6 3 Nxc8 Rxc8 4 Qxf4 wins a piece.
11566 1...Bxb3! If (a) 2 axb3 a2+! 3 Kxa2 Ra6+ 4 Kb1 Ra1 mate. (b) 2 cxb3 Rc1+! 3 Nxc1 Qa1+! 4 Kxa1 Rxc1 mate.
11565 1...h5! 2 Qf8+ Kh7 and Kamsky overstepped the time limit. There is no satisfactory defence to the threats of Qxh1 mate or Qf1+, mating.
11564 1 Rd8! Qxd8 2 Ng6+! hxg6 3 Qh4 mate.
11563 1 Be8+! Resigns. If Kxe8 2 Rxe6+ wins. If Rxe8 2 Qxd6 wins. If Ke7 2 Bc5! wins. If K elsewhere 2 Rxe6 wins.

Aryan Tari v Daniel Sadzikowski, Gibraltar 2019. Playing against Norway’s junior world champion, Black (to move) found his pieces in a tangle. He chose 1...Rc1+ and was ground down to defeat in another 30-odd moves. Yet there was a resource for Black in the puzzle diagram which would have completely turned the tables. Can you find it?

Boris Gelfand v Sam Shankland, Prague 2019. How did the Israeli veteran (White, to move) defeat the 2018 US champion?

Wesley So v Timur Gareyev, US championship 2019. Material is level in this rook ending, but So (White, to move) spotted a clever winning tactic. Can you do as well? For full solution credit, you need to foresee several moves ahead.

Anton Demchenko v Dammaraju Gukesh, Ho Chi Minh City 2019. Gukesh, 13, is the second-youngest grandmaster in chess history, but he got lucky here when his opponent (White, to move and in check) chose the wrong king move. Can you work out which king move is the loser, and what happened when White played it?

William Lombardy v Samuel Reshevsky, third match game 1956. Reshevsky was a child prodigy who became a seven-time US champion and a rival to the legendary Bobby Fischer. He was unbeaten in one to one match play until nearing age 60, though he had some narrow escapes. Here Lombardy (White, to move) settled for 1 Nxc4 and a speedy draw. Can you do better?

11562 1...Ne4! If 2 Qxd7 Rc1+ 3 Be1 Rxe1 mate. If 2 Qf5+ Kg8 3 Qxe4 Rxe6 and Black is rook for bishop ahead with the white king exposed.​
11561 1 Bc6+! and Black loses decisive material.​
11560 1 Rxg7 Rxh5 2 Rd7+! Kxd7 3 g7 Rh3+ 4 Kf2 Rh4! (hoping to capture White's last pawn with check after which a win would be difficult) 5 Kg3 Rh1 6 Kg2! (avoiding the trap 6 g8=Q?? Rg1+ and Rxg8) followed by 7 g8=Q and White won with queen against rook.
11559 1 Kh3? b1=Q 2 e8=Q Qxf5+! 3 Kh2 (if 3 Rxf5 Qh1 mate) Qc2+ 4 Kh3 either Qg2 mate.​
11558 1 Rc6! and if bxc6 2 b6 and queens or 1...Rxc6 2 bxc6 bxc6 3 Nxc4 wins.