Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
CHESS Magazine was established in 1935 by B.H. Wood who ran it for over fifty years. It is published each month by the London Chess Centre and is edited by IM Richard Palliser and Matt Read. The Executive Editor is Malcolm Pein, who organises the London Chess Classic.
CHESS is mailed to subscribers in over 50 countries. You can subscribe from Europe and Asia at a specially discounted rate for first timers here, or from North America here.
These new puzzles were selected and annotated by Graham Phythian, who is a member, librarian and publicity officer of the Chorlton Chess Club, Manchester.
We want you to try and solve these puzzles. As you know you can move the pieces on the diagrams to analyse. In problems 2, 5 and 6 we have enabled the engine, so the diagram will actually defend for Black.
If you want to use the help of an engine in the other puzzles you can proceed to the replay app at the bottom of the page, where you analyse at will. Have fun with these unusual and entertaining problems!
Some readers may recognise the position. But, hey, there's nothing wrong with erudition...
The black king is surrounded, but make sure he doesn’t slip through the net.
Circus Time! Black has his full force in the field, while White has but a scattered skeleton crew. Those knights look quite frisky though...
White to play and – win!
In a tale chock with incident, that fearsome phalanx of pawns deceptively morphs into the walls of a prison cell. --- 1 Qxd5? is inconclusive. White, to play, has a better, if more labyrinthine, line. Indeed, it's White to play and win.
The Waiting Game. Here is a study in delayed gratification...with a surprise at the end! --- White to play and win.
As Pink Floyd almost sang: "Hey! Quizzer! Leave those pawns alone!" --- White is to play and mate Black in eight moves, but without taking a single black pawn! (Hint: all White's moves are checks.)
If you want to experiment with the problems with a chess engine providing countermoves (or advising you on possible continuations) you can make use of our JavaScript replayer. Click on the fan symbol below the board to start the engine.
The full solutions will be published in a week.
Buy Mega Database 2022 from The London Chess Centre
RRP £169.95 SUBSCRIBERS £152.95
The latest edition of the ‘Megabase’ from ChessBase sees their Rolls Royce of chess databases now contain over nine million games, of which over 100,000 are annotated. The Player Encyclopaedia features over 600,000 entries and purchasers also receive a downloadable weekly update throughout 2022. Do note that it’s also possible to upgrade from an earlier version of a Mega Database for £109.95 (Subscribers – £98.95), by notifying Chess & Bridge of your older program key or by returning the DVD itself. Those who like their large database, but don’t feel the need for any annotations, should note that the ‘Bigbase’ is also still an annual production, Big Database 2022 being available too from Chess & Bridge, retailing at £64.95 or £58.45 for Subscribers.
As it’s that time of year, don’t be surprised either to see the arrival of CORR Database 2022, featuring over two million games while retailing at £169.95 (Subscribers – £152.95), or that of Fritz Powerbook 2022, which is based on 25 million positions taken from 1.7 million high-class games and which retails at £64.95 or £58.45 for Subscribers.
Order from the London Chess Centre – log in to get special prices.
