Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (2)

Chess Explorations (2) – Solutions to positions 1-4

By Edward Winter

ONE:

White to move. ‘This position is about a century old. Can White win?’

A number of readers offered such combinative finishes as the following:

• 1 Qxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rh3+ Kg6 3 Ne7 mate;
• 1 Ne7+ Kh8 2 Qxh7+ Kxh7 3 Rh3 mate;
• 1 Nf6+ gxf6 2 gxf6+ Kh8 3 Qxh7+ Kxh7 4 Rh3 mate.

However, all such lines are impossible because of the pin on the a8-h1 diagonal.

Instead, there is the simple win of a piece by 1 Ne7+ Kh8 2 Qxb7, but does that lead to the simple win of the game? While preparing the prize quiz it occurred to us that after 2...Qe2 White is hardly home and dry. In view of the complexities, we submitted the position to Yasser Seirawan, who has kindly commented as follows:

The position was originally discussed in C.N.s 741 and 796 (see page 1 of Kings, Commoners and Knaves), being taken from an article on chess blindness by Josef Krejcik on page 14 of the March 1923 Wiener Schachzeitung. Krejcik stated that the position had occurred in a game played by him, as White, against a well-known grandmaster in 1907, and he gave more or less the same text on pages 16-17 of his book 13 Kinder Caïssens (Vienna, 1924).

A complication presented in C.N. 4888 is that on pages 189-191 of How to Play Chess Like a Champion (New York, 1956) Fred Reinfeld discussed a similar position:

Reinfeld stated that this position arose in ‘a game played by two Viennese amateurs many years ago’ and that Maróczy was a spectator. White could win a pawn with 1 Nxc3 bxc3 2 Qxb7 Rxb7 3 Rxc3 but, Reinfeld said, would have difficulty in winning and therefore had the idea 1 Ne7+ Kh8 2 Qxh7+ Kxh7 3 Rh3 mate. Then White realized that the rook was pinned, but at this point Maróczy exclaimed ‘Magnificent’. Consequently, White looked for a finesse and found 3 d5 Qc8 4 Rd4 g6 5 Bf6 g5 6 Rdd3 g4 7 Rd4 Ne4 8 Rxe4 Qf5 9 Rh3+ gxh3 10 Rh4+ Qh5 11 Rxh5 mate.

Reinfeld then wrote:

In C.N. 4898 Peter Anderberg (Harmstorf, Germany) noted that Reinfeld’s account was a summary of an article by Krejcik entitled ‘Ein einmaliger Partieschluß’ on page 179 of the 11/1953 Schach-Echo. Krejcik stated that he won the game from Jakob Bendiner in March 1907 and that Maróczy’s comment ‘magnificent!’ (‘prächtig’) was prompted by a problem of Pauly’s in the Deutsches Wochenschach. Page 212 of the 13/1953 Schach-Echo reported that several readers had noted the faster mate 5 Rh4+ Kg7 6 Bf6.

It has yet to be explained why Krecjik gave two different positions or why, on page 14 of the March 1923 Wiener Schachzeitung, he described his opponent as ‘a well-known grandmaster’.

TWO:

Black to move. ‘The preceding moves were Qg2-b7+ Kg7-h6, followed by the pawn capture Qb7xb6.’

Thornley v Griffith, London, 1903 was the caption on page 151 of The Basis of Combination in Chess by J. du Mont (London, 1938). Black unleashed 1…Na4, described by J. du Mont as ‘a problem move … which is of unusual beauty’ and ‘a startling and imaginative surprise’. The game ended 2 Ka2 Nxb6 3 Kxb1 Nd5 4 White resigns.

Almost all entrants gave the correct solution, and many commented on how attractive 1...Na4 is. The importance of the pawn on e6 (preventing 2 Qxf6) is also noteworthy.

The position was discussed in C.N.s 3334 and 3342 (see page 19 of Chess Facts and Fables). The full game-score has yet to be found.

THREE:

Black to move. ‘The question here is whether the white king is in, or can be drawn into, a mating net.’

C.N. 1857 (see page 83 of Chess Explorations) gave the game Schönmann v H. Heinicke, Hamburg, 1952, which culminated in the above position. Black announced mate in ten moves by 36…h6 37 Ke6 Nc8 38 Rc4 Rb3 39 Bg2 Kg7 40 Be4 Re7+ 41 Kf5 Rf3+ 42 Bxf3 e4 43 Rxe4 Rf7+ 44 Ke6 Kg6, followed by 45…Re7.

As reported in C.N. 2310, in answer to our query at the time about the announcement’s accuracy, Daren Dillinger suggested 37 Kg6 Rg7+ 38 Kxh6 Kf7 39 f4 Rg6+ 40 Kh5 Rxf4 41 Rb2 ‘with some advantage for White’, and we commented that consideration doubtless needed to be given to such lines as 39…exf4 40 Bd3 Rb3 41 h4. See pages 29-30 of A Chess Omnibus, which noted that the mate-in-ten claim appeared incorrect and gave, as an example of the intricate possibilities, the following analysis by Richard Forster: 36…h6 37 Kg6 Rg7+ 38 Kxh6 Nxd5 39 Rd1 (Black’s win after 39 Bd3 e4 takes longer but is still assured.) 39…Kf7 40 Bc4 Rg6+ 41 Kh7 Rb8 42 Bxd5+ Kf6 43 Bg8 Rd8 and mates.

And there lay the matter until it was put to readers in the quiz, and a considerable amount of detailed analysis was received. One entry particularly stood out for this question, and we quote two excerpts:

As regards the former (more challenging) line, the entrant wrote:

In conclusion, no forced mate has been established, but White is ultimately without any means of escape.

FOUR:

White to move. ‘An odds game gave rise to this position,
with two consultants manning the black forces. How long can they survive?’

This position arose in a queen’s knight odds game won by Samuel Rosenthal which was published on pages 239-241 of La Stratégie, 15 October 1869. White announced mate in four moves. In his annotations Rosenthal did not give the mating line, but it is exceptionally beautiful: 30 Rc5 and if 30…Bc7+ then 31 Rf4.

The game also appeared on pages 66-68 of Gossip’s Vest-Pocket Chess Manual, which identified the Black allies as ‘the late Duke of Brunswick and M. Fery d’Escands’. For the mate in four after Black’s 29th move Gossip gave an incorrect move (30 Bd2). 30 Rc5 is the only mate in four.

For the full score of this remarkable game, see our feature article on Rosenthal’s exhibitions, A Forgotten Showman.

The solutions to the remaining four positions will be given shortly, together with the names of the prize-winners.

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Edward Winter is the editor of Chess Notes, which was founded in January 1982 as "a forum for aficionados to discuss all matters relating to the Royal Pastime". Since then about 5,600 items have been published, and the series has resulted in four books by Winter: Chess Explorations (1996), Kings, Commoners and Knaves (1999), A Chess Omnibus (2003) and Chess Facts and Fables (2006). He is also the author of a monograph on Capablanca (1989).

Chess Notes is well known for its historical research, and anyone browsing in its archives will find a wealth of unknown games, accounts of historical mysteries, quotes and quips, and other material of every kind imaginable. Correspondents from around the world contribute items, and they include not only "ordinary readers" but also some eminent historians – and, indeed, some eminent masters. Chess Notes is located at the Chess History Center. Signed copies of Edward Winter's publications are currently available.