1/8/2019 – “The best things in life are free.” This puzzle came to us by way of Joaquim Crusats of the Spanish Society of Chess Problemists (SEPA). It's a problem that, unlike money itself, you really can take with you. Perhaps you'd like to print it out and bring it with you to your next chess club meeting? We tweeted this out last week, but now present the solution.

1/2/2019 – On Christmas day we published an article by Frederic Friedel, describing the process of composing a chess problem. It was based on his own effort to generate a proper helpmate back in 2002. A number of readers followed his invitation and send in amateur compositions themselves. We also received feedback from a remarkable personality: Noam Elkies is a professor of mathematics, a musician and music composer, chess master and problemist. He explained how to use an online problem database to assist in such tasks. We share his instructions with our readers.

12/31/2018 – It is another entertaining type of chess problems. The point of retro is you must consider the moves that led up to the given position. They are often quite difficult to guess – you have to think out of the box. We are not going to slay our doubtlessly inexperienced readers with complex retrograde analysis, but instead show you a number of fairly simple examples, some of which will still have you frowning in puzzlement. One thing for sure: they are all very entertaining.

10/20/2018 – A full century after the Doomsday Worm had erased all the world’s electronic records, British scientists discovered, excarvations in the suburbs of Hamburg, Germany, evidence of the existence of a game that was popular in the 20th century, and of the existence of a legendary champion of the game. We have a transcript of a lecture held in Oxford in 2147 by Prof. Eduard Sommer, which we quote in this spoof article by John Nunn. It also contains two remarkable puzzles.

9/17/2018 – Live and free to watch at 18:00 CEST (16:00 UT, Noon EDT) In this Simon Says I show you a number of fascinating puzzles, which I hope, you are able to solve! Good Luck!

9/8/2018 – Recently we did an article on Retro Chess, purely for entertainment. Amongst the many letters we received, one was particularly gratifying. "I was very pleased to read the article — simply entertaining, because I have been occupied with the subject for 50 years." It was from the former Mayor of the town of Meisenheim, located near Frankfurt, Germany. His letter and subsequent gift were quite invaluable. We will tell you why.

7/15/2018 – Today, July 15th, Pal Benko turns 90. As the progenitor of the Benko Gambit, chess theory will always remember him, but he also had an interesting life. He was a ladies man, spent a year and a half in a Soviet prison camp, fled from Hungary to the US, played in two Candidates tournaments, and is a renowned composer of endgame studies and problems. FRANK ZELLER offers more details. | Photo: (left) F.N. Broers / Anefo [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons | (right) Diana Mihajlova

6/13/2018 – Here's another opportunity to sharpen your tactical skills: twelve positions taken from recent tournaments, for you to solve. As a special service, the diagram boards allow you not only to move the pieces around to analyse — there is also an embedded engine that will actually play the positions against you! That means you can work things out directly on the diagrams in the browser. Plus: you can get products from Chess & Bridge at a discount price!

6/4/2018 – In this Simon Says, the Ginger GM sporting a new haircut, it seems, presents some of his favourite positions from chess studies that could (or did) occur in real games! Amazing moves, positions and games to help you in your chess training. | Photo: Alina l'Ami

5/28/2018 – In this Simon Says we look at ten different examples from games, or studies and asks you to take a stab at solving them. Simon then looks at the themes and breaks down the examples! | Photo: Alina l'Ami

5/26/2018 – As the column is always changing, reader feedback was received that April’s historical examination was too long and the column should concentrate on studies more, which of course has been the heart of this column. Therefore the next issue will be more condensed again. In May and probably July SIEGFRIED HORNECKER concentrates on selected non-fiction (May) and fiction (July) literature about chess. This month focuses on Josef Kling and Bernhard Horwitz.

5/7/2018 – In this Simon Says, Simon Williams takes a look at some of the most amazing moves of all time. Come and join the show for lots of entertaining chess! Watch now from the archive. | Photo: Alina l'Ami

4/30/2018 – In this Simon Says, Simon Williams will be taking a look at some of the most amazing moves of all time. Come and join the show for lots of entertaining chess! Watch live from 18:00 CEST (12 Noon EDT). Puzzles, free sample and information inside... | Photo: Alina l'Ami

4/28/2018 – Chess is a wide field with many interconnections, and while preparing this month’s article about pawn endgame composer Nikolay Grigoriev, study expert and historian SIEGFRIED HORNECKER learned about a nearly forgotten chess organizer from the early Soviet Union, Valerian Eremeev. But also Alekhine’s five queen game might have influenced Grigoriev.

3/24/2018 – Mate in 2 — It's not easy to see at first how White can checkmate in two moves. If White could give a check on g7, then 1.Bg7+ Ke7 2.Nc6 mate is reminiscent of a famous opening trap in the Russian (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4!? 4.Qe2 Nf6?? 5.Nc6+). Of course in the problem, the king just could take on g7. This is but one of nine problems you will encounter in this look at the life of the three Kubbel brothers, from study expert and historian Siegfried Hornecker.

3/22/2018 – Chesthetica, an automatic chess problem composer, has been capable of composing all sorts of puzzles using the Digital Synaptic Neural Substrate (DSNS) computational creativity approach for some years now. I feel compelled to remind readers that this new approach has nothing to do with machine learning or artificial neural networks. Creativity is typically not something that can be ‘taught’ or ‘learned’. It also has nothing at all to do with ‘deep learning’. | Graphics: Sample additional Deviant Art images used in the DSNS composing approach

3/19/2018 – Test your tactical ability with these positions grouped in rough order of difficulty. The games come from various recent events: Gibraltar, Moscow, Riyadh, etc.. Don’t forget that whilst sometimes the key move will force mate or the win of material, other times it will just win a pawn. Take your time analysing the positions, on our news page, assisted by a JavaScript chess engine.

1/25/2018 – Every year Pal Benko, grandmaster, former World Championship candidate, and one of the best problem composers in the world, sends our readers very special seasonal greetings. They come in the form of chess problems in which the pieces represent figures — this time a Christmas tree and candles. This year it was seven problems, one shaped like a tree and six like candles. Here the solutions — and some new and amusing problems to tickle your mind. | Photo of Benko: Diana Mihailova

1/24/2018 – Johannes Zukertort (1842-1888) was a student of Adolf Anderssen and one of the world's best players of his time. In 1886 he played a match against Wilhelm Steinitz which was the first official World Championship match in chess history. Zukertort was also a prolific chess publisher. Stephan Oliver Platz presents an amusing chess problem by Zukertort.

1/15/2018 – In this Simon Says Simon Williams takes a look at amusing chess problems! Watch live from 18:00 CET (12 Noon EDT). Puzzles, free sample and information inside the article. | Photo: Alina L'Ami

12/25/2017 – Every year Pal Benko, grandmaster, former World Championship candidate, and one of the best problem composers in the world, sends our readers very special seasonal greetings. They come in the form of chess problems in which the pieces represent figures – this time a Christmas tree and candles. It is the start of our Christmas puzzle week, which we bring you for the eighteenth year in succession. Prepare for puzzles that cannot be easily solved with a computer, tasks which require you to think all by yourself. And a nostalgic look to the past.

12/17/2017 – Last week we gave you some interesting problems to solve, today we bring you the solutions thereof. And some logical puzzles, which the veteran Super-GM gave us during spectacular walks along the cliffs of Cornwall. For some we need mathematical assistance and invite our readers to provide this. Finally a selection of prize-winning compositions, published over the years, by John Nunn himself. If you do participate there is a a very nice personal prize to win. | Photo: Frederic Friedel

9/25/2017 – In his report on the Problem Solving event in Dresden, Germany, John Nunn gave you eight problems to solve. A few days ago he showed you of the first four. Today the last four are explained, in John's inimitable style. Play through the solutions and read his comments — this will give you a unique insight into the entertaining and challenging field of chess problems. | Photo: Franziska Iseli

9/24/2017 – This Problem Solving event took place in Dresden, Germany, in early August. We reported extensively on it and gave you eight problems from the Championship to solve. Not an easy task, as most of them required some experience in this entertaining and challenging field. Today we give you the solutions of the first four problems, wonderfully annotated by top problem solver Dr John Nunn. The remaining four solutions will follow later this week. Learn and enjoy! | Photo: Franziska Iseli