Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Two Puzzles Today

1. What does the Streatham and Brixton Chess Club blog have in common with: actor Owen Wilson, footballer Luke Chadwick, singer Kim Wilde, feminist Margaret Atwood and cartoon rodent Mickey Mouse?

2. White to play, and win.


As a clue for the first puzzle, you'll note we've set two puzzles - not more, not less. And, we've set them today - not yesterday, not tomorrow, not any other day . . .

Now, surely you don't need a clue for the second puzzle?!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re1) Happy birthday!

Re2) Qc8? Threatens Be7+ and prevents Qe6+. Not sure what happens after Kg8 (gxh7+, Kh8) though.


Carsten

Tom Chivers said...

Thanks! You have the correct first move btw.

Jack Rudd said...

Ah, I think I've seen this one before. 1.Qc8 Kg8 2.Bc7 (not 2.Bb6? Qxc8 3.gxf7+ Kf8, nor 2.Ba5? Qxc8 3.gxf7+ Kh8) Qxc8 3.gxf7+ Kh8 (3...Kf8 4.Bd6#) 4.Be5, and black has no way to prevent a lethal discovered check.

ejh said...

.....nor indeed 2.gxh7+ whidh was my suggestion to Tom but which fails to 2...Kh8.

Anonymous said...

This is all very good, but what about the couch potato question?

Tom Chivers said...

Hi Jack. That's part of the solution, yes. But after 4...Qc5 there are more moves to find...

Couch potato question will be shortly answered on the original post!

Anonymous said...

I think after 4...Qc5 White continues 5.Ba1 Nc7 6.Bb2 a5 7.Ba1 a4 8.Bb2 a3 9.Ba1 a2 10.Bb2 a1(Q) 11.Bxa1

Then Black is in zugzwang as the Queen needs to keep an eye on e7 and the 5th rank, the Knight has to cover e6 and the pawn needs to stay where it is to prevent Kg6.