 Christmas Tree puzzles by John B. Henderson
 'Twas the Newsletter before Christmas, when all through the ICC not a channel was stirring, not even a mouse-click could be heard. The bots were waiting with care, in the hope that some members would be there...
Well, with apologies to Clement C. Moore at this time of the year, but we thought we should have some seasonal holiday fun on the theme of Christmas Tree puzzles – and if you observe the layout of the pieces in the three diagrams below, you soon see the reason why they are called Christmas Tree puzzles.
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Pal Benko - Chess Life, 1975 |
Our first offering was composed by the legendary Pal Benko, who crossed swords in the past with greats such as Fischer, Smyslov, Petrosian, Spassky, Tal and Geller.
Apart from his over-the-board exploits, the one-time "King of the Swisses" in the United States also went on to gain a worldwide reputation as a prolific problem and endgame study composer.
His Christmas Tree puzzle (White to mate in two) was first published in 1975 in Chess Life. |
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Pentti Sola - 1934/5 |
Our next puzzle is a helpmate-theme, where White plays first and helps Black to mate in two moves – and what a wonderful, artistic pure mate it is!
This delightful Christmas Tree puzzle was composed by the Finn, Pentti Sola, winning 1st prize in the Pauly Memorial Tourney of 1934/5. He died aged 32 at the start of World War II – but by then he had already composed over 600 problems! |
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TRD - Falkirk Herald, 1914 |
Our final offering is the most difficult and famous of the genre; created by a truly excellent and prodigious composer, Thomas Rayner Dawson – known in chess problem circles as ‘TRD’ – who was rightly crowned the “Oberon of Fairy Chess”. This is widely believed to be the first-ever Christmas Tree-themed compositions (albeit an inverted one), and was first published in Scotland in The Falkirk Herald, 1914.
This one is White to play and mate in two…but hold on, I hear you all giving me a “tell”, at first sight there appears to be no solution as the knights can’t possibly check in two let alone deliver mate. However, the solution is both easy and difficult at the same time. We have to start thinking retrograde here, and Black can therefore only have played d7-d5 or f7-f5 as his last move, each allowing an en passant capture and mate next move. But a true puzzle has but only one true solution, so the conundrum Dawson had for us was which of the two is correct? |
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GM Vassily Ivanchuk wins the XIX Carlos Torre Memorial
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 The nineteenth edition of the International Carlos Torre Memorial took place from December 14th-22nd in the Mexican city of Yucatan.
Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk won the event by defeating Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon by 2.5-1.5 in the final. GM Vadim Milov, Switzerland’s number one, qualified first in the Swiss.
| NAME |
FED |
FIDE |
RES |
1 |
2 |
T1 |
T2 |
Sd |
| GM Ivanchuk, Vassily |
UKR |
2741 |
2.5 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
1 |
- |
| GM Bruzon, Lazaro |
CUB |
2648 |
1.5 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
0 |
- |
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The event was supported by several institutions, such as the State Association for Chess Players, Yucatans School for Chess Development and with the recognition of the International Chess Association.
The playing system was composed of a nine-round Swiss and a Wimbledon knockout. After six rounds of the Swiss, the 13 best players qualified to the knockout and were joined by 3 players invited by the organization: GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Lazaro Bruzon and GM Sergei Tiviakov.
 Related information
Carlos Torre Reppeto (1904-1978)
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Next to Paul Morphy, one of the most puzzling enigmas has to be Mexico’s greatest player Carlos Torre Repetto, whose career uncannily paralleled that of the American legend.
Torre, who was born in Merida in the Yucatan Province of Mexico in 1904, moved with his family to New Orleans in 1915 and became one of the strongest players not only in America but, in the mid-1920s, the world. He had a spectacularly short career of just over two years as a professional that ended in 1926, aged 22 – yet during that glorious spell, he left behind a legacy of brilliance at the board.
Playing against three dominant world champions of the day – Alekhine, Capablanca and Lasker – Torre had a plus score. Sadly though, after a series of impressive tournament results that made him talked of as a possible title challenger, he suffered a major nervous breakdown and never played again: retiring to Merida where he lived in obscurity right up to his death in 1978.
In his own opinion, the following was his best game: |
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Position after 11...f5? |
Torre Repetto, Carlos - Yates, Frank
Pirc Defence [B08] Marienbad (7), 1925
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Bc4 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Be3 Nxe4 8.Nxe4 d5 9.Bd3 dxe4 10.Bxe4 Qd6 11.c3 f5?
[Diagram]
12.Bxc6! bxc6 13.Re1 f4 14.Qb3+ Kh8 15.Bd2 Rf5? 16.Re4 g5 17.Rae1 Bf6 18.c4 a5 19.Bc3 Bd7 20.Ne5! Be8 21.Ng4 Bg6 22.Re6 Qd8 23.Rxc6 Rb8 24.Qa3! Bxd4 25.Rxe7 Rb4 26.Rcxc7 Kg8 27.Bxd4 Qxd4 28.Rc8+ 1-0 |
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Position after 24...Qb5 |
Torre Repetto, Carlos - Lasker, Emanuel
Torre Attack [A46] Moscow Moscow, 1925
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 The Torre Attack! 3...c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 Be7 6 Nbd2 d6 7 c3 Nbd7 8 Bd3 b6 9 Nc4 Bb7 10 Qe2 Qc7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Rfe1 Rfe8 13 Rad1 Nf8 14 Bc1 Nd5 15 Ng5 b5 16 Na3 b4 17 cxb4 Nxb4 18 Qh5 Bxg5 19 Bxg5 Nxd3 20 Rxd3 Qa5 21 b4 Qf5 22 Rg3 h6 23 Nc4 Qd5 24 Ne3 Qb5
[Diagram]
25 Bf6 Qxh5 26 Rxg7+ Kh8 27 Rxf7+ Kg8 28 Rg7+ Kh8 29 Rxb7+ Kg8 30 Rg7+ Kh8 31 Rg5+ Kh7 32 Rxh5 Kg6 33 Rh3 Kxf6 34 Rxh6+ Kg5 35 Rh3 Reb8 36 Rg3+ Kf6 37 Rf3+ Kg6 38 a3 a5 39 bxa5 Rxa5 40 Nc4 Rd5 41 Rf4 Nd7 42 Rxe6+ Kg5 43 g3 1-0
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![Tiviakov, S (2680) - Vera, R (2510) [B22]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12d/diag8.gif) |
Position after 25... Rxa3 |
Tiviakov, S (2680) - Vera, R (2510) [B22]
XIX Carlos Torre Mem KO Merida MEX (1.1) 2006.12.18
[Annotations by IM Rahal,M]
In the diagram the bishop on a1 is 'sleeping', but White can 'waken it up' with a timely sacrifice. 26.Rxd5! f5 [If 26...exd5 27.Nf5 g6 28.e6+ discovered check, wins the queen.] 27.exf6 Rxa1 28.Rxa1 [Even better was 28.Nf7+! Qxf7 ( 28...Kg8 29.Qxg7#) 29.fxg7+ Kg8 ( 29...Qxg7 30.Rd8+) 30.Rd8+ mating] 28...Nxd6 29.Qxg7+ 1-0 |
![Tiviakov, S (2680) - De la Paz, F (2442) [C64]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12d/diag9.gif) |
Position after 37... Qd5 |
Tiviakov, S (2680) - De la Paz, F (2442) [C64]
XIX Carlos Torre Mem KO Merida MEX (2.3) 2006.12.19
[Annotations by IM Rahal,M]
In this position White could exchange queens, but the endgame looks like a draw. Tiviakov prefers to sac a pawn, because in queen endings the important thing is not how many pawn you have, but how far along the file they are! 38.Qf6! cxb5 39.axb5 Qxb5 40.Qf8+ Kh5 41.Qf7 Kh6 42.d5 The pawn marches up the board! Black will look for a perpetual now. 42...Qd3 43.Qf8+ Kh5 44.d6 Qd2+ 45.Kf3 Qd1+ 46.Kg3 Qe1+ 47.Kf4! Qf2+ 48.Ke5 Another pawn goes, but will Black be able to stop the important d-pawn? 48...Qxe3+ 49.Kf6 Qd4+ 50.Ke7 Qe5+ 51.Kd8 b5 52.Qe7 Qh8+ 53.Kc7 Qc3+ 54.Kxb7 No more checks. White is winning. 54...b4 55.d7 Qd2 56.d8Q Qxg2+ 57.Kb8 Qg3+ 58.Qdd6 Qf3 59.Qxh7+ A good example by Dutch GM Sergei Tiviakov of the technique required for a solo queen ending. 1-0 |
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 Pan-American Chess Championships 2006
  The 2006 Pan-American Chess Championships will tale place in Washington, DC, December 27–30, hosted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
The Festival comprises three separate events: the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship (a 6-round team Swiss), the Pan-American Scholastic Team Championship (a 6-round Swiss), and the Pan-American Closed (a 6-round Swiss).
The Intercollegiate and Scholastic Team events are open to any university/college or scholastic team from North, South, or Central America. The Pan-Am will take place in the pleasant Renaissance Washington DC Hotel, starting at 1pm.
Known as the “World Series of College Chess,” the Pan-Am Intercollegiate is the foremost college chess championship in the Americas. There will be many class prizes for teams of all levels. ICC is one of the main Sponsors-Partners of the tournament. More information on the official website
For more information, visit the ICC LIVE COVERAGE page and the Chess Club of the University of Maryland. Also, Monroi website will have live coverage of the event.
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 ICC Team 45 45 League # 32 Sign-Ups!
  TEAM ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR TOURNAMENT #32! Get in on the serious action and the team camaraderie. Team Entries will be accepted Dec 17 - Jan 9. Play begins Jan 16, and runs through Mar 11 (Mar 27 if your team makes the playoffs).
FIVE SECTIONS! The League provides team format competitive play for ICC members of all levels, with sections for team averages of Under 2200, Under 2000, Under 1800, Under 1600, and even for Under 1300! The League provides great competition, in a team atmosphere, for the high rated and for the beginner alike!
SIGN UP NOW! Read the Quick Guide and fill out a profile. Please sign up only if you are available to play for the six weeks plus playoffs.
PRIZES! The ICC donates one-month membership extensions to the winning team in each section.
You have more information at Tournament League's ICC Group page and instructions in the the Quick Guide.
!Existe también una introducción a la Liga por Equipos 45 45 de ICC en español!
Please, sign up only if you are available to play for the six weeks plus playoffs. |
Game annotated by IM Michael
Rahal
  Michael Anthony Rahal is an English International
Master, currently living in Spain. He works for
the CET Spanish Chess company and his tasks include
being Assistant Manager of the Chess Magazines "Peón
de Rey" (King's Pawn) "Todo
Teoría" (All on Theory).
Zapata, A (2470) - Bruzon, L (2648) [C84]
XIX Torre Mem KO Merida MEX (1.1) 2006.12.18
This game is from the XIX Carlos Torre Memorial, recently concluded in Mexico. It is an excellent example of a well-played middle-game with queens on the board, in which the opposite colored bishops play an important role.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 a6 6.Ba4 Be7 7.Re1 The opening has transposed into the Center Gambit of the Ruy Lopez; while there are some pitfalls, it is not a specially dangerous variation as long as Black knows what he is doing. 7...b5 [Alternatively 7...0-0 8.e5 Ne8 9.c3! dxc3 10.Nxc3 is a very interesting gambit for White.] 8.Bb3 d6 9.Bd5 Nxd5 [Slightly worse is 9...Bb7 10.Nxd4 Nxd5 11.Nxc6! Bxc6 12.exd5 Bb7 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bf4 ( 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qh5+ forces a draw) 14...0-0 15.Nc3 with a small advantage for White, because of the weak e6 square and bad e7 bishop.] 10.exd5 Ne5 11.Nxd4 0-0
![Zapata, A (2470) - Bruzon, L (2648) [C84] d1](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12d/diag5.gif)
This position has been seen in several games, including one of my own against Bulgarian GM Atanas Kolev. Black is more or less OK, although with nearly all the pieces on the board there is everything to play for. 12.a4 [Another possibility is 12.Bf4 Bb7 13.Ne2 Nc4 14.Nbc3 Bf6 15.Rb1 Re8 16.Qd3 Bxc3 17.Nxc3 Qf6 18.Bd2 Qg6 19.Qxg6 hxg6-/+ and Black will soon win the d5 pawn. 0-1 Fressinet,L-Kramnik,V/Paris 2002] 12...Bg4! 13.f3 Bd7 14.Nc3 b4 15.Ne4 Re8 Black is doing well. His bishops are just waiting for the position to be opened up and the knight on e5 is well centralized.
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16.b3 Bh4! Provoking new weaknesses in White's castled king position. 17.g3 f5! 18.Nf2 Bf6 19.Bb2 Qb8 In some variations, the queen may be heading for the g1-a7 diagonal. 20.f4 Ng4 21.Rxe8+ Qxe8 22.Nxg4 fxg4 23.Qd3 Qf7 24.Qc4 Re8 25.Rd1 [25.Qxc7 Bad is 25...Qxd5-+] 25...Re7 26.Ba1
![Zapata, A (2470) - Bruzon, L (2648) [C84] d2](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12d/diag6.gif)
26...Bxd4+! Pay attention to this move! Bruzon exchanges the strong d4 knight for his strong bishop, but we must look at the pieces that REMAIN on the board. Black's light-squared bishop will create havoc in White's position combined with his e-file domination. When attacking, the player with opposite colored bishops has the advantage. 27.Bxd4 Bf5 28.a5 h5 29.Bf2 Qe8! 30.Qxb4 Bxc2 31.Rc1 Bd3 32.Qc3 Bb5 The exchange of pawns has been good for Black: his bishop has ended up on a better diagonal and his major pieces can now penetrate into White's position. 33.Re1 Re2 34.Rxe2 Qxe2 35.Qe1 White is clearly on the defensive now. 35...Qd3 Obviously the Cuban star doesn't exchange queen's! The d5 pawn is about to fall, and then the bishop and queen on the h1-a8 diagonal will result in a quick mate. White sacrifices some pawns to open up Black's king and try for a perpetual, but to no avail. 36.f5 Kh7 37.f6 gxf6 38.h4 gxh3 39.Kh2 Qxd5 40.Kxh3 Bd7+ 41.Kh2 Bc6 42.Qf1
![Zapata, A (2470) - Bruzon, L (2648) [C84] d3](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12d/diag7.gif)
42...Qf3! Keeping up the pressure. 43.b4 Kg7 44.Qg1 Kf7 45.Bd4 Be4 46.Kh3 Ke6 47.Be3 Kd7 White resigned. The king goes to b5 and c4 and then Black can exchange queens with ...Qg4+ and ...h4. The ending is easily won. 0-1
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ICC
Quiz #2149
submitted by bilirubin
White mates in 2
To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2149
Then type: play trainingbot
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| ICC
Quiz #2483
submitted by CG-Quake
White mates in 3
To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2483
Then type: play trainingbot
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Pal Benko: My Life, games and Compositions - Pal Benko & Jeremy Silman
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An absolute monster of a book!
Printed in hardback and running to 668 pages as one of my colleagues pointed out "that's not a book, that's a weapon!" Indeed, this new title from Siles Press (the company that brought you How to Reassess Your Chess) is impressive. |
138 deeply annotated games, a survey of Benko's openings by John Watson, an interview with the man himself among others and 300 of Benko's chess compositions.
The beauty of this book is found in the little extras that abound throughout. Each of the thirteen chapters contain an introduction to events by Benko giving him ample opportunity to slip in previously unknown anecdotes about Fischer, Reshevsky, Larsen and many others. Photographs and mini biographies of Benko's contemporaries bring to light the characters described making it less like a collection of games and more like a documentary. There's also a massive survey of Benko's openings by John Watson showing the scope of Benko's theoretical contributions to the game. Split into two sections, 'Benko as White' and 'Benko as Black', and covering 131 pages this could have made a book all by itself.
 Price $45.00 - Buy
now!
Roman's Lab Chess DVDs Complete Series Videos 1-36
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Roman #1 thru #36 - 36 DVDs only $500!! - SAVE OVER $200.
GM Roman Dzindzichashvili is former two time U.S. Champion & Russian Champion and former Chess Coach & Trainer for World Champions Gary Kasparov & Anatoly Karpov. |
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Chess Workbook for Children - Todd Bardwick
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A fun, comprehensive workbook and instruction book for children (and adults!) who are new to chess or who are in the beginning stages of learning to play the royal game. Ten basic chess lessons and chess rules are presented in detail.
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Learning Chess the Easy Way - Chess for Absolute Beginners - Susan Polgar
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This DVD is by far the best ever made to teach absolute beginners how to play the world's greatest game.
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Oxford Companion to Chess - Hooper, Whyld
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Back in stock, this 1984 edition of a classic chess tome is now available for a limited time. The Oxford Companion to Chess embraces all branches of the game, including over-the-board play, correspondence and telegraph chess, problems, and the various unorthodox variants of the game. |
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1 Qc5!
1 Nxd4 Nxd5 2 Bxd5 Bxd4#
The white pawns must have captured 10 times, which accounts for all the missing black pieces. That means Black's last move cannot have been d7-d5, because in that case the Bc8 was captured on its starting square, and a pawn could not have done that. Therefore, Black's last move was f7-f5, and White mates with 1.gxf6 and 2.f7 mate!
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Solution to
ICC Quiz #2149
submitted by bilirubin
1. Nf5+! Kh4 (1... gxf5; 2. Qh4#) 2. Qh4#
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Solution to
ICC Quiz #2483
submitted by CG-Quake
1. Bxf7+! Kxf7; 2. Re7+ Kg8; 3. Qg7# (3. Rg7#)
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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All at the ICC!
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