Week 51

Puzzle of the Week

The 6th Congress Grand Chess Tournament. This tournament was held in New York in 1889 and was one of the longest tournaments in history. The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin and Max Weiss. Both finished with a score of 29, but Chigorin defeated Weiss in their individual game.

A game was played between Joseph Henry Blackburne and James Moore Hanham. Hanham, playing Black, used his eponymous variation to defeat Blackburne.

Hanham is remembered today for several innovations in the opening, particularly the Hanham Variation of Philidor’s Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7).

A writer in the New York Times, describing the players in the Sixth American Chess Congress (1889), portrayed him as follows: “Major Hanham is a little, nervous man, who hates to sit still. He won his title during the war of the rebellion. He was one of the dudes of the tournament, and was always dressed in the latest style, with a carefully polished silk hat and neatly trimmed beard.”

After 29. Qc1 Re6 30. Bd2!? Black’s answer was 30. .. Qe5?

What was the more deadly move?

Game of the Week

2021 Victor Palciauskas Tournament

A later analisis showed that move 15. Ke2 loses the game for White. However, a win needs to be carried home. Find the right move here to secure the win for Black.

Moskowitz, Bruce vs Schroeer, Egbert

Find the right move

Full game with annotation:

[Event "USCF/WS/21VP04 (USA)"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2021.06.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moskowitz, Bruce"]
[Black "Schroeer, Egbert"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D37"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[Beauty "8250099242532"]
[EventDate "2021.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 b6 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5
{D37: Queen's Gambit Declined: 5 Bf4.} Qxd5 9. Bxc7 {a3 would be deadly.} Bb4+
10. Nd2 {White wants to play f3. White is slightly better.} Ba6 {And now ...Bxf1
would win.} 11. Bxb8 Bxf1 12. Kxf1 Rfxb8 $146 {[%cal Bf8b8,Bb8c8,Bc8c2]}
({Predecessor:} 12... Raxb8 13. Nf3 Rbc8 14. g3 Rfd8 15. Kg2 Qe4 16. a3 Be7 17.
Rc1 g5 18. h3 h5 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 {½-½ Sarana,A (2654)-Esipenko,A (2682) Chess.com
U20 Speed Chess.com INT blitz 2020 (1.3)}) 13. Nf3 Be7 14. b3 Rc8 15. Ke2 $2
{This move loses the game for White.} (15. g3 $14) 15... Qb5+ $19 16. Qd3 Rc2+
17. Nd2 Qh5+ $1 18. f3 Rac8 19. Kd1 Bb4 20. g4 Qa5 ({And not} 20... Rxd2+ 21.
Qxd2 Qg6 22. Qe2 $10 (22. Qxb4 Qc2+ 23. Ke1 Qg2 $17)) 21. Nc4 R8xc4 $1 {Remove
Defender} 22. Qxc2 Rxc2 23. Kxc2 Qa6 {( -> ...Qe2+)} 24. a3 Qe2+ {Black mates.}
25. Kb1 Qd3+ 26. Kc1 Bd2+ {A cool game by Schroeer. Weighted Error Value:
White=1.12/Black=0.10 (very precise) . Loses game: White=1 --- Missed win: ---
--- Mistake: --- --- Inaccurate: White=2 Black=2 OK: White=2 Black=3 Best:
White=3 Black=1 Strong: --- --- Brilliant: --- ---} 0-1

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