Sunday Chess Problem

Babson Task problems are hard work, so we shall resume our consideration of them next week. Instead I have a lovely lightweight problem for you this week, composed by Pal Benko in 1968. Actually, you can have an interesting philosophical discussion about whether this problem was composed or discovered. In the position below, white is to play and mate in three:



The story behind this problem is that Benko challenged Bobby Fischer to solve it in thirty minutes. Fischer accepted the challenge, but was unable to find the solution. When Benko showed him the solution, Fischer then claimed that there must be some other solution as well. But Fischer was wrong about this too. The problem is sound.

It's very difficult to imagine what the mating positions could be, given that the black king has so much freedom. It's a fine exercise in chessboard geometry, and a testament to Benko's powers of visualization that he was able to see all the possibilities.

The key move is 1. Bc4!



If black replies with 1. ... Kf6 then we reach this position:



Play now continues 2. Qd6+ Kg7 3. Qh6 mate:



There is also the possibility of 2. ... Kf5 3. Qe6 mate:



A similar mating pattern occurs after 1. ... Kf5 2. Qf3+ Kg6 3. Qf7 mate:



Finally, the two bishops switch their roles in the line 1. ... Kf5 2. Qf3+ Ke5 3. Qf4 mate:



Lovely stuff, though I do feel the need to point out an annoying dual. After 1. ... Kf5, white can also mate in two with 2. Qh5+. Oh well. With a problem this charming such things can be overlooked.

See you next week!

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A charmer indeed. I'm too tired to work it out but I guess I. Qd7 fails to Ke4.
Any thoughts on the World Championship match between Carlsen & Anand?

By Bill McNeal (not verified) on 10 Nov 2014 #permalink

I've been debating whether it's even worth doing a blog post about the match. Anand has looked pretty bad in each of the first two games, and the whole thing is shaping up to be a giant anti-climax.

What did you think of the Babson Task problem from last week?

Like most observers I think Anand is feeling a bit cowed by Carlsen, particularly his ability to win from .002-point advantages, tormenting his opponent for a few hours.

Still, I couldn't get over Vishy's enormous blunder on his last move in Game 2. I mean, he was losing anyhow, but not to pay attention to your 2nd rank in a Q & R ending? Wow.

I find selfmates rather intimidating myself since over the years I have actually tried to win the game most of the time and really, my thinking when looking at selfmates is just comically skewed. That said, your statement that putting together a Babson Task problem is hard work seems overwhelmingly understated :-)

By Bill McNeal (not verified) on 11 Nov 2014 #permalink

As if specifically to prove me wrong, Anand just won game three on the white side of a bizarre line of the Queen's Gambit. Perhaps it will be a match after all!

I'm sure it'll be quite a tonic for Vishy. Consensus of what I've looked at suggests practically the entire game was opening prep by Anand with Carlsen getting lost in tactical lines that didn't really work and time trouble finishing the job. I wonder if Anand has decided what to play against a likely 1. e4 in game 4. Possibly a Sicilian in go-for-the-throat mode while his opponent's not quite so confident?

Anyhow, it is getting more interesting now.

By Bill McNeal (not verified) on 11 Nov 2014 #permalink