In our second ChessBase Challenge instalment we gave you a set of puzzles that were meant to challenge your mind. Were you able to solve the positions, each with a mind-boggling idea required to reach the goal? You had two weeks to do so. Today we provide the solutions.
Problemists love to construct problems in shapes that symbolize something auspicious. The great composer (and World Championship candidate) Pal Benkö sent us a problem shaped like a candle. Today we bring you two problems shaped like Christmas trees. They are not too hard, which we cannot say about the third problem, which taxes the brain.
Editor's note: This story first appeared in the December 2023 issue of Chess Life Magazine. Consider becoming a US Chess member for more content like this access to digital editions of both Chess Life and Chess Life Kids is a member benefit, and you can receive print editions of both magazines for a small add-on fee. “Fun!” That’s how Neil McKelvie sums up his 80-plus years of playing chess.
This coming weekend Judit Polgar invites you to her ninth Global Chess Festival. The theme of the festival this time is "Decision Making". The events will take place on Saturday at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest and on Sunday online with many venues around the world. | Photos: Global Chess Festival
Few individuals have had as great an influence on American chess as IM Jeremy Silman, who died on September 21 in Los Angeles, California. The cause was complications from primary progressive aphasia frontotemporal dementia.