Chess Books Tee-Shirts and Ties

My Birthday. I am now a happy 74 year old. I curse the first 12 years
because during that time I never knew chess existed. I got presents!


A chess tee-shirt and a chess tie.
(I now have three chess ties - I do not wear a tie.)

And a copy of...


Excellent, I am enjoying this very much.

Donner reminded me of the joke Kotov sprang on Najdorf in the 1953 candidates.

A. Kotov - M. Najdorf, Candidates, Zurich 1953 (Black to play)

Kotov has just played 50. Nxg7+ Najdorf is staring at him wondering why he played it.
The game is a stone cold draw. (a King and two Knights cannot checkmate a lone King.)

Kotov said; ‘Oh do you not know, some recent Russian analysis has proven
that the two Knights can win from this position.” (or words to that effect.)
It took Najdorf a few seconds to realise he was the victim of Russian humour.

Two knights can mate a lone King but the lone King player has to make a bad mistake.

Wimtenbrink - djtenbrink RHP2024 (White to play)

White played 117 Ka1 Nc2 mate. 117 Kc1 draws. Though looking at the game
I’d say these two were in cahoots trying to set it up to prove it can be done.

Though not a lone King it would be a shame to leave this one out.

markcardis - Super blue RHP 2025 (Black to play)

1...Qh1+ and 2...Qxh4+ winning pretty easily.
Instead it went 1... b4 2. g4+ Kh6 3. g5+ Kh5
When White had an awkward decision to make.


4. Ng3 mate or 4. Nf6 mate or 4. Ng7 mate or 4. Nf4 Mate,

We end this section on Knight-Frights from recent RHP games with;

yankeebravo - OneThird RHP 2025 (Black to play)

Can you see it? White is threatening 1.Qxg8+ and 2. Nf7 mate.

Black saw it and played 1....Bd5 1...g6 was a better move.
2. Qxd5 and Black forgot why they played Bd5. 2...Nxd5


3. Nf7 checkmate..



Cosma - Economescu, Bucharest 2008 (White to play)


Clue Reveal Hidden Content
Solution Reveal Hidden Content

Kuzuboz - Warakomski, Poland 2008 (Black to play)


What happens when Black captures on e5 with 1...dxe5 or 1...Qxd5

1...dxe5 Reveal Hidden Content
1...Qxd5 Reveal Hidden Content


Back To My Birthday (sorry to be so incessant but it only happens once a year).

I was also given my first smart phone and was told I have now joined the human race.
They took what is called a sim card out of my old trusty ‘never once has it let me down’
Nokia and put it inside this thing that appears to be a shaving mirror that makes noises.

I hate it. No buttons, a touch screen thing that does everything you do not want it too do
whenever you touch the screen. Eventually it started to speak to me as is if I was an idiot.


The minuscule keypad used for sending a message (I’ve no idea how to see one I receive)
Can only be used by people with twigs for fingers. They gave me a stylise but I’ve lost it.


I did find a weak chess program on it and gave it a game.
The thing tried to cheapo me...CHEAPO ME!! I’m Black.

I’m hammering it and just played 1 Qf5 threatening Bf3


It played 1...Nxd5 and if 2.Bf3 Ne7+ 3...Nxf5 and White is OK.

So I played Rxd5 and it played Nc6


Again if Bf3 then Ne7+ and Nxf5 and again White is OK.

So I took the discovered check, Bd6+ to stop Ne7 and played Bf3, It played Nxa7+


And if I play Kd7 Qxg7+ and Black is checkmated.

.So I played Kb8, it checked on c6 and I play Ka8.


It played Bh6. Such resilience should be awarded. Rxh6 Re8+ mates. I was tempted
to allow it. But no. So that was that. Anybody know how to switch these things off?

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 203109