Merry Christmas!
My Christmas Puzzle for year 2025:
White wins
Watch this study on a dynamic board.
1.a5! bxa5 2.c5! dxc5 3.e5! fxe5 4.g5! hxg5 5.h6 +-
You can also check the Christmas Puzzles from previous years here.
My Christmas Puzzle for year 2024:
White wins
1. Rh4! 1. Rh1+? skewer Kc2 2. Rxa1 Kb2 3. Rh1 Kxa3 4. Rb1 Ka2 5. Rb8 a3 6. Kf3 Ka1 7. Ke3 a2 8. Kd3 stalemate 1... Kc2 2. Rxa4 Kb3 3. Ra8! Nc2 4. a4 Nb4! Now it is time to approach with the white king. 4... Kb4 5. a5 Kb5 6. a6 Kb6 7. a7 Kb7 8. Rc8! +-
5. Kh4!!
There is only one exit from the corner area for the white king! 5. Kg4? Nc6 6. Ra6 Ne5+ 7. Kf5 Nc4 =; 5. Kf4? Nc6! 6. Ra6 Nb4 7. Ra5 Nc6 8. Rc5 Nb4 9. a5 Nd3+ 10. Ke3 Nxc5 =; 5. a5? Ka4 6. a6 Ka5 7. a7 Nc6 =; 5. Kg2?! Nc6 6. Ra6 Nb4 7. Ra5 Na2 8. Ra8 Nb4 9. Kf1 Nc6 10. Ra6 Nb4 11. Ra5 Na2 12. Ra8 Nb4 13. Ke1? (13. Ke2? Nc6 14. Ra6 Nb4 15. Ra5 Na2 16. Ra8 Nc3+ =) 13... Nc6 14. Ra6 Nb4 15. Ra5 Nc6! 16. Rc5 Nb4 17. a5 Nd3+ = 5... Nc6 6. Ra6 Nb4 7. Ra5 Na2! 7... Nc2 8. Rc5 (8. Ra8? Kb4 9. a5 Kb5 10. a6 Kb6 11. a7 Na3! 12. Rb8+ Kxa7 13. Rb4 Nc2 =) 8... Nb4 9. a5 +- 8. Ra8! Kb4 8... Nb4 9. Kg5 Nc6 10. Ra6 Nb4 11. Ra5 Nc6 12. Rc5 Nd4 13. Rd5 (13. a5? Ne6+ 14. Kf6 Nxc5 =) 13... Kc4 14. Rd6 Nb3 15. Rb6 Nc5 16. a5 +- 9. a5 Kb5 10. a6 Kb6 11. Rc8! Ka7 11... Kxa6 12. Ra8+ +- skewer 12. Rc4! Kxa6 13. Ra4+ +-
Watch this study on a dynamic board.
My Christmas Puzzle for year 2023 is a twin study:
White wins
Watch this study on a dynamic board.
1. Kc8 Thematic try: 1. Kc6? Kxb8 2. Kb6 Ka8 3. a7 stalemate. There is no room for the black king next to the a-file. 1... Kb6 2. Kd7(8) Ka7 3. Kc7 We have reached the same position as the initial one but with BTM. 3... Ka8 4. Nd7 Ka7 5. Nc5 +-
The study has a twin by shifting the whole position by 5 files to the right:
White wins
Watch this study on a dynamic board.
1. Kh6! Thematic try: 1. Kh8? Kg6! zz = There is no room for the white king next to the h-file. 1... Kxg8 2. Kg6 zz Kf8 3. f7 zz Ke7 4. Kg7 zz +-
Happy New Year 2021!
Draw1. c8=Q f1=Q 2. Qc3+ Qd3 2... Rd3 3. Qxe5+ Kd2 4. Qb2+ Ke3 5. Qe5+ perpetual check
3. Qxe5+ Kf3 4. Qh5+ Kg2 5. Qg5+ Kf2 6. Qf6+ Kg1 7. Qg7+ Kh2 7... Rg2 8. Qa1+ Kf2 9. Qa2+ Kg3 10. Qg8+ Kh2 11. Qh8+ Kg1 12. Qa1+ perpetual check
8. Qh6+ Kg3 9. Qg5+ Kf2 10. Qf6+ Ke3 10... Kg1 11. Qg7+ perpetual check
11. Qe5+ Kf3 12. Qh5+ Ke4 13. Qh1+ Kd4 14. Qa1+ Kd5 15. Qa8+ Ke5 16. Qh8+ Ke4 17. Qh1+ perpetual check
My Christmas Puzzle for this year is a twin study with DUPLEX solutions.
1. Rd8+ 1. b7? Re8 2. Rg6 Rb8 3. Rxg3 Rxb7 = 1... Kh7 2. b7 g2
3. Rh8+! 3. b8=Q? g1=Q+ 4. Qb1+ Qxb1+ 5. Kxb1 = 3... Kg7 4. Rg8+! Kxg8 5. b8=Q+ +-
The DUPLEX stipulation means that black can also win if it is on move from the starting position. Due the symmetry, the solution is similar:
1... Re1+ 2. Ka2 g2 3. b7
3... Ra1+! 4. Kb2 Rb1+! 5. Kxb1 g1=Q+ -+
The twin also features rook sacrifices:
1. b7 1. Rxg3? Rxb6 = 1... Ra6+ 1... Rd8 2. Rxg3 Rb8 3. Rb3 Kg7 4. Ka(b)2 Kf6 5. Ka3! Ke6 6. Ka4 Kd6 7. Ka5 Kc7 8. Ka6 Rh8 9. Ka7 +-
2. Ra3!! Rxa3+ 2... Rb6 3. Ra8+ +- 3. Kb2 g2 4. b8=Q+ +-
With BTM, we have a similar solution. I will give just the main line:
1... g2 2. Rh3+
2... Rh6!! 3. Rxh6 Kg7 4. b7 g1Q+ -+
Watch this study on a dynamic board!
Twin A: Click here!
Twin B: Click here!
Here is my "Christmas Puzzle" for year 2018:
Taking the life of the black knight would be a great sin punished by a lifelong incarceration of the white king in the corner:
1. Kxh8? Ke4 2. Ne6 d3 3. Nc5+ Kf5 4. Nxd3 Kg6 5. h7 Kf7! 6. Ne5+ Kf8 7. Nd7+ Kf7 positional draw - blockade
Instead, the white king doesn't harm the knight and makes a paradoxical move:
1. Kg8!! Ke4
1... Ke3 2. Nf5+ +-
2. Ne6 d3
2... Kf5 3. Nxd4+ Kg6 4. h7 Nf7 5. Nf5! +-
3. Nc5+ Kf5 4. Nxd3 Kg6 5. h7 Nf7 6. Ne5+! +-
Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!
