Notes to page 1

this was a speed game - 10 minutes each, at this stage I had over five minutes left

and my opponent a little over one minute - so I was pretty confident of

not losing on time

although the result should not be in doubt, and black would normally resign,

in speed games the most surprising blunders and turn-arounds happen

- so black played on till the end

1) 1.Be5+ leads to a more efficient use of white's pieces...Kc8 black has to move here, since Ka8 loses a piece

- can you see how ? (answer : Nc7+ forking King and Rook 2.Kb3 b5 3.Qf2 Kd7 4.Qc5 Re6 5.Qc7+ Ke8

6.Qc8+ Kf7 7.Qd7+ Kf8 8.Qg7+ Ke8 9.Bf6 Rxf6 10.Qe7#

although in the game I chose 2) - that almost completely removed black's chances of winning of

fighting back (counter-play)

1.Qxa6 this gets rid of black's two pieces bxa6 2.Kxa3 Kb7 3.Kb4 Kc6 4.g5 the black King cannot make progress,

this also fixes blacks g-pawn, and when the knight-move Nf6 comes - it should win with ease Kd6 black had to

move the Knig somewhere, and ...Kb7 would be met by Ka6 and black runs out of useful moves .Ka5 Kc6

6.Kxa6 Kd6 7.Kxa7 Kc6 8.Nf6 Kb5 9.Bb6 Kc4 10.e5 Kd3 11.e6 Ke2 12.e7 Kf3 13.e8Q h5 14.Qe3+ Kg2

15.Qg1+ Kxh3 16.Bf2 h4 17.Qh1#

actually we never played out the game - a few moves before white was going to Queen a pawn,

black ran out of time - white had 4 minutes; 20 seconds left

the secret to these type of positions is to know that in the position to

the left - white cannot capture the pawn on b5 (without losing that is)

since the a-pawn will Queen easily and the King cannot catch it

the same is true for black of course - the pawn on f5

is quite safe from capture

and since neither King can leave the pawns to help its own pawns

- this position should be agreed drawn

- an adjudicator would judge it a draw

this, however, is completely different

we use the fact that white can only move the King - and so must give way

1.Kc3 Ke5 2.Kb4 Kd4 3.Ka3 Kc3 4.Ka2 b4 5.Kb1 b3 6.Kc1 b2+

7.Kb1 a3 8.Ka2 Kc2 9.Kxa3 b1Q 10.Ka4 Qb6 11.Ka3 Qb3#

Notes to page 1

1(continued)

this is the same position except with no WN & WB

the straightforward win is like No. 1, just a little tougher, it is

still possible to force a win with all the big pieces on - but it

does give black counter-play and I would certainly

swap off the pieces

1.Kb3 Nb1 [1...Nb5 2.Qxb5 Rb6 A) 3.Kc4 Rxb5 4.Kxb5 Kc7 5.e5 a6+ 6.Kc5 a5 7.Kd5 (7.f5 gxf5 8.gxf5 this may

not look it - but it's a draw 8...a4 9.Kb4 b5) ; B) 3.Qxb6 it's important in this case to double black's pawns 3...axb6]

2.Qe1 Kc7 3.e5 [3.Qxb1 Rb6+ 4.Kc2 Rxb1 5.Kxb1 Kd6 6.g5 Ke6 7.Kc2 b5 8.Kd3 a5 this shows why it is so useful to

double black's pawns, white has a good majority of pawns - but with the help of the King can fend of any march

up the board. White can't do much against the connected passed pawns on the Queenside] 3...Rb6+ 4.Ka2 trapping

the knight, it might not be captured anytime soon - but's stuck [4.Kc2 Na3+] 4...Kd7 5.f5 gxf5 6.gxf5 Rb5

7.e6+ Ke8 8.f6 Rf5 9.Qc1 threatening mate on c1 and winning the Knight 9...Ra5+ 10.Kxb1 Rb5+ 11.Ka2 Ra5+

12.Kb3 Rb5+ 13.Ka4 Rd5 14.Qc8+ Rd8 15.Qxb7 [not as efficient (mate in 6 rather than mate-in-3) but depressing

for black 15.f7+ Ke7 16.Qxd8+ Kxd8 17.f8Q+ Kc7 18.e7] 15...Rd4+ anything to avoid mate

16.Ka5 Rd5+ 17.Qxd5 h5 18.Qa8#

Numbers two and three are two views of the same question - before and after positions

white has just taken a central pawn, black cannot simply capture

the Bishop on b5 because of the Knight fork Nc7+

wins the Queen, check must be answered

Rxb8+