Malcolm Pein’s Daily Telegraph chess column started the 2021 with with two New Year posers and a miniature game from the Hastings Chess Congress of 1970/1.
Incidentally, the famous Hastings tournament, which enjoys a fabulous history dating back to the inaugural event of 1895, received a major boost this year with very welcome sponsorship by Caplin Systems. We shall return to the subject in a forthcoming column.
Malcolm Pein on…New Year Posers
For day number one, a mate in one. Some are not as easy as you might think. My thanks to GM Mohd. Al-Mudahaka of Qatar for posting this.
White to play and checkmate in one move
If you thought that was hard, There are 47 ways to mate in one from this position composed by Pollmächer et al and first published in 1859 in Illustriert Zeitung. See if you can find them all.
White to play and checkmate in one move (47 solutions)
Precisely 50 years ago today, England international Peter Markland scored a quick win at Hastings where he finished equal second with Uhlmann, Hort and Krogius and behind Portisch.
P. Markland – Z. Mestrovic
Premier, Hastings Christmas Congress 1970/71 (4)
1.Qb3#
Answer 2:
1.a8 (Q), 1.a8 (B), 1.Ra4, 1.Rb4, 1.Rd4, 1.Re4, 1.Rf4, 1.Rg4, 1.Rh4, 1.Rcc1, 1.Rc2, 1.Rc3, 1.Rc5, 1.Rc6, 1.Rc7, 1.Rc8, 1.Nb2, 1.Nb4, 1.Nc1, 1.Nc5, 1.Ne1, 1.Nf2, 1.Nf4, 1.d8 (Q), 1.d8 (R), 1.e4, 1.Ba1, 1.Bb2, 1.Bc3, 1.Bd4, 1.Bf6, 1.Bg7, 1.Bh8, 1.Bb8, 1.Bc7, 1.Bd6, 1.Bf4, 1.Bg3, 1.Bh2, 1.Nc7, 1.Nf6, 1.Qe4, 1.Qe6, 1.Qf3, 1.Qf7, 1.hxg8 (Q), 1.hxg8 (B)