October’s Chess Puzzle celebrates Russian Women Chess Players

Can you find the checkmate? White to move and mate in three.

This puzzle is from a game with Alexandra Kosteniuk and Irina Zakurdjaeva, Russia 1998

Bring your puzzle solution to Bookman’s on Speedway Family Chess Night, 6:30-8:30pm, first Wednesday of every month–this month Wednesday, October 5–and win a free prize. The whole family, new and experienced players are all invited to join us to play chess.

Russian Women’s Superfinals 2011

Russia has long held a strong presence in world chess and this holds true with women players.

The 61st  Women’s Russian Championship (August 19-August 28) recently concluded in Moscow. Ten invited women chess masters competed in the event. You can read a player’s report–4th place winner Natalia Pogonina. The tournament was won by Valentin Gunina with a score of 6.5/9.

The Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk, a former Women’s World Chess Champion who visited Tucson and 9Queens in December 2009, finished in 7th place with a score of 4/9. You can explore some of the 2011 Russian Women’s Superfinals games and view a summary of tournament play.

Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk and 9Queen’s Jean Hoffman December 2009

Jennifer, Vicki, Alexandra and Jean at the World Chess Hall of Fame, September 2011

Alexandra and Jean Hoffman recently showed up at the grand opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri. They were joined by 9Queens Co-founder Jennifer Shahade and 9Queens Marketing Director Vicki Lazaro.

Vera Menchik inducted into World Chess Hall of Fame 2011

Recently inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame was the world’s first Women’s World Chess Champion, Vera Menchik. Vera was born in Russia 1906, learned to play chess at age 9 and moved to England in 1921. She became the first Women’s World Champion in 1927, successfully defending her title six times over the next 17 years.

October’s puzzle comes from Chapter 11: Vera Menchik, Play Like a Girl published by 9Queens. More about great women chess players in puzzles to come.

Postscipt

Solution to September’s Paul Morphy puzzle: Ra6 is the winning move for white.

September Chess Puzzle by Paul Morphy
created in 1848

Can you solve the puzzle to mate in two moves? White to move.

Bring your puzzle solution to Bookman’s on Speedway Family Chess Night 6:30-8:30 (First Wednesday of every month)–this month Wednesday September 7–and win a free prize. The whole family, new and experienced players are all invited to join us to play chess.

Paul Morphy and Robert James Fischer
America’s World Chess Champions

Paul Morphy  and Bobby Fischer are the only Americans to be the world’s best chess players–Morphy in the late 19th century and Fischer in the 20th century (1972).

Bobby Fischer 1960

Fischer had said that Morphy and the Cuban Champion, Jose Capablanca, were the chess players he most admired. He preferred their styles to all others– Morphy’s accuracy, Capablanca’s “light touch”—and acknowledged their brilliant natural talents.

Morphy and Lowenthal in 1858

Morphy, born in New Orleans in 1837 was an early chess prodigy, learning and mastering the game by watching his father and uncle play. By the time he was 12 years old he had defeated the Hungarian chess master Johann Lowenthal in a match of three games (pictured above). By 1859 he was considered the World Champion after a triumphant chess tour in Europe. He died in 1884.

This month’s chess puzzle is said to be the only puzzle that Morphy created, composed when he was eleven years old.

More about these great American champions in puzzles to come.

References:

Paul Morphy: The Pride and the Sorrow of Chess by David Lawson, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2010

Bobby Fischer Goes to War, by David Edmonds and John Eidinow, Harper Collins Publisher, 2005

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_morphy

YouTube interviews: Bobby Fischer Tells You Why Chess is Boring and Tells You His Favorite Players, Last Interview Part 5

Fischer photo: Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-76052-0335,_Schacholympiade,_Tal_(UdSSR)_gegen_Fischer_(USA).jpg

Join 9 Queens on July 6 from 7-9 at the Bookmans on Speedway for Family Chess Night- an evening filled of chess, puzzles and fun. This July’s puzzle of the month is a puzzle taken from one of former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer’s games. Can you find a way for white to checkmate black in five moves? Bring the solution to Family Chess Night and receive a prize!

Bobby Fischer is the subject of a new documentary from HBO- have you seen the previews or watched the documentary yet?

Join us on June 1, from 7-9 pm at the Bookmans on Speedway and Wilmot for chess puzzles, pick up games, and prizes. Solve the puzzle of the month and win a free prize! In honor of this month’s upcoming Harry Potter event, we have a puzzle from the “Wizard of Chess” Mikhail Tal. Can you find the winning combination for white to move in the puzzle below?