ABoys' Life Aug 1968 — Check-Mate by Bobby Fischer — If you're going to check-mate that guy across the chessboard from you, you've got to outsmart him. Bobby Fischer, the best in chess, has some hot tips on how to sharpen your chess skill.
Hi. I think maybe some of you would like to know why your solutions to the very tough puzzler in March were wrong. Below is the problem. White was to mate in three. A lot of you wrote in the tempting 1. Q:e4 as the solution. It's true this works against 1 . . . R:e4? 2.cd=Q (or rook) Re8 3. fe=rook or queen ☓. But instead of 1 . . . R:e4, 1 . . . Rb8#!, for example, prevents the mate in two. Actually after 1. Q:e4 white doesn't even threaten mate in two moves! So almost any move by black will suffice, like 1 . . . h2 and if 2. Qg2 Re2＋! etc.
Someone wrote in 1. Q:c5＋ but this just fails after 1 . . . d6 and now white has lots of tries but I see no mate in two. For example, 2 Q:d4 Re5!! or 2. Qd5 Re6! and in either case 3. cd=Q＋ is not mate because of 3…Re8!
Another try you sent was 1. Rg7 threatening simply 2. h7 and 3. h8&9868;Q mate! But black has the key resource 1 . . . Rb8 and on 2. h7 Rb2＋ staves off the mate until white's fourth move. Another try was 1. Qh2. This, incidentally, was what I thought the solution was at first because now 1 . . . Rb8 is met by 2. cb⚌Q or rook and mates black on the next move. But 1 . . . Be7 holds for black; if then 2. Qg3 Bg5! or 2. Qe5 Bf6! and no mate in three. Another try—1. Nh4, threatening 2. Ng6 mate—is met by Ke7!!
One reader thought 1. Rh8 was a mate, but K:f7 is an easy escape. Another try was 1. cd⚌Q R:d8 2. Qc4 followed by 3. Rh8 was mate but 2 . . . d5! thwarts this try.
Finally, others thought 1. Qc4 d5! 2. Q:c5 ＋ Rd6! etc—but black can get away. The answer Qf2 that we ran in June was the foolproof first move.
Dear Mr. Fischer:
…Have you ever played a computer? What do you think of the chance of a computer of grandmaster strength, and possibly becoming world champion? Michael Ventriglia, Fullerton, Calif.
I've never played a computer. Eventually, though, I think a computer can become champion. After all, it can't be as hard as getting a man on the moon. But I hope it doesn't happen during my lifetime! Incidentally, here's an example of a computer game. Black's game was a disgrace to the human race. The computer (white) was called MacHack IV, and it took on Landey, the man.
Dear Mr. Fischer:
Can you settle an argument between me and my friend over our chess game? Please tell me if someone calls checkmate, yet there is a piece which he overlooked that can block the checkmate, does he lose the game for calling checkmate? Mary Smith, St. Joseph, Mo.
No penalty for calling checkmate if the other player has a way out.
Dear Bobby Fischer:
One question: What is the penalty for touching one or more of your opponent's pieces? Terry Orlando, Independence, La.
The first of your opponent's pieces that you touch and can legally be removed from the board, you must capture. If the first can not be legally captured, then the second—if legally capturable—must be taken. If neither can be legally captured, there's no penalty. Suppose (diagram below) you play Bb5 (Ruy Lopez opening) and while you still have your hand on the piece, you decide on the Guico Piano. You simply move the bishop to C4. Then, when you take your hand off it you've completed your move. One thing more. When one of your pieces or your opponent's pieces isn't squarely in its box, you say “I adjust” (J'adoube) and you can touch it.
A few columns back I asked you fellows to send in some interesting games you've played and said I'd choose those I liked best to comment on in the column.
The first is from Ron Hill, of Grant's Pass, Oregon. Ron's comment was that the outstanding thing about the game was the queen-bishop sacrifice. Here's how the game went.
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 ed 4. Q:d4 (Nf3 is a better developing move.) 4 . . . Nc6 5. Qd2 Bb4! (Good move. Takes away developing square for white knight, because if 6. Nc3 N:e4! 7. B:f7＋, K:f7, 8. Qd5 check, Kf6!! and black's in good shape. Taking the white knight is taboo. Do you see why?) 6. c3 Bc5 7. Nf3 d5? (Black should castle and he must win the “e” pawn because if 8. e5 then Re8! and that's it. Up to here black has played beautifully but now inexplicably he starts giving things away! 8. B:d5! N:d5 9. ed Q:d5?? 10. Q:d5! Bg4!? 11. Ng5!? Rd8!? (This move must have taken nerves of steel.) 12. Q:c5?? (He had a mate in one!) 12…Rd1 checkmate!
This game had unusual twists and wild turns and it was impossible to tell the outcome until the very last move. Black started off playing a very good game but he had a bad patch in the middle that should have cost him checkmate.
Now for our puzzler from Albert Renn, Kassel, Germany. White is to move first and mate in three.
Just send me white's first move, together with the date you received your August Boys' Life Address: Bobby Fischer, Boys' Life, New Brunswick, N.J. O8903. The first ten of you with correct first move will get my autographed photo.
