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Michigan |
August
1999
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Chess
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Online
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The Scholastics Page
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Victor D. Asbury, Jr.
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Stalemate Means It's Not Check!
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What's the best move? Black can't deliver the mate until
the king gets there to help. Which is the best move for the queen
to hold the white king in place until the black king gets there?
Which move is stalemate? Which move lets the king get away?
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A.
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1...Qf8+ |
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B.
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1...Qg6 |
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C.
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1...Qg5 |
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Which way to the win? Black to move, with several choices
of moves. One move leads to mate in two. Another move leads
to mate in three. A third possibility is stalemate. Do you
know which is which?
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A.
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1...Rb7 |
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B.
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1...Ra1+ |
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C.
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1...Kc7 |
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If Black can promote the pawn, Black wins! But be careful!
The wrong move is stalemate. Black has eight possible moves.
Five moves allow White to take the pawn. One move is stalemate.
Two moves lead to promoting the pawn, as long as the second move is also
correct. Which move is stalemate? Which moves win? |
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In #4 Black can't win! But Black has two ways to draw.
The fast way is to force stalemate by giving White the nasty choice of
stalemate or giving up the queen. The slow way is with perpetual
check. Can you find both ways to draw? |
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SOLUTIONS
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The Coaches Corner
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| A player who is better at visualizing the board
has an easier time visualizing combinations. Try these drills for
improving visualization skills. Without looking at a board, what
color is f6? e4? b7? Name the square where the
a6-f1 diagonal crosses the a2- g8 diagonal. What color is it?
Which squares does a knight on d5 attack? What color are they?
A bishop on f3? |
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TOP
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© 1999 Michigan Chess
Association
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COVER
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