Sunday, 7 December 2008

An Xmas Problem


I've spent a substantial amount of the day working on my regular Xmas quiz that appears in the Australasian Chess magazine (Note: I do receive remuneration for my work from the publisher). This year I was fortunate to pick up some new problem books in my travels, as normally I agonise for weeks over what I should put in there.
Indeed there was an almost embarrassment of riches and I was even able to leave some interesting problems out. The diagrammed position was one study that made the preliminary list, but was cut from the short list. Nonetheless for those who do not subscribe to Australasian Chess, you can put your mind to solving this one. It is White to play and draw, and was sufficiently difficult so that my copy of Fritz didn't spot the answer.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about 1.Re6

Anonymous said...

1...Qxe6 look quite strong. Plus the knight is pinned so he's now a queen down as well :)

Anonymous said...

Nd4 Qxd4 (Bxd4 Ra3+, Kb7 Rb3), Ra3+ Kb6, Rb3+ Kc7, Rc3+ Kd7, Rd3 etc (can't take on d3 because it would be stalemate)

Anonymous said...

The knight is NOT pinned...

Anonymous said...

my bad, yes it is after Re6 Qxe6