HULL CHESS CLUB QUIZ - SPRING 2020

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THE QUESTIONS

Question 1   All you need to do is tell me White's 12th move - which delivers checkmate!    [3 points] 

Question 2   White to checkmate in 3 moves.  [2 points]

Question 3   White to checkmate mate in 3.   [4 points]

Question 4   White to checkmate mate in 3.  [2 points]

Question 5

 

Unscramble these top current and historic players     [1 point each]

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a)     NUN GEMS RASCAL

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b)     SASSY BOPS IRK

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c)     IGNORANT PIRATES

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d)     DENNI GIRL

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e)     LAME ANKLE USER

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f)     ENGLISH ROT

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g)     FIBRES C HOBBY

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h)     NORA BUMS

Question 6  White to checkmate mate in 6      [4 points]

Question 7  White to checkmate mate in 8  [5 points]

Question 8  Three pawns down and black is threatening to exchange queens  Can white, to play, really get something out of this position?   [1 point]

Question 9  Black is about to take the g pawn and draw, yet it is

 White to play and win.    [3 points]

Question 10

How many celebrity chess players can you see below and name?

(1 point each)

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[f]

[h]

[j]

[g]

[i]

Question 11  White to checkmate mate in two. 

There is an extra task here however.  There appear to be TWO ways white can deliver mate in 2.   But only one is 'legally' possible. 

Can you tell me which?  ... and why?       [4 marks]

Question 12   White to checkmate in 5 moves  [4 points]

Question 13   White to checkmate in 2 moves  [1 point]

Question 14  Not too difficult - but beautiful.

White to play and win  [2 points]

Question 15   White to play and win  [1 point]

Question 16 Surely black's b-pawn can't be stopped,  whilst Bh2 will stop whites?  Can it really be White to play and draw?  (Herbstman, 1964)     [5 points]

Question 17  White to play and win (Rinck, 1902)     [3 points]

Question 18  White to play and win    [4 points]

Question 19

How many top chess players can you see below and name?

(1 point each)

[a]

Carl and Kaps.jfif.jpg

[c]

So Annand.jfif.jpg

[b]

Alek Bos and lask.jpg

[e]

[d]

ding and MVL.jfif
Pet and korch.jfif.jpg

[f]

polgars.jfif

Question 20   White to mate in 3    [2 point]

Question 21  Another test in chess logic and retrograde analysis.  Black has just moved:  What was Black's last move? ... and what was white's last move?   [4 points] 

Question 22   White to move and checkmate in 3    [3 points] 

Question 23     White to mate in 2    [2 point]

THE ANSWERS

Hover over the boxes below

 or find answers at foot of page 

QUESTION 1
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

Chase the black king all the way round to a3 with knight checks- then 12.Nb5++

QUESTION 2
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qd8+!!  Kxd8 2.Bg5+ ... followed by either Bd8++ or Rd8++

QUESTION 3
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qxd7+!!  Rxd7  2. Nc7+!+  Rxc7   3. Rd8++

QUESTION 4
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qxg7+!  Kxg7  2. Nf5+ Kg8  3.Nh6++

QUESTION 5
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWERs

a)     MAGNUS CARLSEN

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b)     BORIS SPASSKY

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c)     TIGRAN PETROSIAN

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d)     DING LIREN 

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e)     EMANUEL LASKER

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f)     NIGEL SHORT

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g)     BOBBY FISCHER

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h)     AMOS BURN

QUESTION 6
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Rh8+!  Kxh8  2.Rh3+  Kg8  3.Rh8+!  Kxh8  4.Qh3+  Kg8  5. Qh7+ Kg8  5. Qh8++

QUESTION 7
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qd5+  (Qb3+ does not force mate) 1... Rf7  (...Kh8 allows a quicker mate) 2. Qxa8+  Bd8  3. Qxd8+ Rf8  4.Qd5+ Kh8  6.Nf7+ Kg8  7. Nh6+ Kh8  8. Qg8+!  Kxg8 9. Nf7++

QUESTION 8
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qf2!! -forces 1 ...Qxf2 stalemate

QUESTION 3
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Rg7+!  Kh8   2.Rh7+ Kg8   3.g7!  wins at least a rook

QUESTION 10
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWERs

a)     John Lennon & Yoko Ono 

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b)     Willie Nelson

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c)     Arnold Schwarzenegger

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d)     Ray Charles 

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e)     John Wayne

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f)      James Stewart,  Grace                  Kelly & ? 

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g)     Bob Dylan

 

h)     Humphrey Bogart, Lauren             Bacall, Charles Boyer &     

         Hermen Steiner

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i)      Leonardo DiCaprio

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j)      Nicolas Cage

QUESTION 11
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Kf2.         Both 1.0-0 and 1.Kf2 seem to force mate next move (not 1. Ke2 Nc3+):   but 1.0-0 is illegal.  The only way the black king could have reached a2 is from behind the white pawns ... but that means the White king must have moved to 'let him through' ... and so cannot castle

QUESTION 12
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qxf8+!!  Kxf8  2. Nd7+ Bxd7  3. Ba3+  Kg8  4.Rc8+  Bxc8  5. Re8++

QUESTION 13
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Rh8+  N (or B) xh8   2. Qh7++

QUESTION 14
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Nd3!! - forcing the B or R to obstruct each other.  White mates with Nf2 or Ng3 the next move or on move 3

QUESTION 15
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qa3+!  Kxa3   2.Nc2++

QUESTION 16
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Ka8 b2  2.b7 Bh2  3.f4 Bxf4  4.e5  Bxe5  5.b8=Q  Bxb8  6. Bd5! (threatening Ba2 stopping the pawn and so forcing...) 6 ...b1=Q  7. Be4+!  Kxe4 stalemate!

QUESTION 17
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Ra8!  Qa2 (if 1...Qh7 2. Bg6!)  2.Rxa4! Qg8   3.Ra8 Qh7 4.Bg6! Qxg6 4. Ra6+      Any other Q move at any stage walks in to a bishop or rook skewer

QUESTION 18
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qa3+  Kd4  (if ...Kc4 2. Qa4 wins the Q)  2. Qb4+!   Now if 2... Ke5  3. Bg3! Qxg3 4.Qb8+, and if 2.....Ke3  3.Bg5! Qxg5 4.Qd2+

QUESTION 19
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWERs

a)     Magnus Carlsen & Gary Kasparov

b)     Alekhine, Lasker, Bogolubov & ? & ?

c)     So & Anand

d)     Ding Liren & Vachier-Lagrave

e)     Petrosian & Korchnoi

f)      Zsuzsa, Sofia & Judit Polga               

QUESTION 20
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. g7+  Ke7  2.Qe5+  Kf7  gxh8=N ++

QUESTION 21
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWERS

Black's last move must have been Kxa8 ... and it must have been a white N that was taken a8 that had just been played from b6 to 'discover' the check on the king on a7.  White's previous move was therefore Na8 or Nxa8 (i.e. a taking a black N or B  on that square

QUESTION 22
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Nh6+  Kf8  2.Qh8+  Ke7   3.Nf5++

QUESTION 23
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HOVER OVER ME FOR ANSWER

1. Qxf7+!  Rxf7   2.Re8++

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ANSWERS

 

Q1  Chase the black king all the way round to a3 with knight checks- then 12.Nb5++

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Q2  1. Qd8+!!  Kxd8 2.Bg5+ ... followed by either Bd8++ or Rd8++

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Q3  1. Qxd7+!!  Rxd7  2. Nc7+!+  Rxc7   3. Rd8++

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Q4  1. Qxg7+!  Kxg7  2. Nf5+ Kg8  3.Nh6++

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Q5  

a)     MAGNUS CARLSEN         b)     BORIS SPASSKY           c)     TIGRAN PETROSIAN        d)     DING LIREN     e)     EMANUEL LASKER           f)     NIGEL SHORT

g)     BOBBY FISCHER              h)     AMOS BURN

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Q6  1. Rh8+!  Kxh8  2.Rh3+  Kg8  3.Rh8+!  Kxh8  4.Qh3+  Kg8  5. Qh7+ Kg8  5. Qh8++

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Q7   1. Qd5+  (Qb3+ does not force mate) 1... Rf7  (...Kh8 allows a quicker mate) 2. Qxa8+  Bd8  3. Qxd8+ Rf8  4.Qd5+ Kh8  6.Nf7+ Kg8  7. Nh6+ Kh8  8. Qg8+!  Kxg8 9. Nf7++

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Q8  1. Qf2!! -force 1 ...Qxf2 stalemate

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Q9   1. Rg7+!  Kh8   2.Rh7+ Kg8   3.g7!  wins at least a rook

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Q10    

a) Yoko Ono & John Lennon            b)     Willie Nelson                   c)     Arnold Schwarzenegger     d)     Ray Charles    e)     John Wayne 

f)  James Stewart,  Grace Kelly & ?       g)     Bob Dylan       h) Humphrey Bogart, Luren Bacall, Charles Boyer & ?     i)   Leonardo DiCaprio   j)      Nicolas Cage

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Q11    1. Kf2.         Both 1.0-0 and 1.Kf2 seem to force mate next move (not 1. Ke2 Nc3+):   but 1.0-0 is illegal.  The only way the black king could have reached a2 is from behind the white pawns ... but that means the White king must have moved to 'let it through' ... and so cannot castle 

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Q12   1. Qxf8+!!  Kxf8  2. Nd7+ Bxd7  3. Ba3+  Kg8  4.Rc8+  Bxc8  5. Re8++

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Q13   1. Rh8+  N (or B) xh8   2. Qh7++

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Q14  1. Nd3!! cauing the R or B to obstruct one another. White mates with Nf2 or Ng3 the next move or on move 3

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Q15  ​1. Qa3+!  Kxa3   2.Nc2++

 

Q16  1. Ka8 b2  2.b7 Bh2  3.f4 Bxf4  4.e5  Bxe5  5.b8=Q  Bxb8  6. Bd5! (threatening Ba2 stopping the pawn and so forcing...) 6 ...b1=Q  7. Be4+!  Kxe4 stalemate! 

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Q17   1. Ra8!  Qa2 (if 1...Qh7 2. Bg6!)  2.Rxa4! Qg8   3.Ra8 Qh7 4.Bg6! Qxg6 4. Ra6+      Any other Q move at any stage walks in to a bishop or rook skewer

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Q18   1. Qa3+  Kd4  (if ...Kc4 2. Qa4 wins the Q)  2. Qb4+!   Now if 2... Ke5  3. Bg3! Qxg3 4.Qb8+, and if 2.....Ke3  3.Bg5! Qxg5 4.Qd2+ 

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Q19   

a)     Magnus Carlsen & Gary Kasparov            b)     Alekhine, Lasker, Bogolubov & ? & ?                 c)     So & Anand

d)     Ding Liren & Vachier-Lagrave                  e)     Petrosian & Korchnoi                                         f)      Zsuzsa, Sofia & Judit Polga               

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Q20   1. g7+  Ke7  2.Qe5+  Kf7  gxh8=N ++

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Q21   Black's last move must have been Kxa8 ... and it must have been a white N that was taken a8 that had just been played from b6 to 'discover' the check on the king on a7.  White's previous move was therefore Na8 or Nxa8 (i.e. a taking a black N or B  on that square

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Q22   1. Nh6+  Kf8  2.Qh8+  Ke7   3.Nf5++

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Q23  1. Qxf7!  Rxf7   2.Re8++