WINTON
BRITISH CHESS SOLVING CHAMPIONSHIP

Johh Rice

If it were Black to play in the diagram position (which it isn't!), nearly all his moves could be followed by immediate mate by White. The exception is 1...Bc3!, and that explains the answer, which provides a mate for it.

1.Qd2!   ()

1...f3   2.Qg5#
1...c5   2.Qd5#
1...S~   2.Q(x)d6#
1...Bb2  2.Qxb2#
1...Bc3  2.Qxc3#
1...Bd4  2.Qxd4#

Notice that, as well as providing a mate for 1...Bc3, White's first move (the key), has also changed the mates after 1...f3, 1...c5 and 1...S~.

The following incorrect moves, all given by entrants and listed in order of popularity, are refuted in the manner shown: 1.Sg4+? by 1...Kxe4+! [presumably, those who claimed this as the solution (all 83 of them!), failed to notice that 1...Kxe4+ is check to the white king from the black bishop at a1, thus making 2.Qc2 not mate, but illegal!]; 1.g3? by 1...f3! as 2.Qg3# is no longer available; 1.Qf3? by 1...Bd4! as now White can't mate and cover d6 at the same time; 1.Qa2? by 1...f3!; 1.Qh4? by 1...Bd4! and 1...Sd6!; 1.Kg6? by 1...Bc3!; 1.Rd7? by 1...Bc3!; 1.Rd6? by 1...Kxd6; 1.Qe1? by 1...Bd4!; 1.Rd8? by 1...Bc3!; 1.Sh5? by 1...Kxe4+! and 1...f3!; 1.Qd4+? by 1...Bxd4!; 1.Qe2? by 1...Bd4! and 1...f3!; 1.Rxa1? by 1...f3!, 1...c5! and 1...Kd6!; 1.g4? by 1...Bc3! This last move was only claimed by one entrant, and I was particularly relieved that this was so. One very influential chess editor had published the starter problem complete with a broad hint that the answer included one of chess's ‘odd’ moves, which in this position can only mean en passant.