Pal Benko to US Olympic Team: Congrats and Compose!

Grandmaster and composer Pal Benko presents some problems in honor of the US Team's historic gold medal victory in Baku last month. US Chess Team Olympic 1. 1) U

White to move. Mate in 3.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/n1K5/N1B5/k1N5/P1n5/1R6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]1. Rb4+ Nxb4+ 2. Bxb4 Nd5 (2... Nd1 3. Nb6#) 3. Nb2# *[/pgn]

2) S

White to move. Mate in 2.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pQ5/b7/1k6/2R5/bK6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]1. Ra3 Bc4 2. Ra4# 1-0[/pgn]

3) C

White to move. Mate in 3.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5KR1/4P3/4B3/4R3/5kN1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]1. Bd4 Kg2 2. Nf1+ Kxf1 (2... Kh1 3. Rg1#) (2... Kh3 3. Rg3#) (2... Kf3 3. Nd2#
) 3. Rg1# *[/pgn]

4) T

White to move. Mate in 3.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2pPkPp1/4N3/4P3/4Q3/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]1. Qa7 Kxe5 2. Ke3 Kxd6 (2... Kxf6 3. Qe7#) 3. Qe7# *[/pgn]

5) O

White to move. Mate in 3.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6R1/5P1B/5k1B/5P1n/6K1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]1. Re7 Kxf6 (1... Ng6 2. Bg4+ Kxf6 3. Bg5#) (1... Nf3 2. Bg7 Nd4 3. Re5#) (1...
Ng2 2. f7 Kf6 3. f8=Q#) 2. Bg5+ Kf5 3. Re5# *[/pgn]

6) 1

White to move. Mate in 2.

Show Solution

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7n/6KN/5Q1p/7k/7p/7b/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]1. Qg4+ hxg4 2. Nf5# *[/pgn]

Also see Vanessa West's tactics article on Baku and GM Alejandro Ramirez's wrap-up from the scene.

For more by Benko, see his most recent US Chess articles on Back to School and Independence Day themed problems.