Five studies by Richard Réti

The following study by the great Richard Réti shares a key theme with Wednesday's study by Frederick Rhine. Give it a whirl!

Réti

Teplitz Schönauer Anzeiger, 1922

White to play and win

Here's one of Réti's greatest hits:

Réti

Hastings and St. Leonards Post, 1922

White to play and win

In the rook versus pawn(s) battle, the defender can use a similar theme:

Réti

Shakhmatny Listok, 1929

White to play and draw

Réti's most famous study often appears in beginner's books (but it's far from simple!):

Réti

Deutsch Österreichische Tageszeitung, 1921

White to play and draw

Réti composed a variation on this theme that deserves to be better known:

Réti

Deutsch Österreichische Tageszeitung, 1921

White to play and draw

You'll find more Réti studies at this cool website and on the highly recommended HHdbIV.

Inspired by the Saavedra position

Alexander Fishbein & Dmitry Gurevich 

Illinois Chess Bulletin, 1991 

White to play and win

Matt Pullin tried to solve yesterday's Karstedt study by sacrificing the horsie to transpose to the Saavedra position.  That made me think of this study, co-authored by our own GM Dmitry Gurevich and first published in the Illinois Chess Bulletin.

Solution to yesterday's study (Karstedt, 1911)

You're going to need a couple hints for this one....

This blog's very own Frederick Rhine is the author of today's study (cribbed once again from the terrific HHdbIV).

Frederick Rhine

Chess Life, 2002

White to play and draw 

There was a Karpov-Kasparov game in 1991 that reached the pawnless ending KBNN vs. KR.  The game was drawn, and subsequent research confirmed that this ending is theoretically drawn in the general case.  (The rook can sacrifice itself for the bishop, after which KNN vs. K is drawn.)

Black is threatening checkmate in the above position: do whatever it takes to stop Black!  But kindly do it in the right order.

Parents will go to great lengths for their children

That study made me think of this one.  I had to dig out my copy of Sutherland & Lommer to find the position.

Max Karstedt

Deutsches Wochenschach, 1911

White to play and win

Solution to Kleiman study

Become the alpha nerd in your club with Dr. Harold van der Heijden's endgame study database HHdbIV!

M. Kleiman 

Chess Life and Review, 1968

White to play and win

A nice New Year's present

If you're rated over 1700 (or want to be!), or if you enjoy endgame studies, or simply enjoy beautiful chess positions, here's the PGN file for you!

Dr. Harold van der Heijden, the editor of EG magazine, sells his collection of over 76,000 endgame studies for 50 EUR. I've had HHdbIV, the fourth edition, for a couple of days, and am really enjoying it!

M. Kleiman  

Chess Life and Review, 1968 

White to play and win 

This one is very amusing!

Author, author!

Shiva Maharaj showed me this cute study the other day.  I figured out that the theme was domination, but could not find the main line.

So whose study is it?  I'll guess Kasparyan.  (Duh: the obvious guess.)  But if someone with the van der Heijden database would clue me in, I'd appreciate it and will amend to give credit.

Torture from Grigoriev

Nikolai Grigoriev

64, 1936

White to play and win

Some positions in this study could have arisen in my game with Mack Smith.  The solution is not easy!

Cute!

Matt Pullin explains a very nice pawn endgame study. I guessed the first two moves immediately, but it took me awhile to fathom the point.