As our last problem of the week, let’s see if you can tackle a tough position. This game was won by GM Nicholas Rossolimo over Romanneko in 1948. Note that Black has lost his castling privilege, his king has nowhere to run and his pieces are not well posted for defense. His queen is off wandering on the queenside. Look at White’s advantages. He has a pawn almost single-handedly paralyzing the Black position, the rook rules the e-file, the bishop threatens to check and the knight and queen are well-poised to join the fray. Remember what we’ve covered this week in terms of checks, captures and forced moves along with the element of geometry. Good luck!

Rossolimo,Nicolas - Romanenko,I Salzburg, 1948. The game started out:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0–0 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Re1 Nd4? 7.e5! Ng8 8.d3 Nxb5 9.Nxb5 a6 10.Nd6+! exd6 11.Bg5 Qa5 12.exd6+ Kf8

And now White realizes that his queen would be more useful than his rook on the e-file to checkmate Black. He creates, using checks, a series of forced moves to get the Black king where he wants him: back in the center, where he’s more vulnerable. If Black gets one free move, he escapes! See Diagram

13.Re8+! Kxe8 14.Qe2+ Kf8

First step accomplished. White now has the queen on the e-file and the Black king is back where he started. What’s the point? The idea is that if White just played what follows with the rook on e1, it won’t work. Let’s see why.

15. Be7+ Ke8. Stop here for a second. If White had played 13.Be7+ then Black could have played 13…Nxe7 and after 14.dxe7+ Ke8, Black can hide behind the pawn and probably win the game. With the queen on the file, Black can’t do that as the queen can capture on e7 with check and then have a mating attack with Qe8+ and Ng5.That’s why the rook was sacrificed. Logical play by Rossolimo and quite brilliant.

16.Bd8+!! A great check! That’s why you look at ALL checks. It keeps the king in the center. 16…Kxd8 (if 16…Kf8 17.Bxa5 wins the queen) 17.Ng5! Black Resigns

Remember the Nb5 move of the previous problem and how it won because of the knight check follow-up. Even though it’s the other side of the board, it’s the same idea: the charming geometry of the knight move. The threat of 18.Nxf7 mate can only be delayed, but not stopped.

Now, this is an ingenious finish by a grandmaster. You should not feel bad if you didn’t see it all. I didn’t either when I first saw it; however, I did learn from it. If you combine this lesson with the others we’ve done along these lines, you will be a better chessplayer than you were two weeks ago, and that’s all that matters.

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.