Magnus Carlsen won his 21st World Championship title this month, winning the International Chess Federation’s first official Freestyle Chess Championship. In freestyle chess, the starting position involves shuffling the pieces randomly on the first and eighth ranks.
This week’s position is from Carlsen’s game against Javokhir Sindarov. Carlsen is white; Sindarov, black. In chess, it’s good to be giving, especially when it bites off the hand that accepts. With this hint in mind, try to find white’s winning pseudo gift.
White’s pawn is on the verge of promotion, but black’s rook keeps its eye safely on the pawn. Nevertheless, the pawn promotes, and black’s rook snatches the new queen. White’s rook then captures black’s b7 pawn (see next diagram).
The white pawns corral the black king as the white rook delivers checkmate.
Black could have declined the Trojan pawn. White, however, would then easily overpower black with its new queen.
The lesson this week is that in chess, the best gifts are the ones wrapped in poison. In that sense, Carlsen is often very generous.
Reach Eric Morrow at ericmorrowlaw@gmail.com or (505) 327-7121.
