ArcaMax

This win by I.A. Horowitz from 1931 has a mating pattern finish that everyone should know. The first move is quite spectacular on its own!

If you have been with this column a while, you will probably get the first move, but how about the follow-ups?

The moment for White to launch a mating attack.

H.R. Agnel once composed a problem that was a mate in six:

1.Rg8+ Rxg8 2.Qd8+ Qxd8 3.Rxd8+ Ke7 4.Rxg8 Nd6 5.Bc5 b6 6.Bxd6#,but there was a shorter mate in five. Can you find it?

We’re going to finish off golden oldies with a task problem. White to play and mate without moving the king or taking a pawn.

This Golden Oldie is Edward Lasker’s most memorable finish.

This Golden Oldie is a doozy! White has all his forces arrayed, but what is the most efficient sequence?

Another Golden Oldie. Every player of the White pieces dreams of a sacrificial attack against the Sicilian Defense. Over 60 years ago Troinov got his chance. Here’s the game. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Be3 0–0 9.Bb3 a6 10.f4 d5 11.e5 Nd7 12.Qh5 Re8?? At this point Black should have played 12...Qe8,...

Another Golden Oldie. One of the toughest things to do in chess is come up with a plan in a complicated position. Alekhine reached this position years ago and noticed something about a certain pattern based on the placement of the pieces. He noticed that the queen bishop was indirectly attacking the black King. He also noticed that if the a1-a8 ...

I have a hankering for posting some old favorites. So, we’ll do some golden oldies in the coming days, and they will be fun for people who have never seen them. This first one was inspired itself by an older Reti study—White to Play and Draw. That’s a hint for for the experienced players.

You might easily guess the first move, but can you see it all the way to the finish?