The Chess Mind

A few days ago, I offered four studies for your solving pleasure. Each is contemporary, reasonably gamelike, and shows something special in its solution. Here are the positions again:


Pervakov 2000; White to move and draw.


Matous 2003; White to move and win.


Matous 2003; White to move and win.


D. Gurgenidze and Akobija 2005; White to move and win.

When you're ready to see the solutions, click here.

By this I don't mean that it's time for us to study, but time to look at and solve some studies. Some time ago, when I was lamenting about the 2006 "Study of the Year" (not that it's a bad study, but just one that seems unworthy of such an honor), I wrote a prominent study composer of my acquaintance. His remark was that while some shared my view about the SOTY, there were still plenty of fantastic, accessible, gamelike studies being composed, and he passed along four of them. And now, I pass them along to you.


Pervakov 2000; White draws


Matous 2003; White wins


Matous 2003; White wins


D. Gurgenidze and Akobija, 2005; White wins

The answers will be given in a few days. (Reminder: please be courteous; do not comment solutions here or elsewhere on the blog.)