A Bronstein Chess Mystery

These two books feature in the opening to this week’s blog.


The book by David Levy (which is in fact quite good) made a big impression
on me when I was a chess greenhorn (now you know where I got the nik
greenpawn from.) Tony Miles mentioned a comical blunder in a variation
in the Levy book. Mistakes in chess books! I was slightly stunned. I thought
how could there be mistakes in chess books, surely they would be error free.

In this position (White to play)

Levy suggests 10.Nf5. Miles spotted that 10.Nxc6 wins on the spot.
10....Qxc6 11.Bb5 wins the Queen or 10...Qxb2 11.Qd8 mate. As far
as printed blunders go this one in the classic that all other must be judge by.

As time went on I realised mistakes in chess books (and in blogs...100% guilty!)
were fairly common. In a conversation with Jacob Aagaard he reckons, and
remember he makes his living publishing chess books, that there is no such
thing as an error free chess book. Look and you will always find at least one.


But what about a deliberate error? Let us swap David’s and talk to David Bronstein
via his ‘200 Open Games.’ A chess book one week I like it, next week I think it’s naff.
I have come to the conclusion that I’m not too fond of the 200 games without notes
(I have questions, need pointers ) but cherish the introduction Bronstein gives each one.

Here is Bronstein’s ‘blunder’ (“Look and you will always find at least one.” )
He is talking about 1.Bc4 Bc5; “I should like, in confidence, to pass on to the most
inquisitive readers my own method of defence. 1.Bc4 Bc5 2. Bc4 Bc5! 3. Qg4 d5!
4. Qxg7 Qh4! 5.Qxh8 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Qxg2. With hectic play.” Note the added !!!’s.

This is what it looks like.


He wrote this in 1973. So was it a blunder missing 5.Qxe5+ or were we meant to spot
that move. ‘...in confidence.... inquisitive readers...and those !!! Was it a beware that all
is not true in chess books. You never can tell with Bronstein. I wish I had met him.


First is one I composed after I showed the kids I coach the infamous
Lord Nelson game played on here in 2013 (Pausing Before Promoting.)

Lord Nelson - christiaanj RHP 2013


We messed about looking for a KN v KQ checkmate pattern (it cannot be done)
I added a pawn and came up with this rather frivolous Helpmate in two moves.


Black moves first and helps. assists White in delivering checkmate in two moves.
Reveal Hidden Content

Next is one I was shown a few days ago.( White to play and win)


Depending on what Black plays on their first move there are two solutions.

Reveal Hidden Content
Reveal Hidden Content

Last is a piece of magic from that master of wizardry Troitzky.


White to play and win. Clue Do not let that Bishop escape.
Either force Black to give it up or Black gets checkmated.


It’s a simple matter of restricting Black to playing Kh8-Kg8-Kh8 etc.




Who remembers back in 2021 when this happened.

R. Svane - A. Giri, World Rapid Ch, Warsaw 2021 (White to play)


White spotted the threat of mate in one and should have played 1.Qa7+
Instead it went 1.Kh5.Qh2+ (White resigned) 2. Kg5 Qh6 mate.

Then of course I followed on with a handful of Red Hot Pawn games with
the same theme. A player setting up a Helpmate in KQP v KQ positions.
I recently found another one. OldTobyxx1 - jmwinrider RHP 2023


White has to play 1.Qf4. Instead we saw 1.Kh5 2.Qh6 mate (1.Kh4 Qh2+ mates.)

Whilst looking through Red Hot Pawns games on the same subject I
discovered Black was resigning or going on to lose from this position


This is a draw with either colour to play. 1...Kh7! 2.Kxg5 Kg7. A book draw.
Cajunman - damdaman RHP 2014 Black resigned (?) is just one of the games.
This exact same position has occurred 32 times on RHP Black has lost 24 of them!

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 202630