Stealing the Crown (Level: Intermediate)
Black to move and win.
From Vladimir Kramnik vs. Daniil Dubov, Tal Memorial (Blitz) 2018.
Dale Gibbs (1937-2018)
Dale Gibbs, a gentleman, Marine and local chess enthusiast, passed away March 1 at the age of 80.
Gibbs taught chess in Belen at St. Mary’s school for five years, directed dozens of events, and held several officer positions in NMCO, including president (2001).
He had a loving wife, Mary, and leaves a legacy of seven children, 19 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Memory eternal.
Local note
Congrats to Aravind Anandakumar of Desert Ridge Middle School for winning the NM K-9 Championship!
Tal Memorial
The Tal Memorial was held March 2-5 in Moscow; Viswanathan Anand won the Rapid with a 6/9 score. Below is possibly his most impressive win against Alexander Grischuk:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6
5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Be3 b6 9.Qd2 e5 10.Bh6 Qd6 11.0–0–0 a5 12.g4 a4 13.Kb1 Be6 14.Ne2 b5 15.Ng3 Rfd8 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qg5 Nd7 18.Nf5+ Bxf5 19.gxf5 a3 20.b3 h6 21.Qg3 Kh7 22.Rhg1 Qf6 23.h4 gxf5 24.Qh3 f4 25.Rg5 Qe6 26.Rf5 Rg8 (D) (*) White to move and win.
SOLUTIONS: Puzzler: 1 . ... Be8! (since Nf6-h7+ is threatened).
(*) The game finished: 27.Ng5+ hxg5 28.Rxf7+ Qxf7 29.hxg5+ Kg7 30.Qh6#