Chess: What's the Best Move?

You have three choices to consider for each of the positions below, but only one of them is the best move. When you've decided which move you would play in each position, check out the solution at the bottom of the page.

Position 1



Black moves
A Kd7
B Rd1+
C Rc8

Position 2



Black Moves
A Qxe4
B Qd5
C Qe5

Position 3



White Moves
A Qxd3
B f5
C Kh2

Position 4



White moves
A Ne4
B b3
C f4

Solutions

Position 1



C Fine-Shainswitt (New York 1940)
A 1 ... Kd7? 2 a8/Q Bxa8 3 Nxa8 Rxa8 4 Nb6+ Kc7
5 Nxa8 Kb7 6 Kf2 Kxa8 7 Ke3, with a deadly outside
passed b-pawn.
B Second-best is 1 ... Rd1+ 2 Kf2 Ra1 3 Nb6 Ra2
(not 3 ... Rxa7? 4 Nc8+ and Nxa7) 4 a8/Q Bxa8
5 Ncxa8 Rxb2+ with winning chances.
C Accurate is 1 ... Rc8! snaring the dangerous
a-pawn. If 2 Na5 Be4 3 Na6 Ra8 4 Nb8 Kd6.

Position 2



B Shainswitt-Evans (New York 1948)
A A grievous mistake is 1 ... Qxe4? 2 Qd6+ Re7
3 Rxf7! Ke8 ( if 3 ... Kxf7 4 Bh5+) 4 Rxe7+ Qxe7
5 Rg8+ Nf8 6 Bh5+ leading to mate.
B Black prevailed after 1 ... Qd5! 2 Ng5 Ne5
3 Nh7+ Ke7 4 Qa3+ Qd6 5 Qe3 Nd5 6 Rxf7+?? Kxf7
7 Qg5 Rg8.
C Too risky is 1 ... Qe5 2 Nd6 Re7 3 Qd2 Qe6 4 Rh1

Position 3



A Adams-Shainswitt (New York 1941)
A It looks dangerous, but White should be content
to seek a draw by 1 Qxd3! Qxg4+ 2 Kf2 Qh4+ 3 Kg1, etc.
B Instead, White resigned after 1 f5? axb4
2 Qxd3 Qxc5+ 3 Kh2 b3 4 Qxb3 Re1 5 Kh1 Rae8 6 Qf3 Re1.
C Also bad is 1 Kh2? Re2+ 2 Kg3 Ne3 3 Bxe3 Rxa2
4 Qxd3 axb4 5 axb4 R8a3.

Position 4



C Jaffe-Shainswitt (New York 1938)
A White lost pawns without compensation after
1 Ne4? Nxc4 2 Ng5 Nxe5 3 Bf4 Bd6.
B Black mounts a virulent attack following
1 b3 g5! 2 hxg5 h4 (If Qf4 Bxg5! 4 Qxg5 Rdg8).
C Simply 1 f4 f6 2 Nb3 holds the balance with equality.