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DIVERTIMENTOS BY GREAT PLAYERS

Please remember diagrams are always seen from the White player point of wiev. White to play unless otherwise stated.

Mate in two moves	The key: 1 Ra6	Draw	After 2 Kf6

A problem by the american Paul Morphy (1837-1884), unofficial world champion and a legendary player.	Defying common sense but extraordinary! The a7 pawn is now blocked and any Black move leads to immediate mate. Really nice.	Richard Reti (1889-1929) was a vanguardist Czech grandmaster. This simple but amazingly witty study by him is likely the most famous in chess. As the black pawn is far beyond reach, it looks impossible for White to draw. The miracle comes when the white king threatens both to reach the black pawn and to support the white one. Let us see. 1 Kg7, h4. 2 Kf6	Now if 2 -, h3. 3 Ke7 and the white pawn queens. And if 2 -, Kb6. 3 Ke5 threatening both Kf4 and Kd6; White is saved. In the Middle Age a manuscript titled Bonus Socius (Good Companion), containing some dozens of solved chess studies, helped some specialised minstrels to make a living from betting.