Chess teachers talk to their students a great deal about calculation. In particular, two things come up very often in my lessons: Paying attention to the opponent’s resources, and trying to notice all of the resources for both sides in the beginning of a variation. The logic is simple: The closer a position is to the current one, the more likely you are to encounter it on the board. So if you miss your opponent’s next move, that is much more likely to hurt you than missing a nuance eight moves away!
The New Year’s Day puzzle from Silas Lund’s 2026 Chess Calendar shows both of these themes in action. Last time, I asked you to find a win for White from the following position. Analysis and solution coming after the diagram!
Solution
Some of you have probably noticed the tactical theme: The weakness of Black’s bishop on f6. White’s bishop directly attacks it, while the rook on f1 indirectly attacks it. 19.Bxf6? Qxf6 doesn’t lead anywhere; there is no useful discovered attack. Instead, White starts from 19.Nxe5!, when the bishop on f6 is attacked twice. Black is forced to play 19…Bxg5, otherwise he loses the bishop. That brings up the following position.
Noticing the Opponent’s Resources
Beyond pattern recognition – usually the main thing in chess training – this is where I find the problem instructive. The natural candidate move 20.Nxf7?? would make a total mess of things, walking into the intermediate check 20…Be3+!, with the following diagram.
21.Kh2 Qxh4# is a quick finish, while 21.Rf2 Qf6 stops the threat of Qxg6+ and leaves White’s rook in a decisive pin. That won’t do – back to the previous diagram.
20.Rxf7! is the right way. Qxg6+ is still threatened, followed by checkmate. Black can still try 20…Be3+
But now the f1 square has been cleverly left for the White king! 21.Kf1! and Black has no defense against the coming Qxg6+. For example 21…Rxe5 23.Qxg6+ Kh8 24.Qh7#.
Conclusion
I think there are two levels to the problem: Noticing the relatively simple tactical idea with Nxe5, but then also recognizing the opponent’s resource of …Be3+. Noticing this move points to the key move 20.Rxf7!, clearing the f1 square for the White king and leaving the Black king to its fate. Look for another “Calendar Puzzle” next time!