Thomas Backes 📯 

The Nabokovs at work: Vladimir dictates, Véra types. Ithaca, NY, 1958.

The Nabokovs at work: Vladimir dictating, Véra typing.

Véra & Vladimir Nabokov playing chess. Lover, editor, wife, lifelong companion, first (and arguably finest) reader of her husband's books, Véra was born in St. Petersburg on this day in 1902.

@ChessifyMe Rf6! V1 Rf6 g×Rf6 B×f6# V2 Rf6 g6+ R×g6#

Friday’s highlight. ♟️💎 White mates in 2

@ImShahinyan Nh4! V1 Nh4 g×Rh6 Qd8# V2 Nh4 K×Rh6 Qc1# V3 Nh4 K×Nh4 Qg4#

White mates in 2 Can you solve this in 5 minutes? 🤔

In this position, I played Ra2 almost automatically, following the old adage that "rooks belong behind passed pawns." However, the resulting position is a tablebase draw. Can you do better and find the winning plan? The best move is easy (by elimination).

@chess_feed V1 ... Qg3 h×Q Ne7# V2 ... Qg3 f×Q Ne2+ Kh1 R×Rc1# V3 ... Qg3 Q×Q Ne2+ Kh1 N×Q+ Kg1 Ne2+ 0,5 : 0,5

Brilliant move, but why?

@Grolmori ... als Abschluss noch ein doppelter Espresso!

Als Teenager: "Erst 3 Uhr in der Nacht? Da kann ich noch einen Döner, eine Pizza und ein Spanferkel essen." Als Erwachsener: "Schon 20 Uhr? Wenn ich jetzt noch einen Snack esse, liege ich wieder die ganze Nacht wach." Ein Uhu bestellt Schweinebraten.

@IrenaBuzarewicz Youth trains for the Olympics!

@SallyMayweather @misfitmansour The language English and its Risk of confusion: No more wars No! More wars Now, more wars

@ImShahinyan Rd7! V1 Rd7 b×Q R×R# V2 Rd7 R×Ra4+ Q×R# V3 Rd7 Re8 Q×b7#

A very beautiful puzzle🧩 White mates in 2

@ChessifyMe A beautiful variant : Rf8+ Qb8 Ra5# (Checkmate by double check)

Trust your instincts here. 😏♟️ White mates in 2

@chess_feed So there are two possibilities for a checkmate 1. with rook 2. with pawn (at its finest)

Is this just a good move though?

Deppenentsorgung leicht gemacht.. 👍

@chess_feed Ra7! Q×Ra7 Rh8+ Kf7 Rh7+ Kg6 R×Qa7 🫱🫲 1 : 0

Why is this move brilliant?

@chess_feed Re8+ R×R Nf7+ Kg8 Nh6++ Kh8 Qg8+ R×Qg8 Nf7# This checkmate via knight is only possible against King & Rook. For this reason: 1. Re8+ ...

Why is this move brilliant?

@Rainmaker1973 38

What number do you see?

@ImShahinyan 1. Bg4 Qe3 (a×Bb5??? =>Qa3+ Kg1 Q×Rc1) 2.B×N Q×B 3.Nd4

Tactics and strategy go hand in hand. How to get the knight to that beautiful square on d4?🤔