Eric Morrow

Herons are patient, solitary predators. Extending its wings to create shade for unsuspecting fish, the heron will stand like a statue in a fixed stance, virtually invisible to its prey on the shore as it blends in with the foliage, patiently waiting for its prey to swim within optimal striking distance. Its patience has rewarded the heron with being one of the most successful hunters in the animal kingdom.

In 2018, during the Daytona 500, Austin Dillon passed the leader Aric Almirola on the third turn of the final lap to win the race. In this week's position, a white pawn turns the corner and wins the race. With this hint in mind please try to find white's winning move and plan.

Judith Polgar of Hungary is the best female chess player of all time. At age 12 she became the youngest player to be ranked in the top hundred in the world.

The eight players for the Candidates Tournament in April have been decided. These players compete for the right to challenge the reigning World Chess Champion, Ding Liren, for the title. The two qualifying Americans are: F. Caruana and H. Nakamura.

China's Wei Yi won the prestigious Tata Steel Championship in the Netherlands this January. In a tie breaker consisting of a series blitz games against teenage superstar D. Gukesh of India, Yi navigated this week's position as white with only seconds on his clock to win the game and tournament.

In late 2024, the reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren will defend his title against the winner of the eight-player Candidates Tournament next April in Toronto. Six players have qualified, while two spots remain open, which will be finalized on or by Dec. 31, 2023.

Like the inner mechanics of a watch, middle game chess positions are intricate and delicate. In both, the tension between the moving parts is tangible but in balance. Too much pressure on the gears or wheel or spring and time is, so to speak, lost. Too much pressure on a square and the balance shifts. Here, black shifts the balance with a well-timed advance.

Like the inner mechanics of a watch, middle-game chess positions are intricate and delicate. In both, the tension between the moving parts is tangible but in balance.

Under Queen Victoria the sun never set on the British Empire. Victoria's reach extended across 25% of the earth's landmass from Australia to India to Africa. Like Queen Victoria, the white queen's lengthy reach across the board permits white to mate in two in this classic chess position.

Black to mate in 4 Gukesh mate in 4 moves, diagram 1. Courtesy Eric Morrow.