A POISONED PAWN: WHITE TO MOVE

In a rapid game Satyananda - EintaluJ (Lichess, 2025), both players had less than 3 minutes time remaining. Black blundered and grabbed the poisoned pawn b2 with the move 27...Bf6xb2?? White missed the opportunity and the game ended with a draw.

Can you see the combination?

White to move

The FEN of the positon: 

6k1/pq3p1p/1p2p3/8/6N1/6P1/Pb3P1P/3Q2K1 w - - 0 28 

You can check your solution below:

13 MOVES AND 2 TRAPS

In open games, traps are everywhere.

The rapid game Mikromeister - Mikhael1963 was particularly short.

THE FEELING OF A REAL WIN

I cannot speak on behalf of others. As for myself, my best feeling of success is not when I have received a lot of points or a high rating. Of course, I am disappointed when I lose a game or my rating points.

Nevertheless, the intense feeling of real success is not related to comparing with others. The genuine feeling is seeing that I have done something excellent and beautiful on the chessboard.

Recently, I had such a feeling in the rapid game EintaluJ - Xixiwang on Lichess. 

After the move 20...Rc8, Black offered a draw. I was already almost in a zeitnot.

After my long move, move 21 Qa3!, I felt like Bobby Fischer. I could not help but think that I was very smart.

I suppose cheaters who use chess engines during the game can never achieve such a high level of success-enjoyment.

That is a fundamental assumption which I cannot prove: that self-deception can never yield real pleasure. 

INDIA IMEMALETAJA

India noorimal imemaletajal on alles lutt suus.

Talle tehakse kaheksa tundi päevas maletrenni.

Ta on tõepoolest imemaletaja: kui ta on kakskümmend maleülesannet õigesti lahendanud, siis lubatakse tal emanisa imeda.