Tactics challenge of an Olympic medalist
2014. 12. 20.
Olympic medalist Grandmaster Pal Benko shares his most recent chess gems with the new generations.
Benko was raised in Hungary and became a member of the Olympic team in 1956, when Hungary won the bronze medal. After immigrating to the States, he represented the USA at six more Olympiads, winning an individual board silver medal in 1962 and a team silver medal in 1966.
After the breakdown of the Berlin Wall, Benko restored his connections with Hungary. In the autumn of 1990 he was the captain of the woman team (Judit, Susan and Sofia Polgar and Ildiko Madl), which for the second time in a row won the gold medals in Novi Sad.
Apart from being one of the World’s leading players about half a century ago (he was a World title Candidate in 1959 and 1962), Benko is well known in the field of chess composition. He is a prolific chess study and problem composer, always striving for beauty and a natural character of the starting positions.
In all the positions below White to move mates in three.
Very cool puzzles