Some of us have been discussing Frederick Forrest Lawrie Alexander, who died 55 years ago this week (1 Apr 1965) at the age of 85. He had a long career, half a century or more, as both a player and a problemist.

FFL Alexander was, unlike the Irish CHO’D Alexander, of Scottish descent on his father’s side, but had connections to our area. He was born in Chiswick, just round the corner from Gunnersbury Station, and married in Teddington, a stone’s throw from the house where a better known problemist, CAL Bull, once lived. He spent much of his life in Streatham, playing chess for Battersea, before moving to Southend, perhaps on retirement from his profession as an accountant.

He achieved his greatest success as a player in 1950, when, at the age of 70, he defeated both Bogoljubov and Golombek in a tournament at Southsea.

For this week’s puzzle we take you back to 1911. This is a mate in 2, a first prize winner from the Bolton Football and Field, a publication which, rather improbably, had a thriving chess column at the time. 

Can you solve it? As always, I’ll publish the solution next week.