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| Feb-19-12 | | gofer: Hmmm... I can't beat crafty after 17 ... Qc7
http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t... <Once> I should have perhaps explained that I have the pleasure of not only taking my son (8) to the cinema, but also my wife and daughter (6)... But I still don't think I could watch the Phantom Menace again. Possibly Ewan McGregor's worst acting performance ever. He actually makes me wince in pain at some points. But you are right about Darth Maul... |
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| Feb-19-12 | | Penguincw: This puzzle wasn't that hard. Now, assuming today is Sunday, I got a Sunday puzzle right. :) |
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| Feb-19-12 | | whittaker: <gofer> <I can't beat crafty after 17 ... Qc7> From that position I played against crafty as follows: 18. Rfe1 Rfd8 19. Re3 Bf8 20. Qxf6 Bg7 21. Qh4 Kf8
and I'm two pawns up. |
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| Feb-19-12 | | LIFE Master AJ: I will weigh in on the analysis later.
To me, the first move is blatantly obviously, the ONLY way to continue (in a sacrificial vein, today is Sunday after all) ... is the sack on h6. Perhaps some will consider this difficult simply because of its depth, and I would understand and sympathize with that. However, after so many Sundays, when I have stared at the beginning position with not much clue as what was going to transpire, this problem should hardly should be rated "Insane." (IMO) BUT! Good puzzle, and let us always be thankful to the folks who run CG and thank them for our dose of daily fun, entertainment ... and our task of analysis. (However, you might rate it.) |
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Feb-19-12
 | | sethoflagos: For this POTD to work there must be a weakness in black's position. It isn't immediately obvious, but because of that I found this problem very helpful in understanding a bit of sicilian theory I'd previously failed to realise. There's nothing particularly odd in black's position except for development of the LSB to c6 rather than its usual spot on e6. Its absence from e6 means that the underprotected DSB at e7 is exposed to attack down the open e-file preventing the defensive manoeuvre Qd8-a5-h5 (see <Jimfromprovidence:>'s posting). Put the LSB back on e6 to shield the DSB and the attack is easily refuted. I also had a deja vu experience with last sunday's POTD (E Berg vs M Vachier-Lagrave, 2012), another poor h6 effort against Bg5. Today, it's just mistimed. Kamsky's 5.Bg5 is overaggressive and deserves a good slap in the face. After 5...Nc6 6.Qd2 black's 6...Nf6 is simply torpid. If instead: 6...h6! 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 Bg7 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Nf3 0-0 11.Nh5 (not the only possibility!) 
click for larger viewBlack stands better |
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| Feb-19-12 | | kurtrichards: The 'insane' in this game is...if Kamsky go for Lautier's queen immediately. Example is 18. Bh7+ Nxh7 19. Rxd8 Raxd8... :) |
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| Feb-19-12 | | Nemesistic: This is the first Sunday that im publicly going to have a shot at the POTD, so bear with me here, i cant see the board as i type this! Okay 16.Bxh6 ...gxh 17..Qxh6 (This kind of jumps out anyway because in my own games iv reached positions like this hundreds of times and i'll always take the 2 g and h pawns and open up Blacks king for my LSB) then maybe ...Re8..
The Black Knight on f6 cant move because of the mate threat from Whites Queen, so retreating the Bishop to f8 must be Blacks next move, so ...Re8 18.Rfe1 ...Bf8 19.Qg5+(maybe?) ...Bg7 20.RxR ...QxR Arrgghhhhh, now im losing it with the threat of a back rank mate, maybe i should just give up on Sundays, i don't think iv'e ever solved one yet!! Wow i was miles away, but i got the first 2 moves right!!!
Lol |
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Feb-19-12
 | | computer chess guy: <gofer> <I can't beat crafty after 17 ... Qc7>
Houdini 1.5a prefers 17. .. Qa5 (.. Qd6 is also possible). |
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Feb-19-12
 | | An Englishman: Good Morning: Found the first three moves (full credit if you realize that Bh7+ is weak), but couldn't decide between 19.Rd4 and 19.Rd3. I think that the latter might be an "also-winning-but-not-as-good-move." 19.Rd3,Qc7; 20.Rg3+,Qxg3; 21.hxg3 with Q & 2P vs. R & B. 19.Rd3,Ng4; 20.Qg6+. |
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Feb-19-12
 | | hms123: We (User: WinKing , User: kutztown46 , and User: hms123) are announcing an award for the best contribution or series of contributions to the <Puzzle of the Day> by a non-premium member in the past year. The award—a one-year premium membership from the <Rinus Award> fund in memory of User: rinus –will be used to encourage non-premium members to contribute to the <chessgames.com> community through the posting of analysis or other chess-related discussion at the <POTD>. Please post nominations at User: hms123 some time in the next few weeks. Although we will be paying particular attention to the nominations and votes from those premium members who represent some of the best of what chessgames.com has to offer, all (including non-premium members) are welcome to nominate and vote. We thank everyone at the site for sharing so much information with us. |
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| Feb-19-12 | | Archerforthelord: i must admit i rejected Bxh6 bc i didnt think it was strong enough. :( lots to learn |
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Feb-19-12
 | | Patriot: Material is even.
The black queen is aligned for a discovered check if the situation arises. The only forcing move I see that may take advantage of this is 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxh6 and now a move such as 17...Qc7 must be played. Another option is 16.Qe2, immediately threatening the discovered check. Black's options seem very limited. 16.Qe2 Qe8 and I'm just not seeing anything. 16.Qc2 doesn't seem to threaten enough after 16...Qa5. 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxh6 Qc7 18.g4 Qe5 19.Qh4 looks interesting but 19...Ne4 is a problem. I at least have a draw with 18.Qg5+ Kh8 19.Qh6+, but I'm not seeing a win here. 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxh6 Qc8 18.Qg5+ Kh8 19.Bf5 Bd7 20.Nd5! |
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Feb-19-12
 | | Jimfromprovidence: I've revisited the puzzle position and here's my simplified take on the position after 16. Bxh6 gxh6 17. Qxh6.
click for larger view To me now the puzzle boils down to one thing, find a move that stops 18 Qg5+. The only move that does that is 17...Qa5, but as shown earlier,that's losing as well because of the hanging bishop on e7. I'm thinking now that black has to concede the pawn loss after 16 Bxh6 and follow with 16...Qa5. 
click for larger view |
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Feb-19-12
| | hms123: <Rinus Award Nominations> You are welcome to make more than one nomination for the award. The more the merrier. thanks--hms |
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| Feb-19-12 | | BOSTER: The idea of the combo is to use <discovered attack>. 16.Bxh6 gxh6
17.Qxh6 Qc7
Because now black knight has to protect h7, and black bishop e7 has to protect knight-they are limited in the mobility.
White has time to activate rook f1 playing Re1 with threat Re3-Rg3 or Rh3
18.Rfe1 Rad8
19.Re3 and white is better.
But I would not be surprised if this solution <not even closed>,because Kamsky's style is special. |
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Feb-19-12
 | | David2009: Kamsky vs Lautier, 1993 White 16?
I am tempted tby 16.Bxh6 fxh6 17.Qxh6 with the cheapo threat Bh7+ winning some material back, but I see no follow-up.
It seems better to prepare things with 16.Re1 hoping for Bd6?? 17.Bxd6 1-0. If 16...Re8 then 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxh6 creates a few threats.
Time to check:
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19...Bc4!! is such a brilliant concept to find.
click for larger view is the puzzle position, with an interactive link to Crafty Endgame Simulator:
http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t...
After my suggestion 16.Re1, the robot counter-attacks immediately with 16...Bc5 and if 17.Bxh6? Ng4! with the threat of ...Qh4. It meets 16.Bxh6 with gxh6 17.Qxh6 and now 17...Bd6 18.Bc4 Ne8 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Qh6+ Kg8 21.Qg6+ and I am happy to accept a draw. It is outside my pay grade to win this unaided against the ES. Fast forward to just before the end of the game, we reach
click for larger view(Kamsky vs Lautier 1993 White 26?) with the interactive link
http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t...
and I leave the interested kibitzer the task of finishing the robot off. First time round I got into an ending of QNPPP vs RRB which should have been enough to win- only to promptly fall to a sucker tactic. Second time round went much better: you don't even need to go into the above ending. Have fun exploring the variations! |
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| Feb-19-12 | | stukkenjager: "I'm thinking now that black has to concede the pawn loss after 16 Bxh6 and follow with 16...Qa5."
Seems spot on Jim, to call this insane?? |
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Feb-19-12
| | Patriot: <David2009> I played the last link and won on the first try. It started like this: 1.Qxh6 Qe7 2.Nd5 Qg7 3.Nf6+ Kf7 4.Qxg7+ Kxg7 5.Nxe8+ Rxe8 6.f4 and played a pawn storm without taking a lot of risk. Eventually it was an easy win. Usually it is incorrect to play 5.Nxe8+ in the position below since 5.Nxd7 wins a piece although I hadn't worked out if it was tactically sound.
click for larger viewBut I didn't want any kind of material imbalances except having 3 extra pawns. This helped to simplify everything against the strong program. |
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Feb-19-12
 | | chrisowen: RadI call approach you up in the clear castle ring true proponent rook eyes it hope in a flask it set the trap in cushion the blow castling into the maelstrom pupported by Kamsky <Bh7+ Nxh7 Rxd8 Raxd8> aim it single for black in delight Joel I daggered conquest haggled out of it in low against. Here 16.Bxh6 over the indefatigable Gata line strength in the follow up him go down gxh6 natural and bad better qa5 in across it covering g5 as many it is have in prompted a tical ie be7 hangs after rook h5 im licking o back e7 good material plus to boot. I gathered re8 in defence but then shot my bolt with you bh7 wreaking havoc in blacks kingside a preaching for the conversion of a queen in bishop rook lift hanging black out to dry it instead pottering for quick wind it totally on ground d8 gifting back his material tipica' profuse cont especial lynch in speak it's a bullboys pent a5s c7 why the rope honey error is watch in having free exchange lack bog master dearth in guessing bc4 finish pot rest in haggard pieces aint it rampage in select enough pull for vintage gate akin to it qxh6. |
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| Feb-19-12 | | JoergWalter: Some comments from 1993. (For all chess engine enthusiasts: 1993 was the year when Mephisto Vancouver 68030 was world champion of microcomputers). 12....Bg4? (better 12....dxc4 13. Bxc4 Qxd2 14.Nxd2 0-0) 15....0-0? (castling into it)
18....Bd7 (18....Qa5 19.Rd3 Nh7 20.Bxf7+ Kxf7 21.Qxh7+ Kf8 22.Rg3 Bg5 23.f4 Qc5+ 24.Kh1 and white wins) |
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| Feb-19-12 | | bachbeet: I got the first move but I was thinking of a different line that might have won black's queen (although white would have given up a lot of material). Kamsky's line was much better. |
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Feb-19-12
 | | agb2002: The material is even.
Black would probably consider a plan based on ... Qa5, ... Rad8, ... Rfe8, ... Qh5, etc. The rook on d1, facing the black queen, suggests the maneuver 16.Qe3 to disturb the black pieces and prepare an attack against the black king: A) 16... Qe8 17.Rfe1
A.1) 17... Bb4 18.Qg3 Nh5 19.Rxe8 (19.Qg4 f5) 19... Nxg3 20.Rxf8+ Kxf8 21.Bxg3 + - [N]. A.2) 17... Nd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Qxe7 + - [B].
A.3) 17... Nh5 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Qxh6 f5 20.Bc4+ Rf7 21.Qxh5 + - [R+N+2P vs 2B]. B) 16... Nd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 (17... Qxd5 18.Bh7+) 18.Be4 + - [B]. C) 16... Bd5 17.Bc4 + - [B].
D) 16... Nd7 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxh6
D.1) 18... f5 19.Bc4+ Rf7 20.Qg6+ Kh8 (20... Kf8 21.Qxf7#) 21.Bxf7 + - [R+2P vs B]. D.2) 18... Nf6 19.Bf5 Bd6 (19... Bd7 20.Rxd7) 20.Rd3 with the double threat 21.Rfd1 and 21.Rh3. E) 16... Bd7 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxh6
E.1) 18... Qc8 19.Nd5 Re8 20.Nxf6+ Bxf6 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Bg6+ and mate in two. E.2) 18... Be6 19.Ne4 Re8 (19... Nxe4 20.Bxe4 f5 21.Qxe6+ and 22.Rxd8) 20.Nxf6+ Bxf6 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Rxd8 + - [Q+2P vs R+B]. E.3) 18... Bc6 19.Bf5 transposes to D.2. |
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Feb-19-12
| | agb2002: Interestingly, after 16.Qe3 Houdini 2.0 x64 prefers to give the queen away with 16... Re8 instead of facing an attack against the king. |
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Feb-19-12
 | | scormus: One of those very tough positions that seems relativey easy (at least for a few moves) because (both) its a puzzle and because B went along with W's plan. Indeed, his best response would probably be to cut his losses with the immediate 16 ... Qa5, After 17 Qg5+ he's only a pawn down with Qs off the board and no tactical or strategical adv for W. But if B played that perhaps it would't be POTD. Or would it? Oh, and between <Jim> (thanks for pointing the way) and my Si friend here, I cant take any credit all. |
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| Feb-19-12 | | JoergWalter: <scormus> are you sure about the move numbers? 16....Qa5 17.Qg5+? I think queen exchange can be accomplished easier with 12...dxc4 etc. see my earlier post. game should be = then. |
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sac: 16.Bxh6