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I think White needs to take a different tack than usual and avoid 11.Qxf7+, which eventually frees up the f7-square for Black's king. Instead, <11.Qh7+ Kf8 12.Qh8+ Ng8 13.Nh7+ Ke7>

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First off I feel like advancing e4 to e5.

7. e5 dxc4 8. Bc2 Bc7 9. Ng5 are my thoughts. 'Easy' could well mean some other tactical trick but this looks simple enough.

Black has choices at 7;

Bc7(see my line), Bb4 (Qc2) or dxc4 (Bc2 or even Bxh7+). I'll go with the most sensible looking < 7...Bc7>.

<7. e5 Bc7 8. Bxh7> (retains tempo) <8...Kxh7 9. Ng5+ Kg6> (better than Kg8) <10. Qg4 f5>

(and decision time; e.p. or let it be? Let it be and keep the enemy forces unmobilized; Q and the f8R.)

<11. Qg3> (not 11. Qf4 keeping N lift in hand till Black commits himself to Qd7 or Rh8)

<11...Qd7 12. Qh4> 1-0 with mate from h7 staring, with only a spite move for reaction.

I expect plenty of debate today. I wonder if NNs were kept? (You know what I mean)?

It looks a tough week ahead.

Parting shot: A man crazy for planning had this slogan painted on a board hung on his office door;

'Always plan ahe-
ad'

<7 e5 Bb4>
<8 Bxh7+ Kxh7>
<9 Ng5+ Kg8>
<10 Qh3> mating

The problem for me is that neither Kxh7 nor Kg8 is forced. There are other options for black and none are as bad as those given above.

Time to check...

---

Okay black didn't play Kg8 and played the better Kg6, but still should have tried to survive a little longer by playing 10 ... Nf5, which loses the queen but avoids mate for at least a while!

Han Solo: Never tell me the odds.

Continuing our star wars theme, today we have a classic choice - are you C3-PO or Han Solo?

On the face of it, that doesn't sound like the hardest decision you have ever been asked to make. On the one hand we have a mincing cowardly robot, and on the other we have Indiana Jones, the president of the Yooonited States and John Book all rolled into one.

But these two actually represent a difference of approach. C3-PO needs to calculate the percentages, assess every line, know everything that is knowable. So in today's position, we need to know what would have happened if black didn't play 7...Bc7 and tried something like 7...Bb4 instead.

And Herr Fritz (second cousin to C3PO) points out that 10. Ne2 or 10. h4 would have been stronger than 10. Qg4, because of the messy line 10. Qg4 f5 11. Qg3 f4. Sure, white is still winning, but it's not silicon precise.

And then we have the other king retreat with 9...Kg8. Are we certain that we can winkle him out? We play Qh5 and Qxf7+ but then we need to bring some more pieces into the attack. The trouble is that both black and white have a lot of choices.

But then who wants to play like a robot? C3PO spends at least a part of every star wars film disassembled - he is naked for the whole of episode 1 and his memory is wiped for the duration of episodes 4, 5 and 6 which is probably a blessing as he doesn't remember the awful acting of 1, 2 and 3.

Or there's Han Solo. He doesn't calculate. He doesn't want to know the odds. He doesn't even believe in the force. All he needs is a good blaster on his hip and a wookie by his side. Mind you, is he going to be mightily upset in the (as yet unfilmed) episode seven when he learns that the emporer was his father...

In Han Solo mode, all we need to know is that e5-Bxh7+ has just gotta be the right way to go. We are running through death star corridors waving our blaster at the stormtroopers. We are zapping Darth Vader's tie fighter in the falcon. We don't know the odds, we don't need to know the odds and we haven't even told our momma when we are going to be home for supper.

But it sure as hell looks like fun.

And let's not forget that the Jedi also believe in trusting your judgement, believing that the Force will guide them. Let's give the last word to Qui-Gon on the eve of the pod race...

Amidala(as Padme): "You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen is not-"

Qui-Gon: "The Queen trusts my judgement, young handmaiden. You should too."

I tried an essay against Crafty. It gives up its DSB first off taking e5. I tried only once but did not not succeed. I forgot Crafty does not recognize castling that I planned for. Here is the link. Crafty is moody and a bit erratic at times.

Asnwer No!

7. exd5 exd5! (not cxd5)

8. Bxh7+ Kxh7 9. Ng5+ Kg8! 10. Qh5 with mate threat on h7

10...Bf5! and it is Black who is winning.

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From a pure chess standpoint, Black must let the Bishop go and play <7...g6>. After all, the security of one's own King takes precedence over a mere Bishop.

Will it save the game? No

<7e5 Bc7 8Bxh7+ Kxh7 9Ng5+ Kg8 10Qh5>mate next.

Variations:

<7e5 Bc7 8Bxh7+ Kh8 9Ng5 f6 10Qh5 fxg5 11Bg6+>mate next.

<7e5 Bc7 8Bxh7+ Kxh7 9Ng5+ Kg6 10h4 Nf5 11h5+ Kh6 12Nxf7+> wins the Q at the very least.

***

Why not play

<11 Qxf7+ Kh8>
<12 g4 ...>

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This releases Rh1 to come to the attack via g1, g3 and h3, but more importantly stops black's only good defensive move Nf5!

I see no good moves for black.

12 ... Rf8 13 Qh5+ mating

12 ... Rg8 13 Qh5#

12 ... Ng6 13 Qxg6 Kg8 14 Qh7+ Kf8 15 Qh8+ Ke7 16 Qxg7#

12 ... Nd7 13 Nxd6 winning the queen

12 ... Ng8 13 Qg6 winning the queen

http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t...

Crafty comes unstuck very quickly

<12 ... Qd7>
<13 Rg1 dxc4>
<14 Rg3 Nf5>
<15 Rh3+ Nh6>
<16 Qg6 Kg8>
<17 Rxh6 Kf8>
<18 Rh7!! ...>

The black king is stuck as any defense leads to a quick mate. So all black can do is look for other moves that do not involve his King, Queen or Rook!

Instead of venturing into the asteriod field, he could have allowed the Millennium Falcon to be tractor-beamed into the other ship's hold. Meanwhile everybody hides in secret compartments hidden under the floorboards until the coast is clear. Always assuming that the empire doesn't have any scanners that can detect life signs.

Then he entices two storm troopers into the falcon, beats them up and steals their clothes.

Then he sneaks around the other ship until he finds a way to turn the tractor beam off.

Then he sneaks back on board the falcon using nothing more futuristic than the old ploy of wearing the enemy's uniform.

Then blast off out of the other ship's hold whlist not being shot to bits by the laser gun turrety things which he had not been able to turn off cos they're on a different circuit board to the tractor beam.

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White can start a quick attack against the black castle with 7.e5:

A) 7... Bb4 8.Bxh7+ Kxh7 (else lose a pawn and White still has an attack: 8... Kh8 9.Ng5 g6 10.Qg4 and 11.Qh4) 9.Ng5+

A.1) 9... Kh8 10.Qh5+ Kg8 11.Qh7#.

A.2) 9... Kh6 10.Nxe6+ and 11.Nxd8 + - [Q+2P vs B+N].

A.3) 9... Kg8 10.Qh5 Re8 11.Qh7+ (11.Qxf7+ allows the black king to escape to f7) 11... Kf8 12.Qh8+ Ng8 13.Nh7+ Ke7 14.Bg5+ Nf6 (14... f6 15.Qxg7#; 14... Kd7 15.Bxd8) 15.exf6+

A.3.a) 15... gxf6 16.Qxf6+ Kd7 (16... Kd6 17.Qe5+ and 18.Bxd8) 17.Qxf7+ Be7 18.Nf6+ + - [N+2P vs B].

A.3.b) 15... Kd7 16.Qxg7 + - [N+2P vs B].

A.4) 9... Kg6 10.h4

A.4.a) 10... Rh8 11.h5+ Rxh5 (11... Kh6 12.Nxf7+; 11... Kf5 12.Qf3#) 12.Qxh5+ Kf5 13.Qf3+ Kg6 14.Qxf7#.

A.4.b) 10... Qc(d)7 11.h5+ Kh6 12.Nxe6+ g5 (12... Kh7 13.Nxf8+ and 14.Nxd7) 13.hxg6+ Kxg6 14.Qg4#.

A.4.c) 10... Qe8 11.Qg4

A.4.c.i) 11... f5 12.h5+ Kh6 13.Nxe6+ and mate in two.

A.4.c.ii) 11... f6 12.h5+ Kh6 13.Nxe6+ g5 13.hxg6#.

A.4.c.iii) 11... Nf5 12.h5+ Kh6 13.Ne4+ Kh7 14.h6 g6 15.Nf6+ and 16.Nxe8 + -.

11Qxf7+ Kh8 12h4 Nf5 13Qh5+ Kg8 14Qh7+ Kg8 15Qg6 Qd7 16Nh7+ Ke7 17Bg5#

(16...Kg8 17Nf6+) forks K & Q