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Pablo Moran Santamaria vs E Franco
Gijon 1955  ·  Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer. Classical Variation (B64)  ·  1-0
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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-21-12  gofer: Black looks okay, but his defensive has a huge weakness.

<23 Rxg7+ ...>

The rook is immune!

23 ... Kxg7
24 Rg1+ Kh6 (Kh8 25 Be5+ mating)
25 Bf4+ Kh5
26 Rg5+ Kh4 (Kh6 Ra5+ )
27 Rg4+ Kxh4 (Kh5 Nf6#)
28 Nf2#

<23 ... Kh8>

24 Rg8+ Rxg8
25 Be5+ f6
26 Bxf6 Rg7
27 Rd8+ Qg8
28 Rxg8+ Kxg8
29 Bxg7 Kxg7
30 Nd6

But is there anything better? Well there is something different!

<24 Be5 ...>

24 ... Re8 25 Rdg1 mating

<24 ... Qa1+>
<25 Kd2 ...>

25 ... Rd8+
25 Ke3!

White's Rd1 is immune AND is attacking both Qa1 and Rd8!


click for larger view

So black must continue with its queen, not its rook.

<25 ... Qa5+>
<26 Bc3 Rd8+>
<27 Ke3! ...>


click for larger view

Now black's chance are severely limited the best option is probably to try and sacrifice the queen to exchange down for B+R. Either way white ends up a full knight up...

Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: Amazing hap, i as so intricate spent some gauping at effect in f6 too clinch mob handed mating netter in g7 after kingh8 huge ordeal in examined unroaming queen flash i on captain <a1+ b2> etc whites heart surge has been stoked as there is no breakthrough in turning my focus too languish in clipping g7 as straight in away it we edifice in capping a stalk in g7 black king booted to h8 otherwise eeking h6 provides me a golden chance to invigorate pieces kingside low and behold go a ship in the night <23.nf6+ kh8> and light muster in green a key tread over f6 retreats in giving old gate queen starts ripe picking harvest in check it ok in b2. Surmising back track i stumbled in underneath is tell in g7 left hole in loom a king corner and i g8! Point being in white can smother his king and emerge white knight to the good after exchanges in just e5 presents faith in abundance little fiddling in with rookd7 d8 a cubed f6 in i symbol champ ganes hanging rook queen i net his instance pressing <25.be5+ f6 26.bxf6+ rg7 27.rd8+>
Jun-21-12  poszvald: SuperPatzer77, you are right, after kibitzing, I have checked other kibitzers posts as well and I overlooked that, however it is not changing the white 1-0, as after exchanges a knight is enough to sack the game.
Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: A very pleasing puzzle. I often puzzle some of the members at my chess club with the fascinating positions here at chessgames.com. This puzzle will be making an appearance at my club soon.

I briefly looked at 23.Nf6+, but then I concentrated on 23.Rxg7+. I first reviewed 23...Kxg7 24.Rg1+, however it took me some time before I found 26.Rg5+, and the mate.

I was suspecting the other line, 23.Rxg7+ Kh8, might be easier, with the possibility of white making another rook move. But this line proved to have a surprising twist. While I was considering my various rook moves, or the possibility of moving my bishop to the a1-h8 diagonal, I happened to spot the move 24.Rg8+!. At first it seemed just too unlikely to work, but it does.

Jun-21-12  LoveThatJoker: <CHESSTTCAMPS> Thanks for saying that, man! I appreciate it!

LTJ

Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Sneaky: Wow! Where does chessgames.com find these positions?? This is one of the prettiest combinations I've seen for an over-the-board game.>

Word.

Jun-21-12  Djoker: <LoveThatJoker> I do solve puzzles, but most of the time...I am either totally stumped(fri+) or generally I find lines...and then read up all the kbitzing, to clear my doubts...And I feel quite reluctant to post. But you are right, I will try to be regular as I see many helpful people around.
Jun-21-12  LoveThatJoker: <Djoker> Excellent!

LTJ

Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: The first rook sac is for the show;the second offer can't be refused and black will be kissed by death.
Jun-21-12  BOSTER: <LTJ> <is better for white as black's king is one square < further> from h3(pawn)>.

Such <straight philosophy> to keep opponent's king <further> from the pawn is not always correct.

This is one example, where white king moving <further> himself from the pawn.


click for larger view

White to draw.
The natural inclination is 1.Kc8, going <nearer> the pawns. Then 1...Kc6 2.Kd8 Kd5 and black wins the race. Strange to say, the <going away> move 1.Kh8 draws.

Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  SuperPatzer77: <BOSTER : ...White to draw.

The natural inclination is 1.Kc8, going <nearer> the pawns. Then 1...Kc6 2.Kd8 Kd5 and black wins the race. Strange to say, the <going away> move 1.Kh8 draws. >

<BOSTER> The correct move should be 1. Ka8 - not Kh8 that got me confused. Yeah, of course, White draws with 1. Ka8!! =

1. Ka8!! Kc5, 2. Ka7! Kd4, 3. Kb6 Ke3, 4. Kc5 Kf2, 5. Kd4 Kg2, 6. Ke3 Kxh2, 7. Kf2 draw!!!!! LOL

<BOSTER> Stop picking on <LoveThatJoker>, OK? LOL LOL

SuperPatzer77

Jun-21-12  LoveThatJoker: <BOSTER> Thanks for mentioning me in your post, but my comment on today's puzzle was never meant to exclude exceptions like the K+P endgame you posted there.

Of course there are exceptional cases here and there, but as a good habit to get into, it is usually better for the oppponent to be farther away from a critical point than closer.

LTJ

Jun-21-12  lzromeu: White is wining since 17.fxe7
Jun-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Alex56171: <FSR: The rook sac was obvious but I missed the 26.Rg5+! and 27.Rg4+! idea.>

I'm glad I'm not alone!

Jun-21-12  BOSTER: <LTJ> <it is usually better for the opponent to be further away from a critical point>.

I agree this is a good idea, but many players understand this like a rule.

<SuperPatzer77> <The correct move should be 1.Ka8>. You are absolutely right.

Jun-21-12  LoveThatJoker: <BOSTER> Thanks for your input. I'm glad you brought this up: Of course, I meant it more as a general guideline than a rule.

This said, in the puzzle position it is more advantageous to have Black's K end up on g8 after the major tactical flurry - most especially in my line where the N goes to c8 and attacks both the a7 and b6 pawns.

LTJ

Jun-21-12  gars: I solved this one, my second Thursday POTD in ages! Well, tomorrow is Friday, so there's no point being smug today.
Jun-22-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <BOSTER> I have seen that pawn ending before but it still blows my mind. In a blitz game I'd probably still play 1.Kc8?? (well, maybe not after seeing it again, I hope). Maybe the way to think about it is that Black will definitely win the race to the pawns - so White isn't really trying to get to the pawns, but to the f2 square so he can shut the Black king in. The fastest route there is the diagonal a7-b6-c5-d4-e3-f2, so it makes sense to keep your king as close to it as possible.
Jun-22-12  dragon player: You would think the king escapes but, he can't:

23.Rxg7+ Kxg7
24.Rg1+ Kh6

If 27...Kh8 28.Be5+ and mate.

25.Bf4+ Kh5
26.Rg5+ Kh4

If 26...Kh6 27.Ra5+ winning the queen and the game.

27.Rg4+ Kxh3 (27...Kh5 28.Nf6#)
28.Nf2#

Time to check.

---------------

Black refused the sac, but that lead to a sooner mate.

4/4

Jun-22-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  SuperPatzer77: <dragon player: ...If 26...Kh6 27.Ra5+ winning the queen and the game...>

Take a look at the diagram - (if 26. Kh6...) below:


click for larger view

<dragon player> If 26...Kh6, the best move is 27. Rg4+ (discovered check) Kh5, 28. Nf6# so, 27. Rg4+ is much better than 27. Ra5+

SuperPatzer77

Jun-22-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  SuperPatzer77: <FSR: <BOSTER> I have seen that pawn ending before but it still blows my mind. In a blitz game I'd probably still play 1.Kc8?? (well, maybe not after seeing it again, I hope). Maybe the way to think about it is that Black will definitely win the race to the pawns - so White isn't really trying to get to the pawns, but to the f2 square so he can shut the Black king in. The fastest route there is the diagonal a7-b6-c5-d4-e3-f2, so it makes sense to keep your king as close to it as possible. >

<FSR> An excellent point!!

<BOSTER> shows us that it looks like the White King is one square back. However, White finds the fastest route to the f2 square by taking aim at the a7 - g1 diagonal to corner the Black King for a draw. So, it is Ka8!! =

<FSR> Very instructive!

SuperPatzer77

Jun-23-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <SuperPatzer77> Or maybe the best way to think about it is this: we can see that Black will head for our pawn on h2, and since his king is better placed, he'll take it before we can take his pawn on h3. <So our objective must be to reach f2 ASAP to shut in his king after he takes our pawn.> We also know that Black will do what he can to obstruct our king from getting to f2, so that if we play 1.Kc8, he'll play 1...Kc6!, getting closer to our pawn and simultaneously restricting us to the eighth rank (2.Kd8 or 2.Kb8). So the question is: if Black plays 1...Kc6 next move, do we want to respond to it with 2.Ka7 (putting us <five> moves from f2: b6-c5-d4-e3-f2) or with 2.Kb8 or Kd8, either of which puts us <six> moves away? (a7-b6-c5-d4-e3-f2 or d7-d6-d5-d4-e3-f2, respectively.) Once you realize that, it's a no-brainer.
Jul-01-12  Javz: Hi everyone, i'm still relatively new to this, my dad used to do the daily puzzle everyday and this was the one on the day he passed away, i tried to complete it to honor him but fail to understand why the King can't just take the Rook in defense?

Thank you kindly

Jul-01-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <jayz> After <23.Rxg7+ Kxg7>, White plays <24.Rg1+>:


click for larger view

Black has two choices. 24...Kh8 25.Be5+ f6 26.Bxf6# is very simple, but <24...Kh6> is more interesting. White would follow with <25.Bf4+ Kh5 26.Rg5+!>


click for larger view

And there are a couple of nice mates-in-two after either 26...Kh6 27.Rg4+ Kh5 28.Nf6#, or 26...Kh4 27.Rg4+ Kxh3 28.Nf2#.

This was not easy to solve! If you ever have questions about the solution, look at the previous comments and they will usually be answered. But never be afraid to ask if you're still confused.

Sorry about your father's passing. If you don't mind doing this, could you tell us his screen name? The puzzle solvers here are a close knit group, and I'm sure many would appreciate knowing.

Jul-04-12  Javz: <Phony Benoni> thanks a lot for the thorough explanation, and thanks for you kind words, i'll try to see if if can find his screen name, i'm not even sure he had one, i do know he kept a written record of all the puzzles in a book, and the page where this one should've been was blank, he was 84, r.i.p

I'll keep you posted, thanks again for your help

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