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| Sep-13-08 | | dzechiel: Black to move (32...?). White is up a pawn. "Very Difficult." Things to notice here are that white threatens Ra7 pinning and winning the black queen, AND that if black can open the f-file under the right circumstances, the white king is very vulnerable to a back rank checkmate by the rook. Yeah, I think it must be
32...Nfxe4
White can't capture with 33 Bxe4 because of 33...Rf1#. So, I guess white goes with his original plan anyway... 33 Ra7 Qxa7 34 Nxa7 Rf2
If white tries 35 Qxf2 then 35...Nxf2+ 36 Kg1 Nxd3 winning a bishop after the smoke clears. But if white moves to protect the queen with something like 35 Qb1
then
35...Nf3
seals the fate of the white king with the upcoming 36...Rxh2#. I went back and forth on this position, the move 34...Rf2 being the hard one for me to find. Time to check. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | lost in space: 32... Nfxe4!
White can not take on e4 due to mate with Rf1
33. Ra7 Qxa7 34. Nxa7 Rf2! 35. Ne3
This was the only move I found were White don't loose directly; e.g.
35. Be2? Bg2+36. Kg1 Nh3#
or 35. Qf2 Nxf2+ 36. Kg1 Nxd3
A: b5? Nf3+ 38. Kh1 Nf2#
B: 37. Nd2 e4! 38. Nb5 Nf3+ 39. Nxf3 exf3 40. Nd4 (40. Kh1 f2 41. Nxd6 f1Q#) 40..f2+ 38. Kh1 Nf2# 35...Nf3 36. Qc7+
or 36. b5? Rxc2 37. Bxc2 Nf2#
36...Kh6 37. Ng4+ Bxg4 38. Qc1+ Neg5
and now mate will follow. The most easy one after 39. b5 Rxh2 
click for larger view |
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| Sep-13-08 | | Once: I'm sticking with my theory that the theme of the week is a knight sacrifice. From the starting position, the move we would love to play is Rf1#. Of course, we can't play it at the moment because the white Bd3 defends and our Nf6 is in the way. So 32. ... Nfxe4 appeals because it achieves half of our fantasy position (by moving the knight) and if 33. Bxe4 we have achieved the second part too. But now we need to do the hard work of checking all the white defences. Ra7 is a biggie - are we happy that we can afford to give away her majesty? We also need to decide how we will proceed if white just tries to hunker down and defend. So we need to find Rf2 and Nf3, to open up a second focal point for our attack. White can keep f1 defended, but he can't also defend h2. Good puzzle. Finding the first move is definitely not enough. White has many defences and black is still material down. Incidentally, Fritz finds a mate in 8 after 34. Rf2
1... Nfxe4 2. Ra7 Qxa7 3. Nxa7 Rf2 4. Qxf2 Nxf2+ 5. Kg1 Nxd3 6. Nd2 e4 7. b5 Nf3+ 8. Nxf3 exf3 9. Kh1 f2 10. b6 f1=Q# 0-1 
click for larger viewAnd at long last we have our mate on f1.
Incidentally, Fritz also says that 32. Ng4 works, again because the threat of Rf2 is so strong. One possible line 32 ... Ng4 33. Ra7 Qxa7 34. Nxa7 Rf2 35. Qxf2 Nxf2+ 36. Kg1 Nxd3 37. Nd2 Nxb4 And black is a safe piece up. |
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Sep-13-08
 | | Jimfromprovidence: If white plays 33 Nd2 the position is another decent puzzle.
click for larger view |
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| Sep-13-08 | | zooter: I too got Nfxe4 but Rf2 is a little difficult to find....(followed by the killer Nf3) I'm also interested in knowing what the continuation for 33.Nd2 is as pointed by <Jimfromprovidence> |
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| Sep-13-08 | | eblunt: I think this shows up that the Ra7 was weaker than white thought. Wins Queen for rook, but doesn't start a real attack and gifts a tempo to black. Black shows that the tempo is worth more than white wins on a7. |
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Sep-13-08
 | | OhioChessFan: A rare Saturday where I found the game continuation. Ra7 was sort of pointless, like a Spite Queen-Check, but White was amazingly limited in moves. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | realbrob: I think 32..Ng4 wins as well. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | Once: 33. Nd2 Nf2+ 34. Kg1 Kh6
click for larger viewNow black has a strong attack and 35. Ra7 is strongly met by 35. ... Qb6. Depending on how white replies, black can think about moves like Qf7 and Nf3+. Although material is level, Fritz reckons that black is well ahead - evals over -7. I can't claim any personal credit for this - silicon doing the hard work. It shows how hard these positions are. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | Woody Wood Pusher: I underestimated 34..Rf2 badly and ended up with this line instead... 32..Rfxe4 33. Ra7, Qxa7 34. Nxa7, Nf2+ 35. Kg1, Nf3+ !? 36. Kxf2, Nd4+ 37. Ke3, Nxc2+ 38. Bxc2 (+2.0) black has rook for 2 knights and should be able to hold if it wasn't for white's nasty passed b-pawn. anyone else see this? |
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| Sep-13-08 | | zb2cr: I found the first move ( 32. ... Nfxe4 ) easily enough, and 33. Ra7, Qxa7; 34. Nxa7, but then I bogged down. So I can't claim credit for this one. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | stacase: According to my rules, I get to post having discerned the correct next move. But I can't see why White resigns. Well I'm only a 1400 elo and that was 1992 so I'm just not that clairvoyant. White is up a Queen and passed Pawn to a Rook. And I don't see the forced mate. Oh well!
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| Sep-13-08 | | DarthStapler: I got the first two moves |
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| Sep-13-08 | | birobidjan: My idea : 32...Cgxe4 then 33...Cfxe4 to give the rook a way to the white king... |
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| Sep-13-08 | | birobidjan: 32...Cg4 works also, I think. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | ToTheDeath: <WWP: I underestimated 34..Rf2 badly and ended up with this line instead... anyone else see this?>
Yes I did not find Rf2 either, instead I was looking at knight moves which aren't nearly as good. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | moi: On 33.Nd2, I suggest the following sequence:
33 ... Nf2+
34 Kg1 Nf3+
35 Kxf2 Nd4+
36 Kg1 Nxc2
37 Ra7 Qxa7
and white has a rook for a knight. It could give this:
38 Nxa7 Ne3
39 Be4 Rb8, and white's b pawn get lost after b5 Rb7.Kh6 seems OK, though. But this is a direct win, without computer. ;) |
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| Sep-13-08 | | Dr. J: <stacase> Black is threatening 36 ... ♖xc2 and 37 ... ♘f2# or ♖xh2#. White's ♘ must protect g2, so White's ♗ must protect f1 (e.g., <36 ♗xe4 ♗g2+ 37 ♘xg2 ♖f1#> - the prettiest line,) and the ♕ must defend h2 (e.g., <36 ♗f1 ♖xc2 37 ♗xh3 ♖xh2#>). If 36 ♕xf2 ♘xf2+ 37 ♔g1 ♘xd3 38 b5(?) ♘f3+ 39 ♔h1 ♘f2#. 36 ♕c7+ ♔h6 37 ♘g4+ ♗xg4 is best but still loses: 38 ♕c1+ <38 ♕c2 ♘ed2 followed by ... ♖xh2#> ♘eg5 39 ♕c2 <39 ♕g1 ♘xg1 40 ♔xg1 ♘h3+ 41 ♔h1 ♗f3#> ♘d2 (<threatening 42 ... ♗f3+ 43 ♔g1 ♘h3#. If 42 ♗e4 (or ♗f1) ♖f1+ 43 ♔g2 ♗h3#.) 44 ♕xd2 (forced) ♖xd2 mating in a few more moves. I include all this because of the remarkable variety of distinct mating patterns. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | Dr. J: <Darth Stapler> I really like your handle. Please give my regards to your colleague Vlad the Inhaler. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | kevin86: Black gives up his queen so that the remaining pieces can surround white's king-there is NOcontast after that. Black threatens 36...♖xc2 37 ♗xc2 ♘f2#-vacating and re-occupying. Of course,36 ♕xf2 ♘xf2#-a simple recapture |
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| Sep-13-08 | | stacase: Thank you Dr. J
I certainly missed the mate in as you put it the prettiest line. But were it over the board and played out, I'd see it. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | TheaN: 2/6
Took my glimps of the Saturday puzzle (I resigned Wedneday due to having a busy week), and I noticed White's threat of Ra7 and the clearance 'sac' of Nfxe4, although Bxe4 Rf1‡ so it isn't a sac. However, being comfortable about the position for Black, I thought Nf2† next had to win, missing the Rook jump completely. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | VooDooMoves: My idea was 32...Nfxe4 33. Ra7 Qxa7 (not only to buy time but also to lure away the knight away from protecting d4) 34. Nxa7 Nf2+ 35. Kg1 Nf3+ 36. Kxf2 Nd4+ 37.Ke1 and then tried to find a way to win the knight on either a7 or c4 but couldn't find a way. I focused so hard on 34...Nf2+ that I didn't see placing the rook there was possible! My mind kept saying, "nope, that square is occupied by your knight, remember?" lol. oh well. Glad to see I wasn't the only one |
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| Sep-13-08 | | johnlspouge: Saturday (Very Difficult): V Smirnov vs V Dydyshko, 1994 (32…?) Black to play and win.
Material: Down a P. The White Kh1 has 1 legal move. The Black Bh3 controls the light squares on the White K-side. Both Black Nf6 and Ng5 are able to control K-side dark squares after a single move. The Black Qc7 faces Qc2, with the White Nc4 and Nc6 in between. White threatens Ra7 (pinning Qc7 to Kg7) and Nxd6, so if Black plans to attack, he must respond forcefully. The Black Qc7, Nf6, and Rf8 require activation. Candidates (32…): Nfxe4, Ng4
32…Ng4 (threatening 33…Rf2 34…Bg2+ 35…Nh6#)
As usual, White can: (1) counterattack, (2) reinforce the present defensive line, or (3) flee. Flight is not much of an option with a K on h1. For counterattack: (1) 33.Ra7 Qxa7 (shedding an inactive piece)
34.Nxa7 Rf2 (threatening 35…Bg2+ 36…Nh6# or 35…Rf1#)
Sacrifice of Qc2 does not work:
(1.1) 35.Qxf2 Nxf2+ 36.Kg1 Nxd3
White has won a B and threatens 37…Nf3+ 38.Kh1 Nf2#, so he even has time to capture Pb4. (1.2) 35.Ne3 Rxc2 (threatening 36…Rc1+ or even just 36…R moves to remain a piece up) (1.2.1) 36.Nxc2 Nf3 and Black cannot stop 37…Nf2#
(1.2.2) 36.Bxc2 Nxe3
Other counterattacking moves [33.Qd2 Kh6] [33.Be2 Rf7] do little to solve White's problems. White can reinforce the present defensive line:
(2) 33.Kg1 Rf2 (threatening 34…Bg2+ 35…Nh6# or 36…Rf1#) 34.Qxf2 [Ra7 transposes into Variation (1)]
34…Nxf2+ 35.Kg1 Nxe3
Presently, Black has Q+B for R+P. Even after 36.Ra7, he has no hope. Toga II 1.3.1 says 32…Nfxe4 is better than 32…Ng4
[ply 15/59 time 02:45 value -3.87]
32…<Nfxe4> 33.Nd2 Nf2+ 34.Kg1 Qf7 35.Ra7 Bd7 36.Bf5 Nfh3+ 37.Kf1 Qe8 38.Qa4 Rxf5+ 39.Ke1 Kh8 40.b5 Rf8 41.Qb4 Rf6 42.Ne4 Nxe4 43.Qxe4 [ply 15/54- time 02:00 value -3.83]
32…<Ng4> 33.Ra2 Kh8 34.Qe2 Qf7 35.Ne3 Qf2 36.Qxf2 Nxf2+ 37.Kg1 Nxd3 38.g4 Nxe4 39.Ra3 Ndf2 40.g5 Nxg5 41.Ra7 Nd3 ...but the difference might be within floating-point error! |
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| Sep-17-08 | | patzer2: For the Saturday, September 13, 2008 puzzle, Black initiates a combination to overwhelm the weak Black King position with 32...Nfxe4! In the final position, one amusing possible ending is the obstruction combination after 36. Bxe4 when Black follows with 36...Bg2+! 37. Nxg2 Rf1#. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 33...Qxa7
