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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 3 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
| May-08-10 | | backyard pawn: "Lukacs Arts", or
"Exit the Dragan." |
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| May-08-10 | | megatacos: surprisingly simple for a saturday |
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May-08-10
 | | al wazir: We can see that black's  is threatened and <CG> has kindly informed us that there is a winning move available to black. From this it is easy to find 20...Rxg2+, and now if 21. Kxg2, then 21...Qg6+ 22. Rg3 (what else?) Qe4+.I didn't look at the line where white postpones accepting the sac, but it's pretty clear that black is winning. |
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May-08-10
 | | Gilmoy: The <no retreat> trigger suggests <20..Qxf2+> in your smite checklist: <21.Kxf2 Bc5+> skewers his cozy retreat square g1, which pulls him out into a potential kinghunt. Then we can prune it away quickly, since Black's other pieces have not-great control of space (yet). But you still must glance at it. (Especially if you're the other player !) |
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| May-08-10 | | reti: The first move was forced and logical. |
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May-08-10
 | | OBIT: OK, Saturday puzzle, let's see...
My first impulse is the flashy 20...dxc4, but maybe 21. Rxb6 Rxg2+ isn't so convincing. So, let's try 20...Rxg2+ first. Then if 21. Kxg2 dxc4+ certainly seems to be winning. If 22. Kany Qxb3 leaves Black up a piece. Or, if 22. Rf3 Rd3 and again Black is winning a piece. White can also try 21. Kh1, I suppose, but then 21...Qxf2 threatens mate. Now if 22. Rh3 dxc4 again wins a piece while retaining a terrific attack. That leaves the desperation checking sequence 22. Rxb7+ Kxb7 23. Qb3+. Hmm, how to put a quick end to this nonsense now... I'm thinking 23...Kc7 should do it. Then if 24. Nb5+ axb5 25. Qh3 (25. Ra7+ Qxa7) dxc4 again. So, that's my plan... not too tough for a Saturday, assuming I haven't missed something. |
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May-08-10
| | OBIT: Yes, sloppy OTB analysis on my part of what I considered a side line: after 20...Rxg2+ 21. Kh1 Qxf2 22. Rxb7+ Kxb7 the a-pawn is undefended, so 23. Qxa6+ has to be the main move to worry about. I learn so much about the holes in my thinking when I tackle these Saturday and Sunday puzzles. |
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May-08-10
 | | patzer2: For today's Saturday puzzle solution, the demolition 20...Rxg2+! utilizes a discovered check threat as a follow-up to whip up a winning attack on White's helpless King. |
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May-08-10
 | | RandomVisitor: 16.g3 would lead to a white advantage. Last chance was likely 17.Nc2 or 17.Bxa6. 15...Qb4 might be better for black. |
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| May-08-10 | | SU1989: Saw <20.. Rxg2> and thought that was the only move. Then remembered that it was a Saturday puzzle... How about <23. Kh3>? White's king is dangerously exposed but after <23.. dxc4 24. Qc4> I don't see how black would continue with the attack. |
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| May-08-10 | | zill: I think it was quite straightforward until 23. Kh1 but after that probably black would have tried to continue his attack with 23...Bb4 with the double threat of 24...dxc4+ and 24... Qh4+ 25. Kg2 Rg8+. Do I overlook something? |
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May-08-10
 | | tarek1: Bishop b7 and Rook g8 converge on g2
<20...Rxg2+>
Now we can immediately dispose <21.Kf1> in view of <21...Qxf2#>. A) <21.Kxg2 dxc4+ 22.Kf1 cxb3> and Black won a piece and a pawn with an ongoing attack.
The only serious try is then
B) <21.Kh1> Now the black queen is hanging and morevover, sacrifiing the queen would result in the Bb7
exposed to an exchange with the rook, so there's no time for <21...dxc4>.
Also <21...Qxf2> would result in White grabbing the initiative with <22.Rxb7+>, we don't want to allow this if possible.
So we have to strike while the iron is hot and
<21...Rxh2+ 22.Kxh2> no choice because Kg1 loses again to Qxf2#. <22.Qxf2+>
B1) <23.Kh1>
Now <23...dxc4+ 24.Rxb7+ Kxb7>
Black is 4 (!) pawns up. Taking on c4 with the knight isn't good because of <25.Nxc4 Qf3+ 26.Kg1 Bc5+> winning
And with the queen <25.Qxc4 Qf3 26.Kg1 Rc8!> followed by Bc5+ is deadly. The same applies with <25.Qc2>
I don't see a way for White to parry the sequence Qf3+ - (Rc8) - Bc5+. B2) <23.Kh3 dxc4+ 24.Rxb7+ Kxb7 25.Qxc4> parrying Rd3+ but <25...Rd2 26.Qb3+ Ka8>
and the white king will succumb mate threats on the 2nd rank. |
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| May-08-10 | | thegoldenband: <SU1989> 23. Kh3 dxc4 24. Qxc4 fails to 24...Qg2+ with mate in 3, while 24. Nxc4 is refuted by the same threat -- or alternatively by the move I chose, 24...Rd3+, which is flashier but takes an extra move. |
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May-08-10
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: Solved it--Black situation pretty much requires drastic action, so I looked for the most drastic move. One oddity is that not only are all of White's pieces far away from the White King, so are all of Black's! The Queen is the closest, 5 squares away. |
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| May-08-10 | | thegoldenband: <tarek1> I think in your line B2, 25...Qf3+ mates immediately, no? |
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| May-08-10 | | tacticalmonster: a) 20 Rxg2+ 21 Kh1 Qxb3 22 Qxb3 dxc4 23 Qxb7+ Kxb7 24 Kxg2 Rc8  b) 22 Bxb3 d4 23 Bd1 Bc5! 24 Qb3 Rxf2+ 25 Kg1 d3 |
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| May-08-10 | | openingspecialist: this is an otb combo. |
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May-08-10
 | | David2009: I Dragan vs P Lukacs, 1987 Black 20...?
20...Rxg2+ 21 Kh1 Rxh2+ 22 Kxh2 Qxf2+ 23 Kh3 or h1 Qf3+ 24 Kh2 dxc4 25 Rxb7+ Qxb7 or perhaps Kxb7 (we don't have to decide in advance) 26 Nxc4
The dust of battle is clearing and Black is three Pawns up. 21 Kxg2? just loses an extra B. Time to
check:
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Very much as expected except that Black decided to postpone Qf3+. |
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May-08-10
 | | Once: It's a bit like appreciating modern art - you have to stand back, switch off your precise thinking and let fuzzy thinking take over. This is more about emotional intelligence than engineering and mathematics. How does the position make you feel? What emotions come to mind? Can you love?
click for larger view[Strokes chin in suitable comtemplative manner] The white king looks lonely - a study of isolation. His friends have deserted him and left him to a scant cover of pawns. Perhaps they have confidence in his strength? Perhaps they have overlooked the danger. [Smokes a metaphorical (and metaphysical) gauloise] Can you sense the black queen's pain? Attacked by a rook, but she has a deep sense of loyalty to her soulmate, her husband, her king. If the queen runs away ... and fleeing is our primary reaction to danger ... then the black king at risk. White threatens Bxa6 with a deadly pin on b7. [Chews the end of an allegorical pencil] But all the same, I can't help returning to the lonely white king. There is something portentous about his situation. He feels somehow, vulnerable, fragile, doom-laden. And just as important is the vulnerability of the pawn on g2. A pinned but loyal retainer, but two black pieces are threatening - the rook on b8 and the bishop hidden on b7. [Turns up the collars of an imaginary overcoat]. We can dream of a world where the d5 pawn bursts forward, ignoring the threat on the black queen, straining with every sinew for promotion and unleashing the pent up fury and anger of the Rg7 and the Bb7. But surely we can't play 20...d4 (or dxc4) 21. Rxb6 Rxg2+? That would be a futile gesture, balling our fists against an uncaring world. [Throws up hands in an explosion of inspiration]. Aha! The rook must give up its life, the ultimate sacrifice, so that d4 or dxc4 can be played! Then the Bb7 will achieve its full potential, the black pieces will spring into life and the white army, huddled around the queenside turned into mere spectators. And the rest is calculation. After 20...Rxg2+:
21. Kf1 Qxf1# Or
21. Kxg2 dxc4 22. any cxb3 (winning a piece).
21. Kh1 Rxh2 22. Kxh2 (22. Kg1 Qxf2#) Qxf2+ and we hardly need to calculate anything else, as the white king will surely not survive. "And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of paradise." |
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| May-08-10 | | weary willy: Hmmmm. I might not know much about art but I know what I like. |
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May-08-10
| | tarek1: <thegoldenband> thanks for pointing that out. 25...Qf3+ has to be stronger because Rd2 would come with check. This is a point of the variations that were a little fuzzy for me, perhaps I overlooked something else. |
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| May-08-10 | | goodevans: <megatacos: surprisingly simple for a saturday> CG.com have been chucking us easy puzzles all week. Maybe they're distracted by the anand-topa match or maybe they are lulling us into a false sense of security for tomorrow. Right now I'm looking to achieve my first 7/7 for several months. |
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| May-08-10 | | newzild: "Easy week" continues - the rook sac is the most obvious candidate move in this position. 6/6 this week. |
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| May-08-10 | | cade: <<<David2009:> I Dragan vs P Lukacs, 1987> Black 20...? 20...Rxg2+ 21 Kh1 Rxh2+ 22 Kxh2 Qxf2+ 23 Kh3 or h1 Qf3+ 24 Kh2 dxc4 25 Rxb7+ Qxb7 or perhaps Kxb7 (we don't have to decide in advance) 26 Nxc4 The dust of battle is clearing and Black is three Pawns up. 21 Kxg2? just loses an extra B. Time to check:
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Very much as expected except that Black decided to postpone Qf3+.>There is a white rook on b3, you cannot play Qf3+ at this moment. |
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May-08-10
 | | whiteshark: What a beatiful combo! |
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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 3 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
sac: 21...Rxh2+