Jan-03-16
 | | Penguincw: I haven't missed a Sunday puzzle this year yet! I feel like a pro. But unfortunately, my streak ends here. :( At first, I thought of sacrificing on f5, but then I saw the rook on a1 attacked, and knew it would be sacrificed. However, OTB, I would've played something like 20.Rb1. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | Gregor Samsa Mendel: Since this is a Sunday puzzle, I figured that the first two moves would be along the lines of 20 Rf3 and 21 Rh3. But I didn't have a clue about how to proceed after that. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | ndg2: I thought it would be 20.g4 |
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| Jan-03-16 | | patzer2: For my attempt at today's Sunday (20. ?) puzzle, I figured being a piece down White has nothing to gain by passive play. So I went for the gusto in playing 20. Rf3! with the plan of 20...Nxa1 21. Rh3 Nf6 22. exf6  (+0.74 @ 26 depth, Komodo 9.02). In assessing the position after 20. Rf3 Nxa1 21. Rh3 Nf6, the computer programs initially give 22. exf6  to as best. However, after playing it out and forcing Deep Fritz 15 and its cloud companion programs to look deeper at the moves actually played, it became clear the game continuation with 21. Rh3!! is stronger as it leads to a winning outcome. Instead of 24...Bc6, Black might put up more resistance with the computer choice 24...Nb3. However, after 24... Nb3 25. exf6 Rxf6 26. h5 Raf8 27. Qh4 Be4 28. Rh7 Qxh7 29. gxh7+ Kxh7 30. Bg5 Bxd3 31. Bxf6 Rg8 32. Bg5 e5 33. g3 c5 34. dxe5 dxe5 35. Kf2 Rg7 36. Be3  (+4.97 2 24 depth, Deep Fritz 14) White's advantage is surely decisive. For an improvement for Black, the Deep Fritz 15 suggestion 19... Bxc4 20. Bxc4 Nxc4 21. Rf4 Ncd6 22. exd6 Rf6  (-0.23 @ 23 depth) appears to withstand White's attack. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | diagonalley: sundays make me feel i should give up the game in favour of tiddlywinks :-( |
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| Jan-03-16 | | patfoley: I wonder if 20 h4 wins. |
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Jan-03-16
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: My guess was 20.Qh5,Nxa1; 21.Bh6,Qe7; 22.Bxf8, and either recapture allows mate in one, while 22...Qd8; 23.Qh7+,Kxf8; 24.Qf7X. But now I see that 20...Nxc1! probably defends. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | morfishine: Well that was fun
***** |
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| Jan-03-16 | | Kasparov Fan: A tough Sunday puzzle because nothing is apparent only one file leads to the king occupying it is the only idea that occured to me, if it was a OTB game I would've given me some credit cause my role is to play the best move not determine how good it is since it is a puzzle no credit taken at all |
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| Jan-03-16 | | MindCtrol9: I am to give you a gift,a puzzle.This is a game I am playing.I am White,and I can win easily,but there is a move that White plays (me)that took me a really good time to see it,but the game is 3 days per move.If you used a program,I am sure,you would not have problems,but if you did not do it so..........White position: Kg1,Rf1,Rd8,,Qc3,Nd4,Bc5 and pawns on: f2,g2,h3 Black position is:Kg8,Qb7,Rc7,Rf8,Bg7 and pawns on: c6,g7,g6,h7. What is the best move that White can make mating in a few more moves? |
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Jan-03-16
 | | flimflam48: MindCtrol9: Your problem has an error namely black pawn on g7 with a bishop also on g7!!?? Please clarify! |
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| Jan-03-16 | | wooden nickel: Attacking Black's restricted kingside via 20.Rf3 looks logical but after a few moves, it seems to be getting nowhere fast... thence I was trying to find an advantage in 20.Rf4 or even just pushing the h-pawn first. Placing the rook in front of the h-pawn didn't occur to me, nice play! |
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| Jan-03-16 | | patzer2: <MindCtrol9> Since I couldn't have a Bishop and a pawn on g7, I put the extra pawn on f6 (position below), White to move:
click for larger viewSolution (Deep Fritz 15 @ 25 depth):
1. Qc4+ Rcf7 2. Bxf8 Bxf8 3. Ra1 h6 4. Raa8 Qe7 5. Ne6 h5 6. Nxf8 Qe3+ 7. Kf1 Kg7 8. Ne6+ Kh6 9. Rh8+ Rh7 10. Rag8 g5 11. Rxh7+ Kxh7 12. Nf8+ Kh6 13. Rg6# An even more interesting possibility is putting the extra pawn on f7 (position below), White to mate in 8 moves: 
click for larger viewSolution (Deep Fritz 15 @ 25 depth):
1. Nf5 gxf5 (1... Bxc3 2. Rxf8#) 2. Bxf8 f6 (2... Bxc3 3. Bh6#) (2... Bxf8 3.Rxf8+ Kxf8 4. Qh8+ Ke7 5. Re1+ Kd7 (5... Kd6 6. Qd4#) 6. Qd4+ Kc8 7. Re8#) 3. Qc4+ Rf7 4. Be7+ Bf8 5. Rxf8+ Kg7 6. Qxf7+ Kh6 7. Qxf6+ Kh5 8. Qg5#. |
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Jan-03-16
 | | paulalbert: Rf3 followed by Rh3 seemed to be the logical candidate, but I did not see any of the proper follow through with Rh6 and the delayed capture of the black N on f6 and bringing up the reserves ( Bf4, h4 ) until Rh7 finally creates decisive threats. Brilliant play! |
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| Jan-03-16 | | Marmot PFL: Got this one, more or less, as Rf3-h3 was the only active plan I could see. White has already sacrificed a knight, and if other pieces have to go as well so be it. I didn't find all the moves with Nf6 loose for several moves, no idea if they are totally sound anyway. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | patzer2: Finding the winning continuation after the final move 28. Rh7 is not so simple a task (position below):
click for larger viewThe obvious threat is 29. Bg5 trapping the Queen, but Black can parry that threat with 28...Nxd5. Deep Fritz 15 gives the "best play" continuation as 28...Nxd4 (28... a6 29. Bg5 ) (28... Bxg6 29. Rh6 Rf7 30. Bg5 Qg7 31. Rxg6 ) 29. cxd4 Bxg6 (29... Qxd4+ 30. Kh2 Qf6 31. Bh6 Ba4 32. Bg7 Qe7 33. h6 Qxg7 34. hxg7 f4 35. Qh4 Rf5 36. Bxf5 exf5 37. Qf6 a5 38. Rh8#) 30. Qxg6+ Qxg6 31. hxg6 Rf6 32. Rxc7 Rxg6 33. Bxd6 Rg7 34. Rc6 Rd7 35. Be2 Kf7 36. Be5 Rad8 37. Bh5+ Kf8 38. Rxe6 Rxd4 39. Rf6+ Ke7 40. Rf7+ Ke6 41. Bxd4 Rxd4 42. Rxa7 Kd6 43. Be2 (+6.05 @ 22 depth). |
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| Jan-03-16 | | Patriot: <paulalbert> That's how I saw it. I didn't even consider 21...Nf6 and thought, "What's the big deal?" |
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| Jan-03-16 | | patfoley: 20 h4 Nxa1 21 h5 d6 22 h6 Qd7 23 G4 may also win |
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| Jan-03-16 | | agb2002: White has a bishop and two pawns for two knights.
Black threatens 20... Nxa1, 20... Nxc1 and eventually Nf6 (exf6 Rxf6 followed by Rxg6) or even Rf6 in the case of achieving enough material advantage. Two interesting ideas are Rf3-Rh3-Rh7 and h4-h5-h6.
I haven't found the time today to analyze any of them today but I think I'd play 20.Rf3. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | MindCtrol9: <patzer2> He resign after <Nf5>I post using my phone and those the mistakes.Thank you for fixing it. |
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| Jan-03-16 | | MindCtrol9: <patzer2> Yes,the pawn was on <f7> |
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| Jan-03-16 | | ChessValley: What about ignoring the threat of Rh3-h3-h7 and just grabbing more material? e.g.
20. .... Na1
21. Rh3 Nb3
22. Bf4 Nf6
23. exf6 Rxf6
There are many complications. Black is still ahead in material. Who shows the win for white? |
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| Jan-03-16 | | transpose: I found Rf3-h3-h7 and I figured I'd take the knight with my pawn if it went to f6. I was surprised by Rh6 in the game. I see that this is stronger than my plan but I did not see Black's various defenses that required white to play Bf4 for example. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 13.Qh5
icon.