Put me down for a level 3, episode one Obiwan...>

Hmmm... Most self-serving analysis yours is, Master Once.... Since chose the move did I, must either myself call master am, so vain! or myself admit level 2, lesser than you, hmmmm...

You left no choice for: "Be6 -- best move I could find," unconvincing to me as a "puzzle solution" but perfectly playable OTB because I saw no dangerous defensive responses, in all lines it looked better than equal. So no hope chess needed. I think the master plays Be6 confident that he's playing <the best move> on the board. I think there's a level in there for my move (princess leia? ;) that is, for playing Be6 because it's confidently playable. I'm not hoping that Black doesn't play a strong response, I merely lack confidence that I haven't left some better more damaging move unplayed (and also I fail fully to appreciate how very winning Be6 really is, because positionally it leaves White with much the won game).

Serper vs Balashov, 1991 (26.?)

White to play and win.

Material: B+P for R. The Black Kh8 has 2 legal moves. With the Black K in the corner, and a White N (Ne4) able to reach f6, White can look for Arabian mate, but none seems imminent. The Black Rd8 and Qd5 are loose, and Qd5 somewhat constricted. The White Re1 x-rays e6, from which square Bh3 can fork Qd5 and Rf7. This observation suggests clearance of Ne4. The White Kh2 is secure from check.

Candidates (26.): Nxd6, Bxa7, Be6

[26.Nxd6 cxd6 27.Be6 Qf3 28.Bxf7 Qxf7 traps Bc5, a boomerang combination]

[26.Bxa7 Ra8 27.Bc5 Rxa2 does not help]

27.Be6 Qxe6 [else, drop R for B]

28.Nxd6 (threatening 29.Nxf7+ Qxf7, leaving White with an extra P]

Black can avoid material loss only by capture, but no capture helps:

(1) 28…Rxd6 [Qxd6 29.Bxd6 Rxd6 is worse] 29.Rxe6 Rxe6

White has Q+ P for 2R.

(2) 28…Qxe1 29.Nxf7+ then 30.Qxe1

Hi, <JG27Pyth>. I was hoping to slink away with the final post, unnoticed.

To explain my tardiness, my thought processes paralleled <agb2002>. I spent a lot of time trying to make 26.Nxd6 work, before I found the boomerang combination that refuted it.

<... my god, the poor devil, he's no doubt chasing down some wretched endgame variation even as we speak... ;)>

Unfortunately, my wetware is presently tied up with my continuing mission to solve the secrets of the universe in information theory as it pertains to biology. (Believe me, I am making the day job sound a lot more glamorous than it is. Only my mind works in outer space :)

<JG27Pyth>, I would like to claim that while accomplishing my mission, I also managed to solve Wednesday's puzzle at sight and to the exactitude you expect, but alas, no.

After many false starts, however, I did solve it...

Princess Leia is secretly Luke's sister and also strong with the force. But she doesn't know it and so never actually uses the force or a light sabre (at least not during the films).

it was amazing.. I was in this whole fantasy World...

The first trilogy took our breath away because the competition was so poor. Back in 1977, we had never seen special effects like it. And it was also rare and brave for a science fiction film to make no references to earth whatsoever (and long time ago in a galaxy far far away).

But roll on a few years and star wars does not have a monopoly on special effects. The competition is much greater. Heck, even episodes of TV scifi like Star Trek use CGI these days.

And I am afraid that is when the limitations of George Lucas show through. The first time round, I think we overlooked the clunky dialogue, repetitive story lines (do we have to destroy two death stars as the finale to IV and VI?) and unbearably cute Ewoks. But we are all a little bit more cynical, older and greyer when episodes 1-3 come around. And, I guess, a little less forgiving.