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| Mar-30-09 | | johnlspouge: < <Patriot> wrote: [snip] "Look wide before you look deep." > To corroborate, in an experiment recording GM eye movements, it was noted that the GMs examined the whole board for a minute or two before riveting their attention on one particular area. On the chess tactic server http://chess.emrald.net, it takes a lot of discipline (even in the 3 seconds the site permits for idle contemplation of a position) to avoid focusing prematurely on a detail of the position, but the discipline pays dividends in maximizing returns and avoiding unpleasant surprises. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | zenpharaohs: MiCrooks: "lol! I was wondering how someone could have posted such a long message on a Monday! Black's position is so good even a pure waiting move like o-o still wins :)!" O-O isn't quite a pure waiting move since developing that rook is part of that strategy of shoving every piece up White's helpless Queenside. As a general rule, the development of the Rook is nearly as important in castling as the safety of the King. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | StevieB: Very easy? @%^#$&**, I mean, I didn't see the queen move and started messing with the bishop on g7. Maybe tomorrow..... |
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| Mar-30-09 | | patzer2: I'm wondering now if Black didn't have a winning position as early as 16...Qa6!  . One possible improvement in the followup is 18. b4 Qb6 19. e5 O-O , when White's position is very weak but is perhaps not immediately lost. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | notyetagm: < johnlspouge: < <Patriot> wrote: [snip] "Look wide before you look deep." > <<<To corroborate, in an experiment recording GM eye movements, it was noted that the GMs examined the whole board for a minute or two before riveting their attention on one particular area.>>> On the chess tactic server http://chess.emrald.net, it takes a lot of discipline (even in the 3 seconds the site permits for idle contemplation of a position) to avoid focusing prematurely on a detail of the position, but the discipline pays dividends in maximizing returns and avoiding unpleasant surprises.> Very interesting. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | onesax: Yay for Q-sac Monday! |
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| Mar-30-09 | | kevin86: If this wasn't Monday-I would have missed it. The queen sac at a3 is lethal(but hard to find outside of a puzzle situation): 22bxa3 ♘xa3# would be the immediate penalty. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | TheTamale: Plain and simple; the key move for a Monday puzzle won't leave the loser with any option but immediate loss. Therefore I ruled out such attempts as Nxa3 simply because White can struggle on in a bad position. I second MiCrooks: <It's Monday - sack the Queen and get it over with!> |
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| Mar-30-09 | | Utopian2020: With a wealth of winning moves, Qxa3 never occurred to me. I believe it was Tal who said, "I first look to sacrifice my queen." From now on, so shall I. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | PinnedPiece: Monday goal: Solve in 30 seconds.
Saw 21.Qxa3 in about 20 seconds and in another 10 had verified that whether it is taken or not, mate shortly follows. Personal Result: Success! |
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| Mar-30-09 | | njchess: Either Qxa3 or Nxa3+ is winning. The queen sac is quicker and more dramatic. As for the game, Closed Sicilians are a very different animal than Open Sicilians; they tend to be even more strategic and slower. One advantage for White is that there are generally fewer lines to analyze. With 2. Nc3 White indicates that he may play a Closed game. An indication that is realized with 3. g3. Also playable is 3. Nf3 which allows White the option of transposing back into an Open Sicilian. Black has many responses to 2. Nc3, many of which transpose, but Nc6 is quite common. Already the basic dynamic of a Closed Sicilian is evident - White attacks d5 and Black d4. One of the oddities of a Closed game is that although White has initiated the basic structure, it is Black's play that fully defines the position. While 3. ... g6 is a common reply for Black while e6 followed by d5 leads to a very different type of game for example. 5. Nge2 often transposes with d3 as in this game. As of 5. Nge2 both sides are playing with the idea of White playing f4 at some point. Also common is 5. d3 followed by f4 and Nf3, which is considered more dangerous for Black after 3. ... g6. Up to 9. 0-0-0 White has followed a somewhat passive sequence, but without any real errors. However, 9. 0-0-0? is a real strategic blunder of which Black takes full advantage. White has no answer for the b5, b4 sequence, a common theme in the Sicilian, with his king castled queenside. After this blunder, White has little or no counterplay left in the game. 10. Rde1 is necessary after Bxd4, cxd4 or the knight is lost. Black forgoes castling in favor of the attack, opens up the c-file, occupies the center, drives off Whites defenders and threatens mate in an almost clinical fashion. |
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Mar-30-09
 | | playground player: You sort of know, going into a Monday puzzle, that it's going to involve a Queen sacrifice: so, 21...Qxa3. But Nxa3 is seductive, albeit leading to much more complicated play. I tried to find an alternative to the Queen sac, but it's simply the best move available. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | DarthStapler: Got it |
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| Mar-30-09 | | eblunt: <njchess: Either Qxa3 or Nxa3+ is winning. The queen sac is quicker and more dramatic.> Quite a few moves are clearly winning, not least ♗xb2, but as you say The Queen sac is the only one which mates quickly |
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| Mar-30-09 | | A.G. Argent: <Jack Bauer> Don't you ever sleep? |
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| Mar-30-09 | | AnalyzeThis: Pretty ridiculous game, white played like a guy who was playing the Closed Sicilian for the first time. For example, instead of either the standard 9. 0-0 or the common maneuver 9. Nd1 followed by c3, white castles into mate on the queenside. He then follows up by exchanging of his queen's bishop, the one piece that is needed to oppose the laser like bishop on g7. It is not surprising that this game lasted 21 moves. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | lightbishop c5e6: I actually taught the solution was 21 ... Nxa3+ 22 bxa3 (22 Ka1 Nc2+ 23 Kb1 Qa1#)Qxa3 since it also seems to win immediately, I quickly checked it and when I see the game, I see the solution is Qxa3, oh well, at least I found a possible solution, If I'm wrong please somebody correct me. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | WhiteRook48: I thought the answer was 21...Nxa3+ 22 bxa3 Qxa3 too! |
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| Mar-30-09 | | zb2cr: <lightbishop c5e6>, See some of the earlier kibitizing, eg. on page 1. The answer is that Black's positional advantage is so overwhelming that yes, 21. ... Nxa3; 22. bxa3, Qxa3 is also winning. However, after 23. d4 there is no immediate mate. Black can win White's Queen, for example, 23. ... Rc2!;
24. Qxc2 ( if 24. Nxc2, Qa2+; 25. Kc1, b2# ), bxc2+; 25. Nxc2, Qa5. Black has Q+P vs. R+N--a winning advantage but not immediately crushing. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | Dmaster995: Good problem. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | akapovsky: Monday+chess=Queen sac for sure so with that in mind Qxa3 and white is dead after bxa3 Nxa3# all else losses also. |
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| Mar-30-09 | | soberknight: I had Bxb2. If Kxb2, Qxa3+ is mate next move. If Nxc2, bxc2+ Kxb2 cxb1 is winning. If you see a good move, look for a better one. The mating pattern should have been obvious. :( |
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| Mar-30-09 | | amathus: 21 ..Qxa3 with the idea 22...Qa2 or Qxb2, in case white will not accept the queen sacrifice. For example 22.Qxc2 Qa2 23 Kc1 Qxb2 24 Kd2 bxc2 etc, if 22 Nxc2 Qxb2. Soberknight you mean cxd1 instead of cxb1, dont you? |
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| Mar-31-09 | | spreadsanity: I missed a 'Monday'. Quite easy to 'miss' as there were so many winning moves- I went with the first one I saw. Not really a good chess problem from this point of view, it would have been OK if it had said "find the mate in 6" or something. |
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| Mar-31-09 | | eblunt: <soberknight: I had Bxb2. If Kxb2, Qxa3+ is mate next move. If Nxc2, bxc2+ Kxb2 cxb1 is winning.> If ♘xc2, ♖xc2 , ♕ moves, ♖x♘e2 is even stronger - black has the ♖ on the second rank protecting the ♗b2, and White has to continue giving up material, and gets mated shortly after. |
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