<33.?>

Material: /+\ ♗+♗/♗+♘

Candidates: Bxf7†, Rd8†, <[Bxf7†>

-ML-
Somehow this puzzle seems easier than yesterday's, mainly due to the limited amount of moves available to White. After I couldn't make 33.Bxf7† Qxf7 work for White, I went to 33.Rd8†, where 33....Qxd8?? 34.Bxf7† Ke7 35.Qe6‡ is mate, but 33....Kxd8 and White can't make anything from the position.

Combining the idea of the deflection, in the main line the deflection of the King from his Queen, compared to the variation above where the Queen is deflected from the King, and the mate threats decide the game.

<33.Bxf7†!> it does work. Black's reply is pretty much forced.

/A\
<33....Ke7 34.Qe6‡ 1-0> as comparable to the variation with 33.Rd8† Qxd8? listed above.

/B\
<33....Qxf7 34.Rd8†!> and now this move works as it would deflect the King from the Queen, where in the initial position the King is not defending anything. It may be advisable to White to take the Rook, but a pretty hopeless game ensues. If he doesn't, it's worse though:

/BA\
<34....Ke7 35.Nc8†!> White enforces that the Black King takes the Rook with this move.

<35....Kxd8 36.Qxf7 > and this position is very hopeless, with the Rook en prise: Black has to take to save the Rook...

<36....Kxc8? 37.Qxf8† > ...but loses two pieces, and thus one netto, in return. Kxd8 is forced.

/BA\
<34....Kxd8 35.Qxf7 > the Queen and Knight are so well placed compared to the Rook and Bishop of Black: with a combination of Bg5 and the threats the Queen is already enforcing, Black cannot find reasonable defenses. For example, 35....Nbd7 36.Bg5! Be7 (Nxb6? 37.Bxf6† ) 37.Nxd7 and Black loses another piece. After 35....Nfd7, Black is completely paralyzed, and with any other move Black loses a piece outright. Hopeless.

A Naumann vs W Teerapabpaisit, 2008 (33?)

White to play and win.

Material: B for N. The Black Ke8 has 1 legal move. The White battery Qb3 and Bc4 are attacking Pf7, which therefore requires protection from both Ke8 and Qc7. The White Rd1 has an open file, on which it can check with Rd1-d8+ or block with Rd1-d7. The White Nb6 supports Rd1-d7. Only the White Be3 requires activation. The White Kg2 is open on the 2-nd rank but secure from checks.

Candidates (33.): Bxf7+, Rd8+, Rd7

33.Bxf7+ Qxf7 [Ke7 34.Qe6#]

Now, White decoys Ke8 from the protection of Qf7.

34.Rd8+ Ke7 [Kxd8 Qxf7]

In the alternative variation, White has Q+P for R+B. Calculation can therefore stop, but Be3-g5 is likely to win more material.

35.Nc8+ Kxd8 36.Qxf7 (threatening 37.Nxa7, 37.Qxf8+ or 37.Qxf6+)

Presently, White has Q+P for R+B, so only calculation to quiescence is required. Black can play:

(1) 36…Ra7-moves 37.Qxf8+ wins an extra B

(2) 36…Kxc8 37.Qxf8+ Ne8 [else, 38.Qxf6] 38.Qxe8+ wins an extra B

(3) 36…else 37.Nxa7 wins an extra R

White has an overwhelming material advantage.

Hi, <whitebeach>.

Now black's problem is that his queen is guarded only by its king, and some key squares near the king are now unguarded. So, lets distract the king using the newly unguarded d8 square: 34.Rd8+!

Excellent analysis as always. >

May I return your high praise by saying that your new "unplugged" analyses are very helpful, <Once>?

<Damn it, sir, but you make it sound so sexy!>

33. Bxf7 Qxf7 (essentially forced since ...Ke7 lead to mate with 34. Qe6#)

34. Rd8+

Now comes the rook move since 34 ...Kxd8 leads to 35. Qxf7 and white comes out with a queen and a pawn for a rook and a bishop. But that would not be the end of troubles for black because of how uncoordinated black's pieces are. White has chances to capture one of the black pieces and if black defends with moves like ...Be7 or ...Nbd7 or ...Nfd7 then white has the strong looking Bg5. In any case there looks like a lot that white can do and no doubt white would have a large advantage. So instead of 34 ...Kxd8 black can try:

34 ...Ke7
35. Nc8+ Kxd8
36. Qxf7 Kxc8 (this is necessary because the rook on a7 is attacked by the knight and moving the rook makes no sense because 37. Qxf8+ captures the bishop and protects the c8 knight).

37. Qxf8+ (white plays it anyway) and at this point there is no way to defend the f6 knight.

Initial analysis time: 1 min 45 sec. Wed par: 3 min.

Correct is Nd7, the difference being that after Nxd7 Qxf7+ Kd8 the knight at d7 is pinned, black bishop at f8 is up for grabs, and black's position cripples (verifyed by fritz)."