Apr-09-20
 | | sea7kenp: Black can't stop Mate. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | Brenin: 19 Bb6+ axb6 20 Qxb6+ Kc8 21 R(either)c1+ Kb8 (21 ... Qc4 22 Bxc4 is hopeless) 22 Bc6 Ra7 23 Qd8 mate |
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Jun-22-22
 | | corneliussulla: Queen to f7 also wins quite easily |
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Jun-22-22
 | | raymondhow: After getting the first three moves, I blanked out on the simple 22.Bc6, wanted to play 22.Rc7 instead. Still winning, but not sure I deserve full credit. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | FM David H. Levin: After 19. Bb6+ axb6 20. Qxb6+ Kc8 21. Rac1+ Kb8, my line continued 22. Qc7+ Ka7 23. Rc6, leaving Black without an adequate defense to 24. Ra6 mate. Thus, I also utilized a pin of the b-pawn, but along a rank instead of a file, and using a rook instead of the bishop. (I'm in the habit of analyzing checks first, which is why I hadn't yet considered 22. Bc6.) |
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| Jun-22-22 | | Brenin: Black was lost after 15 ... Nxd4. Instead 15 ... Nb4, forcing an exchange of Qs, with 16 Qxb6 axb6, or of B for N, with 16 Qe2 Nxd3 17 Qxd3, would have relieved some of the pressure he was under. |
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Jun-22-22
 | | agb2002: White has the bishop pair for a bishop, a knight and a pawn. Black threatens Qxe6.
White can attack the black king starting with 19.Bb6+ axb6 20.Qxb6+ Kc8 21.Rac1+ Kb8 22.Bc6 (or 22.Qc7+ Ka7 23.Rc6) wins (22... Ra7 23.Qd8#). |
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| Jun-22-22 | | mel gibson: I saw that in under 10 seconds.
Stockfish 15 says mate in 8:
19. Bb6+
(19.Bb6+ (♗e3-b6+ a7xb6 ♕e6xb6+ ♔d8-c8 ♖a1-c1+ ♔c8-b8 ♕b6-c7+ ♔b8-a7 ♗b5-c6
♕e4-b4 ♖c1-c5 ♖a8-c8 ♖c5-a5+ ♕b4xa5 ♕c7xb7+) +M8/75 23) White wins _ mate in 8. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | daladno: Saw Bb6 and the following checks right away but then took a little longer route with Rc3. The result is the same, anyway. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | AlicesKnight: Saw Bb6+ fairly quickly and the Bc6 bit somewhat later. Aggressive clergymen ... |
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| Jun-22-22 | | saturn2: After 13.Ne6 black cannot let a piece stay there. 13...Bxe6 14.Qxe6 Qd7. Unfortunately 19.Qb6 fails but black can help.
19.Qb6+ axb6 20.Bxb6+ Kc8 21.Rfc1+ Qc4 |
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| Jun-22-22 | | cocker: 22 Rc7 and 22 Qc7+ are quicker than the move played (22 Bc6). |
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| Jun-22-22 | | TheaN: <19.Bb6+ axb6 20.Qxb6+ Kc8 21.Rac1+ Kb8 (Qc4 22.Bxc4 +-)> was incredibly obvious, but how to continue here? I eventually arrived at the text after dismissing both Qc7+ and Rc7. Ironically, <cocker> is correct and both of them are faster than Bc6. Why is Bc6 'more natural' to play than the alternatives? For what it's worth, <22.Bc6 Kc8 (Ra7 23.Qd8#; Qb4 23.Qxb4 +-; else Qxb7) 23.Bxd5+ +-> is absolutely hopeless for Black so there's no reasonable way to defend against carnage on b7. Also on move 23 White has better moves, but there's no reason to be precise. <That> is why Bc6 looks more decisive than the alternatives. After 22.Qc7+ Ka7 White will still have to find 23.Bc6, then 23....Qb4 24.Rc5! #2. The other alternative, 22.Rc7, is a bit more logical as it uses the same threat as Bc6, but I wasn't sure about 22....d4. White can simply reload 23.Rfc1, after which 23....Qe1+ 24.Rxe1 Ra7 25.Rec1 #1. The 'issue' with Bc6 is that Black can spite a little longer with 22....Qb4 23.Qxb4 Kc7. Of course this is purely computer technical. Practically it's just as good. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | Cellist: I saw it rather quickly, with the text moves (even though they are not optimal, as others have indicated). |
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Jun-22-22
| | pittpanther: I had the same line as FM David H. Levin noted above (Qc7 followed by Rc6) and stopped there since it was a forced win. Did not look further at the Bc6 line. |
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Jun-22-22
 | | chrisowen: Kicks PAQ touch rites Bb6+ ago juggle v i hop a mind backbump c Bb6+ baffle z; |
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Jun-22-22
 | | Stonehenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J81... |
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| Jun-22-22 | | johnnydeep: Very quick Wednesday solve for me, though I chose 22.Rc7 over the game line 22.Bc6, and it wins two moves sooner! (so confirms the Engine) |
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Jun-22-22
 | | Pawn and Two: In the 1982 U.S. Chess Open, Knute Sorenson scored 5 1/2 points, his brother Arne scored 3 1/2 points and his brother Jacob scored 3 points. Their father, Somner Sorenson, who also played in the 1982 U.S. Open scored 6 1/2 points. Somner was a long-time instructor of English at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and he was an ardent supporter of chess. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | Shrinarayanan: I went with 22. Qc7+ Ka7 23. Rc6. The text is obviously quicker and better. |
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Jun-22-22
 | | eternaloptimist: I solved this puzzle quickly but I played 22. ♖c7 like some of u guys did instead of Finegold’s ♗c6. Although I looked @ ♗c6 |
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| Jun-22-22 | | TheaN: Lets go a bit into opening specifics here. I don't really like the 3....Ne4 line of the Alekhine Scandinavian. For what it's worth, reachable from both openings, the text or 1.e4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 (d4 is significantly better here though) 3.e5. Instead, Black's main alternatives are Nfd7, which seems most sturdy, and the 'swashbuckling' piece trade 3....d4?! 4.exf6 dxc3. I've always found this an intriguing position:
click for larger view
Does White really have an opening advantage here? I don't know. SF (and theory for as for as I know) gives 5.fxg7 (5.bxc3 exf6= is fine as Black keeps two pawn groups; White can't because of 5.dxc3 Qxd1+ ⩱) cxd2+ 6.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 7.Bxd2 Bxg7 8.O-O-O ⩲:
click for larger view
White has a small lead in development. Alternatively, Black can choose for 5....Bxg7 6.bxc3 (dxc3 is also playable) Nc6 ⩲ and now Black has a small lead in development, but down a pawn which apparently isn't worth it. Black erred early here. After 5.Nce2, which is a surprisingly effective retreat, 5....Nc5 is a sub-optimal sideline at best. SF evaluates +1.5 after 6.d4. Black doesn't have that much better and probably needs to take a jab at the center immediately with 5....f6 but I don't like it. Especially not after White played the Nc3 line in the first place. |
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| Jun-22-22 | | ChessHigherCat: Too easy to say it's too easy but I can't resist. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 19.Bb6+