|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
Feb-03-13
 | | Phony Benoni: Yes, I thought this one might make it to Sunday when I submitted it. Have fun! |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | avidfan: Would 31.h3 be an improvement over the actual text 31 Bb2 to give the king an escape?
click for larger view |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | patzer2: With today's Sunday solution 27...Re2!!, US (Utah) player Kayden Troff shows off some of the brilliant play that enabled him to become the World 14 and under Champion in 2012. The combined attacking and defending move 27...Re2!! not only wins with flair, but is also the only move to bail Black out of an otherwise lost position. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | jovack: A simple idea when you see it (back rank is always something to consider), but a devilishly difficult puzzle. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | Jamboree: avidfan:
I was thinking the same thing, but 31. h4 seems even better, since the game will continue and you want the move to have two purposes: provide an escape square for the king, and also to continue the assault on black's king with an eventual h5 and h6.It seems the combination (if you want to call it that) just leaves black two pawns up in the endgame -- but that's where he started before the combination. Where exactly is the crush, not including white's unnecessary blunders on moves 31-33, none of which would have been necessary if he had stopped playing with back-rank fire and just given his king some breathing room. What is the forced win for black that gets him something more than the two-pawn advantage he started out with? |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | newzild: Simple.
And tough.
Worthy of a Sunday, I thought.
(And no - I didn't get it). |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | mosh: (a)The ending is impressivem of course but what about the mundane (27)... gxf6?
(b)(31)h3 seems to releave the tension and is better tham Bb2 but will loose in the end.
(c)So in the end is (27)...gxf6 not better than the more spectacular continuation? |
|
Feb-03-13
| | Phony Benoni: The problem with moves like 31.h3 or 31.h4 is that the kingside assault will immediately ground to a halt after 31...Qc1+ exchanging queens and leaving Black two pawns up in the ending. Those extra pawns are one of Black's trumps, and force White to make risky moves to keep the attack alive. <27...Re2> is spectacular, but the interesting analysis today will be whether it is the only move to win. For instance, if <27...gxf6>: 
click for larger viewWhite has 28.Rxf5 exf5 29.Rxe8+ Qxe8 30.Nxf6+, followed by 31.Qh6+ or 31.Qg5+ to cover c1 and 32.Nxe8. There are also interesting alternatives to 28...exf5. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | muratski: Chessexplained had already covered this game starting from the puzzle move.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdJY... |
|
Feb-03-13
 | | offramp: Bishop takes queen mate problem solved! |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | morfishine: This puzzle requires a level of precision that I wasn't able to meet this morning. **********
PM: I analyzed 27...Re2 as OK for White after 28.Rf1; Only later did I find that White ends up a piece down. So then I looked at 28.Rd1 gxf6 29.Nxf6+ Qxf6 30.Qxe2:
click for larger view
If nothing else, at least White is still fighting
Or, 27...Re2 28.Rd1 Qc7 29.Qg5 Qc2 30.Nh6+ Kf8 31.Bxg7+ Nxg7 32.Rxf7 mate:
click for larger viewOr, in the above line, if 27...Re2 28.Rd1 Qc7 29.Qg5 Qc2 30.Nh6+ Kh8 31.Nxf7+ Kg8 32.Nh6+ Kh8 and White can take the perpetual or play 33.Rf1 threatening 34.Rxf5:
click for larger viewNote: Black can't play 33...gxf6 due to 34.Nf7 mate
But this is all way too much for me to figure out for a single puzzle :) |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | goodevans: <Phony Benoni: The problem with moves like 31.h3 or 31.h4 is that the kingside assault will immediately ground to a halt...> We could consider lots of possible improvements to white's play. I looked at 29. Nh6+, 29.Bb2 and 31.Re1. But that is to miss the point somewhat, which is... For all cg.com puzzles the challenge is simply to find the best move. Not necessarily to find a win or a draw, just to find the <best> move. Today 27...Re2 is definitely that since it turns the tables on white's attack. Anything else leaves white on the rampage. In fact you only need to look 2 moves deep to see that 27...Re2 is the best move, so in that sense this puzzle isn't really "insane". But it's a nice puzzle all the same and 27...Re2 is one of the smartest moves I've seen for a long time. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | patzer2: <Phony Benoni> Good response to the questions about 31. h3 or 31. h4. In my view, at Master level those two extra pawns win easily. As I indicated earlier, I think 27...Re2!! is the only move to win, and even went so far as to say it's the only move to avoid an outright loss. After your suggestion of 27...gxf6 28.Rxf5! exf5 29.Rxe8+ Qxe8 30.Nxf6+ 31. Qh6+ (not 31. Qg5?? Re8#) 32. Nxe8, play could continue Kxe8 33. h4!  (position below) 
click for larger viewI think White is winning. However, I'd be interested in seeing any analysis indicating whether Black can hold. |
|
Feb-03-13
| | Phony Benoni: <patzer2> I should have specified that after 27...gxf6 28.Rxf5 exf5 29.Rxe8+ Qxe8 30.Nxf6+:
click for larger viewWhite plays 31.Qh6+ after 30...Kf8 and 31.Qg5+ after 30...Kg7. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | patzer2: <Phony Benoni> Thanks for the clarification. From your diagramed position, White of course mates quickly after 30...Kg7? 31. Qg5+ Kh8 (31...Kf8 32. Nxh7#) 32. Nxe8 . P.S.: Greatly appreciate your Puzzle of the day collections! |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | goldenbear: I solved this in my sleep. Last night I had no idea what the answer could be... I didn't even have a candidate move. This morning I immediately saw that Re2 and Qc7 was the only try. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | morfishine: Is 28.Rxe2 forced?
I'm starting to think 28.Rd1 improves for White: 28.Rd1 gxf6 30.Nxf6+ Kf8
31.Nxh7+ Ke7 32.Qxe2 Kd6 33.Rxf5 exf5 34.Rxd5+ Kxd5 35.Qxe8 Qxe8 36.Nf6+ 
click for larger view |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | Cushion: Troff played Re2 after 4 minutes of thought |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | patzer2: <morfishine> After 27...Re2 28. Rd1 gxf6 29. Nxf6+, Black can play 29...Qxf6!  (instead of 29...Kf8? 30. Nxh7+ ). |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | lost in space: I was not even close to the solution. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | BOSTER: At first the defensive move 27...Re2, to take better pos. on "e" file, and considering that in some variations "e6" can be pinned.
If 28.Rc1 Qc7,if Rf1 gxf6 and black with extra piece can easily defend his pos.
So white should play 28.Nh6+ Nxh6 29.Qxe2 gxf6.
If 28. Rxe2 Qc7 with threat Qc1+ and Qxf4. |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | lost in space: After 27...Re2! 28. Rd1
click for larger viewBlack has
28...gxf6 29. Nf6+ Qxf6 (mentioned already by <patzer 2>, as I see now) 30. Qxe2 Rd8 and Black is more than fine. 
click for larger viewfor example 30. h3 Kf8 31. Qc2 Rd6 etc etc |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | morfishine: <patzer2> Yes, I know that; In my first post after 27...Re2 28.Rd1 gxf6 29.Nxf6 Qxf6 <30.Qxe2>
click for larger view |
|
| Feb-03-13 | | fisayo123: Impressive move for someone so young. |
|
Feb-03-13
 | | scormus: I don't suppose it counts for anything that I'd have got it if it was W to play ;) Really, this is super puzzle and a brilliant finish by Troff :) |
|
 |
|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
Kibitzing
sac: 27...Re2