Jun-24-16
 | | Penguincw: Hmm, a Friday puzzle. There is a hanging pawn on e6, but if 29.Qxe6+, then 29...Bf7, queen and bishop are both attacked, doesn't look too great for Team White. Happy National Take your Dog to Work Day though, and also Happy National Praline Day... |
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| Jun-24-16 | | nalinw: Oh dear - I saw that Nxd5 attacks the Queen and opens a discovered attack on the Rook at c8 - but never thought of luring the King to f6 for a royal fork. This is the type of problem that leaves you banging your head on the well because in hindsight it is quite gettable. |
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| Jun-24-16 | | gofer: I "saw" 29 Bxf6 and felt there were a lot of choices for white. I didn't see the queen sacrifice, but should have... ~~~
"Go UK!"
Now that was an interesting decision... |
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| Jun-24-16 | | AlicesKnight: 29.bxf6 is interesting. If Rd7 White can capture the bishop on g7 and win a second pawn, so ....bxf6; 30.Qxe6+. If ....Kf8/h8 or ...Bf7 then White recaptures the BSB and is 2-3 pawns up with an attack, so ....Kg7, then 31.Nxd5 attacking Q and the black bishop. 29....Rxc3 fails to 30.Bxd8. What actually happened? - Oh MISSED the Q sac and fork, silly. The rest a "matter of technique".... |
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| Jun-24-16 | | diagonalley: good puzzle (beyond <diagonalley>) ... but hey!.. *UK brexit* ... woo-hoo! |
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| Jun-24-16 | | morfishine: 35 moves is a bit much to ask for a "puzzle" |
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| Jun-24-16 | | Moszkowski012273: Black was actually winning most of this game. |
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Jun-24-16
 | | Sally Simpson: ^ Up to move 28 Black was OK then came 28...f6 and Black lost two pawns without an ounce of counterplay. As Black here.
click for larger viewI think I would have taken the d-pawn.
(Why am I saying 'think' I know I would have. There is a trap for my opponent to fall into.) 26...Bxd4 27.Bxd4 Qxd4
28.Ba6 and I can live with losing the exchange.
The bait is the tempting 28.Bxg6 and after the Queen moves 29.Bxh7+. The trap being 28.Bxg6 Qg7! and the hit on g2 coupled with the coming d4 means Black's attack is rolling and looking good. |
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| Jun-24-16 | | Sihlous: <morfishine> The puzzle is to win 2 pawns from the position given. Black doesn't resign but that doesn't mean the puzzle is 35 moves long. |
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| Jun-24-16 | | agb2002: The material is identical.
Black threatens 29... fxg5. The d-pawn is momentarily immune due to Ba6. The first idea that comes to mind is 29.Qxe6+ Bf7 30.Nxd5 but after 30... Bxe6 31.Nxb6 fxg5 32.Nxc8 Rxc8 the a- and d-pawns are hanging. -----
Another option is 29.Bxf6:
A) 29... Bxf6 30.Qxe6+
A.1) 30... Kg7 31.Qxf6+ Kxf6 32.Nxd5+ seems to win a pawn at least. For example, 32... Kg7 33.Nxb6 Rb8 34.Rc7+ Kh6 35.Nd5 Rxb2 36.Nf6 Bxa4 37.Rxh7+ Kg5 38.Nd5 Bxd1 39.f4#. A.2) 30... Bf7 31.Qxf6 + - [2P].
B) 29... Rd7 30.Qxe6+ + - [2P] (30... Bf7 31.Qxd7). |
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| Jun-24-16 | | agb2002: <diagonalley: .. *UK brexit* ... woo-hoo!> Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx |
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| Jun-24-16 | | YetAnotherAmateur: <Sihlous> The thing is, the puzzle is about obtaining a decisive advantage, and while white gains an advantage with the game line it's definitely not decisive (as demonstrated by black's extended defense of the position). |
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| Jun-24-16 | | WorstPlayerEver: Wasn't that hard. 29. Bf6 seems to be the only move. |
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| Jun-24-16 | | Patriot: I wondered what was so difficult about this. 29.Bxf6 Bxf6 30.Qxe6+ Kg7, but then I went errant with 31.Nxd5?? not seeing the winning reply 31...Qxd4. Had I noticed that, I may have decided 31.Qxf6+ ...hopefully. <morf> <35 moves is a bit much to ask for a "puzzle"> Mr. Spock would disagree. :-) |
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| Jun-24-16 | | kevin86: Black cannot avoid the rook exchange and the resulting quick demise of his position. |
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| Jun-24-16 | | YouRang: Okay, I didn't see the game line at all...
click for larger view
Capturing the e6 pawn with check, while removing the defender of Pd6 was too good to pass up. so <29.Qxe6+ Bf7> (threatening the Q is a must: ...Kf8 or ...Kh8 just gives white time to intensify attack with 30.Nxd5). But even so, <30.Nxd5!> seems to be the only way out:
click for larger view
Here, I figured on the flurry of exchanges <30...Bxe6 31.Nxb6 fxg5> (31...Rxc1? allows 32.Bxc1) <32.Nxc8 Rxc8 33.Rxc8 Bxc8>
Unable to actually visualize and evaluate the position after all this, I hoped with all my might that it would be favorable for white. ~~~
Checking this line with my engine, the final position:
click for larger view
is considered slightly better for white at +.29 (yawn). I also see that black may have improved a bit by playing 30...Rxc1 in my line (see second diagram above). In that case, it continues: 31.Bxc1 Qb3 32.Ne7+ Kf8 33.Qxb3 Bxb3 34.Re1 Re8 35.Bf4
click for larger view
And evals are around +0.05 (double yawn). |
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| Jun-24-16 | | wooden nickel: <Sally Simpson>
Thanks for the wonderful trap! |
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| Jun-24-16 | | morfishine: <Sally Simpson> Very nice post, we never really know what our opponents will play |
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Jun-24-16
| | Sally Simpson: Hi Morf,
"we never really know what our opponents will play."
I cannot resist a trap. It's been my undoing in some games. But I always expect my opponent to blunder on every move. My thinking goes: 'If this lad is any good then how come he has ended up playing a bum like me.' I'm Black and to play....set a trap.
click for larger viewI set the trap and he fell for it.
I'll be back tomorrow and see what you set.
It's not 1...Nxf2 followed by e5-e4 that might be a good move. And the wide-eyed boys feeding it into a computer won't get any joy. Computers do not set genuine chess traps. They can't. They know nothing at all about human v human chess. In this respect they are totally useless. ---
A genuine chess trap is when you play a move knowing there are better moves on the board. A genuine trap if side-stepped will leave you with a worse position. You gambled when there was need to and now look at the mess you in. (though sometimes you gamble and look at the mess they are in.) Setting a trap when you are already losing is a nothing left to lose 'cheapo'. (Another art form that is way beyond a computers comprehension.) You are not risking getting a bad position - you already have one. A genuine chess trap is a no need to gamble. Some call this a trap.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7
click for larger viewWhite cannot win a pawn with 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5 because of 6...Nxd5 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ 
click for larger viewBut 4...Nbd7 is not a pure chess trap. It's a good and playable move. If White does not go for the d-pawn then no harm done.
Going for the win of the d-pawn is a White blunder.
Instead of 4...Nbd7 a genuine trap is 4...Bd6
click for larger viewSame theme if White goes for the d-pawn
5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5 Nxd5 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ and the trap is sprung. However 4....Bd6 has a flaw.
5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bxf6 and no matter how Black recaptures 7.Nxd5 and White has won a sound central pawn. |
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Jun-27-16
| | Sally Simpson: Hi Morf,
Here....
click for larger view...I played the atrocious 19...Bf6.
White went for the pawn.
20.Bxe4 fxe4 21 Qxe4 Bf5
click for larger view19...Bf6 was played to stop 22.Qh4.
The Queen is trapped.
Of course 21.Nd2 and White wins the e-pawn and is winning. I saw this but went for it anyway. A publish and be damned mentality. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 31.Qxf6+