| Sep-22-16 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: I'd try 44 ... Rxb2. The rook is poisoned, as in 44 ... Rxb2
45 Kxb2 e2
46 Ra7+ Bd7
I don't know whether that's a draw or a win, although I'm hopeful because the bishop is the right color for h1. But I can't see a zwischenzug to improve Black's chances, nor a better choice for Black. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | dfcx: Another pawn promotion puzzle this week.
44...Rxb2
a. 45.Kxb2 e2 wins
b. 45.Nd4 e2 46.Nxe2 Rxe2 black is a bishop ahead. White can play before either a or b.
45.Ra7+ Kf6 46.Ra6+ Ke5 and white is out of checks. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | patzer2: I'm four out of four this week with my Thursday puzzle solution matching the game move 44...Rxb2!, clearing the way for the decisive advance of Black's passed pawn on e2. The line I calculated matched at least one strong computer program's continuation with 44...Rxb2 45. Nd4 e2  (-7.48 @ 47 depth, Stockfish 181014SE). My computer indicates 43. Nd6?, allowing 43...Ke7 (-2.01 @ 20 depth, Deep Fritz 15) was the decisive error. Instead, 43. Nf6 = (0.00 @ 31 depth, Stockfish 080915) holds it level. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | agb2002: Black has a bishop for a knight and a pawn.
The advanced pawn suggests 44... Rg2 or 44... Rxb2. The former doesn't prevent Kd2 when the pawn moves, so 44... Rxb2: A) 45.Kxb2 e2
A.1) 46.Re6+ Bxe6 followed by 47... e1=Q, winning. A.2) 46.Ra7+ Bd7, etc.
B) 45.Nd4 e2 46.Nxe2 Rxe2 - + [B vs P].
C) 45.Ra7+ Kf6 46.Ra6+ Ke5 and White doesn't solve anything. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | YouRang: Thursday 44...?
click for larger view
Well, this could be nothing but a promotion tactic for black's Pe3. The black king is situated to prevent the rook from defending, the black bishop supports the advance to e2. I need to get my rook out of the way such that it assists the pawn advance, and the obvious choice is <44...Rxb2>
click for larger view
The rook is safe since 45.Kxb2? e2 will promote. White can at least prevent the promotion with <45.Nd4>, but then <45...e2 46.Nxe2 Rxe2> wins a knight for the pawn, which should be winning for black. Perhaps white's better try is <45.Ra7>
click for larger view
White is hoping that black will stumble into or fork (e.g. 45...Ke6? 46.Kxb2! e2 47.Nd4+ fork) or perpetual check, or allow the rook to get to the e-file, stopping the pawn. But black's king escapes with <45...Kf6!> (still preventing Re7) <46.Ra6+ Kg5>
click for larger view
The king isn't guarding the e-file anymore, but the bishop is (guarding e6). Black will still win a piece. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | saturn2: Both players have advanced pawns, but black is faster.
44..Rxb2
After both 45 Nd4 and 45 KxR the move 45..e2 wins for black. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | AlicesKnight: Saw most of this but not the neat point from the end of the game that after 48.Kxb2, Black must not queen at once because of 49.Re6+ Bxe6; 50.Nf3+. <Saturn> Didn't Fine quote someone (Manhattan club?) that Black pawns do move faster than White? |
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| Sep-22-16 | | gofer: <44 ... Rxb2>
The rook is immune (i.e. 45 Kxb2 e2  ).
45 Any king or knight move e2
<45 Ra7+ Kf6>
46 Any king or knight move e2
<45 Ra6+ Ke5>
46 Any king or knight move e2
~~~
Yep. Easier than yesterday, once you commit to the first move... |
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| Sep-22-16 | | saturn2: <AlicesKnight Black pawns do move faster than White?> It is a well known fact that black runners are faster. It must have to do with their genes. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | morfishine: <44...Rxb2> Same theme from a couple of weeks ago |
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Sep-22-16
 | | piltdown man: Very easy today, saw it straight away. Would I have in my playing days? No chance! |
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| Sep-22-16 | | et1: First move was straight forward. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | mel gibson: I saw it straight away.
This should have been a Monday puzzle. |
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Sep-22-16
 | | Willber G: 4/4 this week, including the *proper* solution of 25.Qe4+ yesterday. ;-) |
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| Sep-22-16 | | Pawn Slayer: Hmm. Found 44.... Rxb2 easily enough, but I answered 45 Ra7+ with 45....Bd7. Does this work? |
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| Sep-22-16 | | clement41: Found the rook sac but not the whole game line. With her 48 Kxb2, white used a good practical chance, especially if black was in zeitnot -which is not an absurd assumption- as then queening is a horrible blunder due to the x-ray/decoy/fork tactics that occur after 48...e1=Q?? 49 Re6+ Bxe6 50 Nf3+ Kd5 51 Nxe1 Kc4
However after the correct 48...Kxd4 it's curtains |
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| Sep-22-16 | | clement41: Actually, let me correct my line: in the 48...e1=Q?? variation, black's king will go take g3 after the knight check, and I'm not sure if this is closer to a draw or a decisive result.
Also, it goes without saying that on 48 Nxe2, 48...Rxe2 wins for black while ...48...Bxe2?? 49 Ra5+ wins for white (49 Kxb2?? Bxa6 wins for black) |
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| Sep-22-16 | | kevin86: Black's goal was to push the e-pawn through...and he did! |
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Sep-22-16
 | | benveniste: The "puzzle" move is fairly easy to find, but after ♘d4, I found it difficult to prevent White from forcing a R+B v. R or R+RP v R endgame. |
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| Sep-22-16 | | gars: I wouldn't solve it in ten hours, but this is a very beautiful finish! |
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| Sep-22-16 | | YouRang: <Pawn Slayer: Hmm. Found 44.... Rxb2 easily enough, but I answered 45 Ra7+ with 45....Bd7. Does this work?>
Good question. I hadn't thought of blocking the check. The downside of <45...Bd7> is that f3 is no longer guarded. Thus <46.Nd4 e2>
click for larger view
And now white has <47.Nf3!> (thanks to the absence of Bg4) and black will have trouble taking advantage of the Pe2. Probably 47...Ra1 to get rook out of take, and then how does black make progress after Kd3 and Ne1? |
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| Sep-22-16 | | dzechiel: My very first thought was 44...Rxb2.
It's always so much easier to find a good move in a position if you are told there is a good move in a position. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 47...e2