Level
3-Bishop
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #153"][Date "2011.02.27"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/8/7p/8/6pp/4N1Pk/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
This time I will do the analysis for you since it is very straight forward:
1. White is up in material by 1 point.
2. White's King is better positioned and with more options.
3. Black wants to get rid of the g3-pawn in order to obtain a draw.
Now the heavy work; your task:
a) White to move and win
b) Explain the strategy used for your proposed solution
Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #154.
Puzzle #152 solution:
GM Sutovsky, Emil (ISR) - GM Zhao, Jun (CHN) Aeroflot Open 2011. The best answers came from the youngest: Harmony and Leo. Congratulations to both for the excellent work!
Leo:
Option B is the right one for White. That is to attack to the end. The reasons for choosing option B are:
1. Although Black has 2 Rooks, but one the in the far corner doing neither defending nor attacking.
2. Black has 4 strong chained Pawns in the centre but still needs lots of moves to get to promotion.
3. Black's King is under attacking.
4. White's King safety is better than Black. Only the Black Queen can attack it.
5. All White's powerful pieces are in good attacking postions.
6. If possible, in the end of game, White has one potential pass h-pawn.
Winning plan:
To avoid losing the game or being tied by a perpetual check, White has to use a non-stop succession of checks to either checkmate or detroy the Black's most powerful pieces: Queen and Rook. Here is how to do this; see solution:
[Event "Puzzle #152"][Date "2011.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r4rk1/1p5q/p2p1p1Q/4p2N/2Pp4/8/PP5P/5R1K w - - 0 1"]1.Nxf6+ Rxf6 2.Rg1+ {Winning move} (2.Qxf6? Qe4+ 3.Rf3 Kh7 {We have a draw}) 2...Rg6 (2...Kh8 3.Qxf6+ Qg7 4.Qxg7#) (2...Kf7 3.Qxh7+ Ke6 4.Rg7 {White is winning}) 3.Rxg6+ Kh8 4.Qg5 Rf8 ({Harmony} 4...Rg8 5.Qf6+ Rg7 6.Rh6 Qxh6 7.Qxh6+ Kg8 8.Qxd6 {White is winning}) 5.Rh6 d3 6.Qg6 Qxh6 7.Qxh6+ Kg8 8.Qg6+ Kh8 9.Qxd6 {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Harmony, Leo - 15 points
Alex - 14 points
Ziyao, Jeffrey, James, Leroy - 10 points
Philip, Daniel, Derrick - 2 points
Standings:
Ziyao - 122 points
Harmony - 100 points
Alex - 93 points
James - 87 points
Philip - 69 points
Leo - 67 points
Jeffrey - 62 points
Leroy - 48 points
Derrick - 45 points
Frank - 33 points
Kevin - 29 point
Danny - 19 points
Karl - 13 points
Daniel - 2 points
1. White is up in material by 1 point.
2. White's King is better positioned and with more options.
3. Black wants to get rid of the g3-pawn in order to obtain a draw.
Now the heavy work; your task:
a) White to move and win
b) Explain the strategy used for your proposed solution
Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #154.
Puzzle #152 solution:
GM Sutovsky, Emil (ISR) - GM Zhao, Jun (CHN) Aeroflot Open 2011. The best answers came from the youngest: Harmony and Leo. Congratulations to both for the excellent work!
Leo:
Option B is the right one for White. That is to attack to the end. The reasons for choosing option B are:
1. Although Black has 2 Rooks, but one the in the far corner doing neither defending nor attacking.
2. Black has 4 strong chained Pawns in the centre but still needs lots of moves to get to promotion.
3. Black's King is under attacking.
4. White's King safety is better than Black. Only the Black Queen can attack it.
5. All White's powerful pieces are in good attacking postions.
6. If possible, in the end of game, White has one potential pass h-pawn.
Winning plan:
To avoid losing the game or being tied by a perpetual check, White has to use a non-stop succession of checks to either checkmate or detroy the Black's most powerful pieces: Queen and Rook. Here is how to do this; see solution:
[Event "Puzzle #152"][Date "2011.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r4rk1/1p5q/p2p1p1Q/4p2N/2Pp4/8/PP5P/5R1K w - - 0 1"]1.Nxf6+ Rxf6 2.Rg1+ {Winning move} (2.Qxf6? Qe4+ 3.Rf3 Kh7 {We have a draw}) 2...Rg6 (2...Kh8 3.Qxf6+ Qg7 4.Qxg7#) (2...Kf7 3.Qxh7+ Ke6 4.Rg7 {White is winning}) 3.Rxg6+ Kh8 4.Qg5 Rf8 ({Harmony} 4...Rg8 5.Qf6+ Rg7 6.Rh6 Qxh6 7.Qxh6+ Kg8 8.Qxd6 {White is winning}) 5.Rh6 d3 6.Qg6 Qxh6 7.Qxh6+ Kg8 8.Qg6+ Kh8 9.Qxd6 {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Harmony, Leo - 15 points
Alex - 14 points
Ziyao, Jeffrey, James, Leroy - 10 points
Philip, Daniel, Derrick - 2 points
Standings:
Ziyao - 122 points
Harmony - 100 points
Alex - 93 points
James - 87 points
Philip - 69 points
Leo - 67 points
Jeffrey - 62 points
Leroy - 48 points
Derrick - 45 points
Frank - 33 points
Kevin - 29 point
Danny - 19 points
Karl - 13 points
Daniel - 2 points
Knight's short journey (2)