Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #202"][Date "2012.06.18"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/6b1/5k2/8/P3K1P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
Present position requires no explanation. Please write everything you think it is important in order to solve it:
a) Analyse the position
b) White to move and win
Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #203.
Puzzle #201 solution:
Perenyi - Barczay, Hungary 1979. I got quite a few answers going in the same direction (mating the Black King). The majority were good and managed to identify the important aspects of the position. Here is Leo's answer:
a) This puzzle starts with middle game.
White side is ahead in developed pieces: King castled; all the pieces except for Rh1 are ready to attack (Rc1 controls open c-file; 2 Bishops and 3 pawns d5,f3, g6 occupy the centre; Q has a long moving diagonal which indirectly threat Black King) Black King didn't castle and remained in the centre. Black is up by one point, but Bf8 and Rh8 are not develop. Black has a R+Q battery and will checkmate White in one move. Therefore, the only way out for White is to keep checking Black King till it is mated.
b) See solution
c) Name the opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation. Reason:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 Sicilian Defence
5... a6 Najdorf Variation"
Eugen: this was a pretty good guess. However the variation played was Scheveningen.
[Event "Puzzle #201"][Date "2012.06.11"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 h6 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.Qh3 Nc5 10.f3 e5 11.Nb3 Be6 12.O-O-O Nxb3+ 13.axb3 Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Qc7 16.c3 Qa5 17.Bc4 b5 18.g5 Nd7 19.b4 Qa4 20.Bd3 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa2 22.g6 Qa4+ 23.Kb1 Rxc3 24.Rc1 Ra3 {Solution} 25.Rc8+ ({The game continuation} 25.Qxd7+ Kxd7 26.Bf5+ Kd8 27.Rc8+ Ke7 28.Rc7+ Ke8 29.gxf7+ Kd8 30.Rd7+ Kc8 31.Rc1+ Kb8 32.Ba7+ Ka8 33.Rc8#) 25...Ke7 26.Qxd7+ Kxd7 (26...Kf6 27.Qxf7#) 27.Bf5+ Ke7 28.Rc7+ Ke8 (28...Kd8 29.Rd7+ Kc8 30.Rc1+ Kb8 31.Ba7+ Ka8 32.Rc8#) (28...Kf6 29.Rxf7#) 29.gxf7+ Kd8 30.Rd7+ Kc8 31.Rc1+ Kb8 32.Ba7+ Ka8 33.Rc8#
Correct solutions:
Philip, Leo - 23 points
Coco, Ziyao - 22 points
James, Daniel, Alex - 20 points
Leroy - 15 points
Justin - 12 points
Derrick - 10 points
Standings:
Philip - 448 points
Ziyao - 389 points
James - 329 points
Daniel - 312 points
Jeffrey - 311 points
Leo - 301 points
Derrick - 268 points
Alex - 243 points
Leroy - 221 points
Coco - 213 points
Harmony - 187 points
Justin - 142 points
Kevin - 43 points
a) Analyse the position
b) White to move and win
Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #203.
Puzzle #201 solution:
Perenyi - Barczay, Hungary 1979. I got quite a few answers going in the same direction (mating the Black King). The majority were good and managed to identify the important aspects of the position. Here is Leo's answer:
a) This puzzle starts with middle game.
White side is ahead in developed pieces: King castled; all the pieces except for Rh1 are ready to attack (Rc1 controls open c-file; 2 Bishops and 3 pawns d5,f3, g6 occupy the centre; Q has a long moving diagonal which indirectly threat Black King) Black King didn't castle and remained in the centre. Black is up by one point, but Bf8 and Rh8 are not develop. Black has a R+Q battery and will checkmate White in one move. Therefore, the only way out for White is to keep checking Black King till it is mated.
b) See solution
c) Name the opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation. Reason:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 Sicilian Defence
5... a6 Najdorf Variation"
Eugen: this was a pretty good guess. However the variation played was Scheveningen.
[Event "Puzzle #201"][Date "2012.06.11"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 h6 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.Qh3 Nc5 10.f3 e5 11.Nb3 Be6 12.O-O-O Nxb3+ 13.axb3 Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Qc7 16.c3 Qa5 17.Bc4 b5 18.g5 Nd7 19.b4 Qa4 20.Bd3 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa2 22.g6 Qa4+ 23.Kb1 Rxc3 24.Rc1 Ra3 {Solution} 25.Rc8+ ({The game continuation} 25.Qxd7+ Kxd7 26.Bf5+ Kd8 27.Rc8+ Ke7 28.Rc7+ Ke8 29.gxf7+ Kd8 30.Rd7+ Kc8 31.Rc1+ Kb8 32.Ba7+ Ka8 33.Rc8#) 25...Ke7 26.Qxd7+ Kxd7 (26...Kf6 27.Qxf7#) 27.Bf5+ Ke7 28.Rc7+ Ke8 (28...Kd8 29.Rd7+ Kc8 30.Rc1+ Kb8 31.Ba7+ Ka8 32.Rc8#) (28...Kf6 29.Rxf7#) 29.gxf7+ Kd8 30.Rd7+ Kc8 31.Rc1+ Kb8 32.Ba7+ Ka8 33.Rc8#
Correct solutions:
Philip, Leo - 23 points
Coco, Ziyao - 22 points
James, Daniel, Alex - 20 points
Leroy - 15 points
Justin - 12 points
Derrick - 10 points
Standings:
Philip - 448 points
Ziyao - 389 points
James - 329 points
Daniel - 312 points
Jeffrey - 311 points
Leo - 301 points
Derrick - 268 points
Alex - 243 points
Leroy - 221 points
Coco - 213 points
Harmony - 187 points
Justin - 142 points
Kevin - 43 points
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