This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2017-02-21
I have reposted it here for reference.
"Pay attention, we're gonna ask questions later!"
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo, The French Connection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP_7ZopT6oM
How many of you have seen The French Connection movie? Gene Hackman is front and center in it as detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle; together with his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Schneider) they are trying to get to the main source of a drug smuggling connection. It received at the time 5 Academy Awards, including the one for Best Picture while being the first R-rated movie to win it. I highly recommend it in case you have not seen it or if you wish to see it one more time. I was too young to really enjoy the 70s, so I love watching movies and/ or videos from that time.
This past weekend (Feb 18-19) I got together with a chess friend I have not seen in years. Dan Scoones
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2602393
is a strong local master, 2 times provincial champion, who's love for chess has not diminished over the years despite a very busy professional life keeping him away from OTB. His life is a bit less hectic these days and he spends a lot of time reading top quality books. He had a spare copy of Aagaard's "Grandmaster Preparation - Calculation" and I had to have it. We met at the local Starbucks and in no time Dan pulled a chess set and we began talking our common language: famous Soviet chess players and trainers, hedgehog system, GM Suba, Maroczy structure, Fischer learning Russian to read Lipnitsky's book (how many know this one, eh?...), etc. as well as our love for endgames. Dan is an incredible endgame player, writing a nice column "Browsing for endgames" in our provincial newsletter BCCF Bulletin
http://www.chess.bc.ca/bcbulletin.shtml
available for free in pdf format. He shared with me the following endgame study, courtesy of GM Maurice Ashley a common Facebook friend of ours. Try to solve it on your own, without engine help!
[Event "Puzzle #07"][Date "2017.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5K2/4Q3/4Npk1/5q2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
It is really cool to know you are looking at the same position Maurice, Hikaru (Nakamura) and alikes took the time to enjoy. It is a chess connection we are all blessed to have as a community, a connection dating back to the first chess manuscripts. Of course the experience is more exciting when the players involved are your contemporaries. Let's proceed looking at the position to identify helpful clues in figuring out the solution. Do remember a simple rule I learned many years ago from a dear chess composer (Leo Mozes) in my home city:
"Every piece on the chess board has a purpose"
The list of clues could include but are not limited to:
- Ne6 defensive purpose - to limit the action of Qf5
- Ne6 attacking purpose - must be there for a deadly fork on the f8-, g7- or f5-squares
- the f6-pawn - an unfortunate blocker also limiting the action of Qf5
- Qf5 - another unfortunate blocker of Kg6 from running toward the center
- Kf8 - helping Qe7 along the 7th rank; covering all squares around Kg6 should be a goal
If you found extra ones, you did a very good job!
Did you find the solution yet? I am happy I saw the first move, but did not see Hikaru's move 2. I went for the popular choice and there is no shame in that. Here is the complete solution:
[Event "Puzzle #07"][Date "2017.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5K2/4Q3/4Npk1/5q2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]1. Kg8 {threatens Qh7#} 1... Kh6 (1... Kh5 2.Ng7+ {wins the Queen}) (1... Qh5 2. Nf4+ {wins the Queen}) 2. Kh8! {Hikaru's highly accurate choice. Black is in zugzwang because: any King move leads to mate or loses the Queen, the f6-pawn cannot move and Qf5 is overloaded for defending the h7-square and the f6-pawn. Incredible position, ain't it?} (2. Qf8+ {a more popular choice} 2... Kg6 3. Qf7+ Kh6 4. Kh8! {and we are back to the main line}) 2... Qg6 {holding onto everything loses on the spot} (2... Qe4 3. Qxf6+ {giving up the pawn will not ease Black's pain} 3... Qg6 4. Qf8+ Kh5 5. Nf4+) 3. Nf4 Kg5 (3... Qf5 4. Qg7#) 4. Nxg6
Be mindful you are part of the chess connection and get involved. It is the only way to keep it alive. If you have any games and/ or positions you would like me to look at, please do not hesitate to let me know. I will gladly include them in my column for everyone's benefit. Looking forward to your messages!
I have reposted it here for reference.
"Pay attention, we're gonna ask questions later!"
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo, The French Connection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP_7ZopT6oM
How many of you have seen The French Connection movie? Gene Hackman is front and center in it as detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle; together with his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Schneider) they are trying to get to the main source of a drug smuggling connection. It received at the time 5 Academy Awards, including the one for Best Picture while being the first R-rated movie to win it. I highly recommend it in case you have not seen it or if you wish to see it one more time. I was too young to really enjoy the 70s, so I love watching movies and/ or videos from that time.
This past weekend (Feb 18-19) I got together with a chess friend I have not seen in years. Dan Scoones
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2602393
is a strong local master, 2 times provincial champion, who's love for chess has not diminished over the years despite a very busy professional life keeping him away from OTB. His life is a bit less hectic these days and he spends a lot of time reading top quality books. He had a spare copy of Aagaard's "Grandmaster Preparation - Calculation" and I had to have it. We met at the local Starbucks and in no time Dan pulled a chess set and we began talking our common language: famous Soviet chess players and trainers, hedgehog system, GM Suba, Maroczy structure, Fischer learning Russian to read Lipnitsky's book (how many know this one, eh?...), etc. as well as our love for endgames. Dan is an incredible endgame player, writing a nice column "Browsing for endgames" in our provincial newsletter BCCF Bulletin
http://www.chess.bc.ca/bcbulletin.shtml
available for free in pdf format. He shared with me the following endgame study, courtesy of GM Maurice Ashley a common Facebook friend of ours. Try to solve it on your own, without engine help!
[Event "Puzzle #07"][Date "2017.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5K2/4Q3/4Npk1/5q2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
It is really cool to know you are looking at the same position Maurice, Hikaru (Nakamura) and alikes took the time to enjoy. It is a chess connection we are all blessed to have as a community, a connection dating back to the first chess manuscripts. Of course the experience is more exciting when the players involved are your contemporaries. Let's proceed looking at the position to identify helpful clues in figuring out the solution. Do remember a simple rule I learned many years ago from a dear chess composer (Leo Mozes) in my home city:
"Every piece on the chess board has a purpose"
The list of clues could include but are not limited to:
- Ne6 defensive purpose - to limit the action of Qf5
- Ne6 attacking purpose - must be there for a deadly fork on the f8-, g7- or f5-squares
- the f6-pawn - an unfortunate blocker also limiting the action of Qf5
- Qf5 - another unfortunate blocker of Kg6 from running toward the center
- Kf8 - helping Qe7 along the 7th rank; covering all squares around Kg6 should be a goal
If you found extra ones, you did a very good job!
Did you find the solution yet? I am happy I saw the first move, but did not see Hikaru's move 2. I went for the popular choice and there is no shame in that. Here is the complete solution:
[Event "Puzzle #07"][Date "2017.02.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5K2/4Q3/4Npk1/5q2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]1. Kg8 {threatens Qh7#} 1... Kh6 (1... Kh5 2.Ng7+ {wins the Queen}) (1... Qh5 2. Nf4+ {wins the Queen}) 2. Kh8! {Hikaru's highly accurate choice. Black is in zugzwang because: any King move leads to mate or loses the Queen, the f6-pawn cannot move and Qf5 is overloaded for defending the h7-square and the f6-pawn. Incredible position, ain't it?} (2. Qf8+ {a more popular choice} 2... Kg6 3. Qf7+ Kh6 4. Kh8! {and we are back to the main line}) 2... Qg6 {holding onto everything loses on the spot} (2... Qe4 3. Qxf6+ {giving up the pawn will not ease Black's pain} 3... Qg6 4. Qf8+ Kh5 5. Nf4+) 3. Nf4 Kg5 (3... Qf5 4. Qg7#) 4. Nxg6
Be mindful you are part of the chess connection and get involved. It is the only way to keep it alive. If you have any games and/ or positions you would like me to look at, please do not hesitate to let me know. I will gladly include them in my column for everyone's benefit. Looking forward to your messages!