Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #101"][Date "2010.01.22"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/k7/1pK5/8/8/8/4R3/8 w - - 0 1"]
Most of us are watching hockey games on TV weekly and enjoy or are frustrated with the ups and downs every team goes thru during the long season. You see a team losing a few games in a row and most of its players will say they need to go back to basics to stop the slide. I always found this explanation weird, but in reality it is correct. Now of course you guys are not on any slide and we are not playing hockey here; however going back to the basics from time to time strenghtens your knowledge and makes you a better player.
Is the above position a basic one? Yes, it is. Is the solution for it simple? Well, we'll see. Your task:
White to move and mate in 3
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #102.
Puzzle #100 solution:
This was the end of the game between Horvath - Jacobsen, 1988. Almost all of you have answered correct, except a few typo errors for Alex and James. Andy Y said:
"When the Kings are exposed, the dynamic power of the queen outdoes the static superiority of the Rooks."
However I believe this is more a case of having a powerful pawn on "f6"; without it the Queen could do no better than a long series of checks. See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #100"][Date "2010.01.15"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5k2/5p2/1K3P2/1P4Q1/8/8/5r2/5r2 w - - 0 1"]1.Qh6+ Ke8 (1...Kg8 2.Qg7#) 2.Qe3+ Kf8 (2...Kd7 3.Qe7+ Kc8 4.Qc7#) 3.Qa3+ Kg8 (3...Ke8 4.Qe7#) 4.Qg3+ Kf8 (4...Kh7 5.Qg7#) 5.Qb8#
Correct solutions:
Humphrey, Karl, Andy Q, Owen, Andy Y - 20 points
Alex - 18 points
James - 16 points
Jeffrey - 2 points
Is the above position a basic one? Yes, it is. Is the solution for it simple? Well, we'll see. Your task:
White to move and mate in 3
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #102.
Puzzle #100 solution:
This was the end of the game between Horvath - Jacobsen, 1988. Almost all of you have answered correct, except a few typo errors for Alex and James. Andy Y said:
"When the Kings are exposed, the dynamic power of the queen outdoes the static superiority of the Rooks."
However I believe this is more a case of having a powerful pawn on "f6"; without it the Queen could do no better than a long series of checks. See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #100"][Date "2010.01.15"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5k2/5p2/1K3P2/1P4Q1/8/8/5r2/5r2 w - - 0 1"]1.Qh6+ Ke8 (1...Kg8 2.Qg7#) 2.Qe3+ Kf8 (2...Kd7 3.Qe7+ Kc8 4.Qc7#) 3.Qa3+ Kg8 (3...Ke8 4.Qe7#) 4.Qg3+ Kf8 (4...Kh7 5.Qg7#) 5.Qb8#
Correct solutions:
Humphrey, Karl, Andy Q, Owen, Andy Y - 20 points
Alex - 18 points
James - 16 points
Jeffrey - 2 points
Basic endgame (part 1)