Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #144"][Date "2010.12.13"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "3r4/5p1k/4p1p1/5q2/8/PQ5P/7P/3R3K b - - 0 1"]
This is one puzzle I liked a lot. It has few pieces on the board, the idea for finding the solution is quite obvious, yet the solution by itself is not a piece of cake. Material is equal. The White King is clearly more exposed. Black's pawn structure is far better. All heavy pieces seem to balance each other in their struggle to position themselves for the final blow. The question is:
How should Black continue from here?
a) Go into a Queen and pawns endgame by accepting the Rook exchange
b) Avoid the exchange and occupy the c-file with the intention to get to the 7th rank
c) Do something else and explain why
Choose your desired solution and write the most probable continuation until the outcome becomes obvious. Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #145.
Puzzle #143 solution:
Game: T.L. Petrosian - Drozdovsky, 2004. Frank was very brief and to the point in his answer:
l used the advantage on the Queen because the Queen's duty is to protect the Rook; by attacking the Queen, White can possibly get a Rook and it will be a win by moving the c4 pawn to promote.
Well, that is not too bad. Indeed the Black Queen is tied up to defend Rd7, but it also needs to defend something else less obvious: that is the back rank. While the back rank does not seem clearly exposed if White can take control over e8, Black's escape via f7 is cut off. Once you envision that situation, the rest is quite easy. Well done Frank!
See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #143"][Date "2010.12.06"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1b1q2k1/3r2pp/2Q1Rp2/2B1p3/2P5/6P1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1"]1.Bb6! Bc7 2.Bxc7 Qxc7 3.Qa8+ Rd8 4.Re8+ Kf7 (4...Rxe8 5.Qxe8#) 5.Rxd8 {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Frank - 15 points
Standings:
Karl - 289 points
Jeffrey - 230 points
Rick - 174 points
Frank - 162 points
Alex - 111 points
Owen - 95 points
Edwin - 72 points
Nathaniel - 60 points
How should Black continue from here?
a) Go into a Queen and pawns endgame by accepting the Rook exchange
b) Avoid the exchange and occupy the c-file with the intention to get to the 7th rank
c) Do something else and explain why
Choose your desired solution and write the most probable continuation until the outcome becomes obvious. Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #145.
Puzzle #143 solution:
Game: T.L. Petrosian - Drozdovsky, 2004. Frank was very brief and to the point in his answer:
l used the advantage on the Queen because the Queen's duty is to protect the Rook; by attacking the Queen, White can possibly get a Rook and it will be a win by moving the c4 pawn to promote.
Well, that is not too bad. Indeed the Black Queen is tied up to defend Rd7, but it also needs to defend something else less obvious: that is the back rank. While the back rank does not seem clearly exposed if White can take control over e8, Black's escape via f7 is cut off. Once you envision that situation, the rest is quite easy. Well done Frank!
See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #143"][Date "2010.12.06"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1b1q2k1/3r2pp/2Q1Rp2/2B1p3/2P5/6P1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1"]1.Bb6! Bc7 2.Bxc7 Qxc7 3.Qa8+ Rd8 4.Re8+ Kf7 (4...Rxe8 5.Qxe8#) 5.Rxd8 {White wins}
Correct solutions:
Frank - 15 points
Standings:
Karl - 289 points
Jeffrey - 230 points
Rick - 174 points
Frank - 162 points
Alex - 111 points
Owen - 95 points
Edwin - 72 points
Nathaniel - 60 points
What say you: A, B or C? (2)