Level
3-Bishop
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #147"][Date "2011.01.15"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "4rk2/1p6/p1qr1bQ1/8/P7/1P5R/2P3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1"]
Since you guys are preparing for next week's test, I have chosen a simpler puzzle. It is an excellent example of what can happen when the King is left without pawns protection, as well as it gives everyone a chance to practice their combination skills. The move order is very important! Your task is very simple:
a) White to move and win
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #148.
Puzzle #146 solution:
Game: Luzgin - Yoffe, 1968, Facebook chess puzzle. It was nice to see so many of you sending solutions. Most of them were conservative and none was complete. The best one by far was the one sent by Ziyao; well done! Here is his answer:
a) Material: even, no pieces or pawns have being captured or exchanged yet.
Development: White is ahead since he has two pieces developed and it is his turn.
King Safety: White is about to castle while Black has two moves before he can and the King has no "breathing room" meaning the King has no room to escape and could be potentially be smothered mated (not that its going to happen in this puzzle though), no pieces are currently pointed towards White's King but the Black King has two pieces pointed towards it and Black's f7-pawn is very weak and White's c4-bishop is pointed right at it.
Center: White has two pieces and a pawn that control the center and Black has only one piece and a pawn that controls the center therefore White is ahead.
Plan:
White's plan will be to attack Black's weak f7-pawn and if that fails (which it won't) White will try to establish a classical pawn center and get the king to safety; overall White has the advantage.
Black's plan will probably be to fianchetto Bf8 and try to control the center.
b) See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #146"][Date "2011.01.08"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 d6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bc4 Nd7 {And now the best line} 4.Bxf7+! Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Kf6 (5...Ke8 6.Ne6 {White wins black's Queen}) (5...Kg7 6.Ne6+ {White wins black's Queen}) 6.Qf3+ Ke5 (6...Kxg5 7.d4+ Kh4 8.Qh3#) (6...Kg7 7.Ne6+ Kh6 8.Qh3#) 7.d4+ Kxd4 8.Qc3#
Correct solutions:
Ziyao - 17 points
Jeffrey, Harmony, Danny, Karl, Frank - 13 points
Kevin, James, Leo - 10 points
Alex - 9 points
Leroy - 5 points
a) White to move and win
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #148.
Puzzle #146 solution:
Game: Luzgin - Yoffe, 1968, Facebook chess puzzle. It was nice to see so many of you sending solutions. Most of them were conservative and none was complete. The best one by far was the one sent by Ziyao; well done! Here is his answer:
a) Material: even, no pieces or pawns have being captured or exchanged yet.
Development: White is ahead since he has two pieces developed and it is his turn.
King Safety: White is about to castle while Black has two moves before he can and the King has no "breathing room" meaning the King has no room to escape and could be potentially be smothered mated (not that its going to happen in this puzzle though), no pieces are currently pointed towards White's King but the Black King has two pieces pointed towards it and Black's f7-pawn is very weak and White's c4-bishop is pointed right at it.
Center: White has two pieces and a pawn that control the center and Black has only one piece and a pawn that controls the center therefore White is ahead.
Plan:
White's plan will be to attack Black's weak f7-pawn and if that fails (which it won't) White will try to establish a classical pawn center and get the king to safety; overall White has the advantage.
Black's plan will probably be to fianchetto Bf8 and try to control the center.
b) See solution:
[Event "Puzzle #146"][Date "2011.01.08"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 d6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bc4 Nd7 {And now the best line} 4.Bxf7+! Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Kf6 (5...Ke8 6.Ne6 {White wins black's Queen}) (5...Kg7 6.Ne6+ {White wins black's Queen}) 6.Qf3+ Ke5 (6...Kxg5 7.d4+ Kh4 8.Qh3#) (6...Kg7 7.Ne6+ Kh6 8.Qh3#) 7.d4+ Kxd4 8.Qc3#
Correct solutions:
Ziyao - 17 points
Jeffrey, Harmony, Danny, Karl, Frank - 13 points
Kevin, James, Leo - 10 points
Alex - 9 points
Leroy - 5 points
Pawns gone missing