Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #16"][Date "2008.04.17"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5k2/8/5pPp/5P2/6K1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
This week we are going back to the endgame.
Bernhard Horwitz (1807-1885) was a German English chess master and chess writer. Horwitz was born in Germany, and went to school in Berlin, where he studied art. From 1837 to 1843, he was part of a group of German chess players known as "The Pleiades"... His Chess Studies (1851), co-authored with Josef Kling, is an important work on the endgame study and endgames in general. (source Wikipedia)
Here is the position composed by Bernard (see diagram). Task: White to move and win.
The winning line is 10 moves long (all the way to mate) and it is worth 5 points. You can get an extra point for naming the important rule both players need to keep in mind in this position. Total available points for this puzzle is 6 (5+1). The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #17.
Puzzle #15 solution:
Matthew said This puzzle was challenging and fun. It pretty much sums up the nice responses I received; thank you guys! Doing a simultaneous is one important way to promote chess. How many times the average player has the opportunity to play a GM? The simple answer is not likely outside a simultaneous. How does this work? Well, the GM accepts to show up and play 20-30 players in the same time. It is not easy for him to instantly switch from one position to another as he moves from board to board; also such event runs for about 3-4 hours, meaning a test of GM's physical fitness. It is not easy on the player either; in the opening the GM moves fast and he's back soon to face your move. The pace slows down in the middle game, but then he is more likely to find a good solid plan. However quite often the GM plays on instinct and that is when the opportunity appears for the amateur. This is actually what happened with Bobby at the time when he reached that infamous position; he simply played on instinct.
A very interesting discussion about the origin of this game can be followed here:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044177
[Event "Puzzle #15"][Date "2008.04.10"][Result "0-1"]1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3 b5 7.Bf1 Nxd5 8.cxd4 Qxg5 9.Bxb5+ Kd8 10.Qf3 Bb7 11.O-O e4 12.Qxe4 Bd6 13.d3? {Instinct move. Bobby believed his extra pawns and the Black King left in the center would be enough to easily get the point. He did not spend enough time looking at the position to see the threats pointing at his castle and he paid for it} 13...Bxh2+ 14.Kxh2 Nf4 {White resigned. Possible continuations} 15.Bxf4 (15.Qxb7?? Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Ne2#) 15...Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Bxe4 17.Bg3 Qg5 18.Nc3 a6 19.Ba4 Bxd3 {What do you think could happen here?}
Correct solutions:
Matthew, Jeremy - 10 points
John D - 7 points
Jacob - 6 points
Wilson - 3 points
Algerd, Jakab, Joanne, Katerina - 1 point
Standings:
40.0 John D
37.0 Jeremy
34.0 Jacob
30.5 Matthew
20.0 Karl
17.5 Katerina
16.5 Joanne
15.5 Frank
11.0 Bryant
8.5 Wilson
...
13 more solvers with less points
Bernhard Horwitz (1807-1885) was a German English chess master and chess writer. Horwitz was born in Germany, and went to school in Berlin, where he studied art. From 1837 to 1843, he was part of a group of German chess players known as "The Pleiades"... His Chess Studies (1851), co-authored with Josef Kling, is an important work on the endgame study and endgames in general. (source Wikipedia)
Here is the position composed by Bernard (see diagram). Task: White to move and win.
The winning line is 10 moves long (all the way to mate) and it is worth 5 points. You can get an extra point for naming the important rule both players need to keep in mind in this position. Total available points for this puzzle is 6 (5+1). The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #17.
Puzzle #15 solution:
Matthew said This puzzle was challenging and fun. It pretty much sums up the nice responses I received; thank you guys! Doing a simultaneous is one important way to promote chess. How many times the average player has the opportunity to play a GM? The simple answer is not likely outside a simultaneous. How does this work? Well, the GM accepts to show up and play 20-30 players in the same time. It is not easy for him to instantly switch from one position to another as he moves from board to board; also such event runs for about 3-4 hours, meaning a test of GM's physical fitness. It is not easy on the player either; in the opening the GM moves fast and he's back soon to face your move. The pace slows down in the middle game, but then he is more likely to find a good solid plan. However quite often the GM plays on instinct and that is when the opportunity appears for the amateur. This is actually what happened with Bobby at the time when he reached that infamous position; he simply played on instinct.
A very interesting discussion about the origin of this game can be followed here:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044177
[Event "Puzzle #15"][Date "2008.04.10"][Result "0-1"]1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3 b5 7.Bf1 Nxd5 8.cxd4 Qxg5 9.Bxb5+ Kd8 10.Qf3 Bb7 11.O-O e4 12.Qxe4 Bd6 13.d3? {Instinct move. Bobby believed his extra pawns and the Black King left in the center would be enough to easily get the point. He did not spend enough time looking at the position to see the threats pointing at his castle and he paid for it} 13...Bxh2+ 14.Kxh2 Nf4 {White resigned. Possible continuations} 15.Bxf4 (15.Qxb7?? Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Ne2#) 15...Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Bxe4 17.Bg3 Qg5 18.Nc3 a6 19.Ba4 Bxd3 {What do you think could happen here?}
Correct solutions:
Matthew, Jeremy - 10 points
John D - 7 points
Jacob - 6 points
Wilson - 3 points
Algerd, Jakab, Joanne, Katerina - 1 point
Standings:
40.0 John D
37.0 Jeremy
34.0 Jacob
30.5 Matthew
20.0 Karl
17.5 Katerina
16.5 Joanne
15.5 Frank
11.0 Bryant
8.5 Wilson
...
13 more solvers with less points
Zugzwang