Level
5-Queen
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #201"][Date "2012.06.11"][Result "1-0"]1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 h6 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.Qh3 Nc5 10.f3 e5 11.Nb3 Be6 12.O-O-O Nxb3+ 13.axb3 Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Qc7 16.c3 Qa5 17.Bc4 b5 18.g5 Nd7 19.b4 Qa4 20.Bd3 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa2 22.g6 Qa4+ 23.Kb1 Rxc3 24.Rc1 Ra3
Replay the opening moves available for this game. Your tasks:
a) Analyse what each side has done so far
b) White to move - choose the best line you can come up with
c) Name the opening
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #202.
Puzzle #200 solution:
GM Lembit Oll – Romero Holmes, Groningen, 1984. This one caused quite a lot of trouble to everyone. Nobody was able to solve it completely and even the top 2 solvers were far from their usual better answers. Ziyao's first answer was not bad:
a) White is up a pawn and was his turn to move; both sides have attacks going but Black's King is better defended despite the fact White was to move because his attacking pieces are somewhat near the vicinity and could rush back if it is necessary to defend. Black's attack looks like it needs a Bishop's sacrifice while White's demands that the Black Ne5 be removed.
The choice 18.cxd5 ... was a weak one because it hands Black a tempo and makes no effort to open the diagonal, only hoping Black will either move his Knight and be mated or letting it be captured. He misses the fact that this is a decisive position and something must be done right away.
b) See solution
c) The opening was Budapest gambit
[Event "Puzzle #200"][Date "2012.06.04"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "2b1r1k1/1pp2ppp/1b5r/3pn3/2P1NP1q/1PQ1P2P/PB2B1P1/R4RK1 w - - 0 18"]18.cxd5 {Solution} 18...Bxh3! 19.gxh3 Qxh3 20.Kf2 Qh4+ 21.Ng3 Qh2+ {In the game} ({Better was} 21...Rg6 22.Ke1 Rxg3 23.Kd1 Rxe3 {Black wins}) 22.Ke1 Qxg3+ 23.Kd1 {Finally, White’s King is away from danger, but with an even material on board, White has little to look forward to} 23...Nd7 24.Rf3 Qg2 {Now Black threatens to put his Rook to the second rank. White can stop that, but only by giving the d5-pawn away. Basically, Black has a winning position here} 25.Rf2 Qxd5+ 26.Kc2 Rc6 27.Bc4 Qe4+ 28.Kd1 Nf6 {This move neutralizes the only threat in the entire position and wraps up the game} 29.Re2 Rd6+ 30.Rd2 Red8 {White resigned}
Correct solutions:
Philip, Ziyao - 17 points
Justin, Daniel - 12 points
Leroy, James - 10 points
Alex, Derrick - 7 points
Leo, Coco - 3 points
Standings:
Philip - 425 points
Ziyao - 367 points
Jeffrey - 311 points
James - 309 points
Daniel - 292 points
Leo - 278 points
Derrick - 258 points
Alex - 223 points
Leroy - 206 points
Coco - 193 points
Harmony - 187 points
Justin - 130 points
Kevin - 43 points
a) Analyse what each side has done so far
b) White to move - choose the best line you can come up with
c) Name the opening
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #202.
Puzzle #200 solution:
GM Lembit Oll – Romero Holmes, Groningen, 1984. This one caused quite a lot of trouble to everyone. Nobody was able to solve it completely and even the top 2 solvers were far from their usual better answers. Ziyao's first answer was not bad:
a) White is up a pawn and was his turn to move; both sides have attacks going but Black's King is better defended despite the fact White was to move because his attacking pieces are somewhat near the vicinity and could rush back if it is necessary to defend. Black's attack looks like it needs a Bishop's sacrifice while White's demands that the Black Ne5 be removed.
The choice 18.cxd5 ... was a weak one because it hands Black a tempo and makes no effort to open the diagonal, only hoping Black will either move his Knight and be mated or letting it be captured. He misses the fact that this is a decisive position and something must be done right away.
b) See solution
c) The opening was Budapest gambit
[Event "Puzzle #200"][Date "2012.06.04"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "2b1r1k1/1pp2ppp/1b5r/3pn3/2P1NP1q/1PQ1P2P/PB2B1P1/R4RK1 w - - 0 18"]18.cxd5 {Solution} 18...Bxh3! 19.gxh3 Qxh3 20.Kf2 Qh4+ 21.Ng3 Qh2+ {In the game} ({Better was} 21...Rg6 22.Ke1 Rxg3 23.Kd1 Rxe3 {Black wins}) 22.Ke1 Qxg3+ 23.Kd1 {Finally, White’s King is away from danger, but with an even material on board, White has little to look forward to} 23...Nd7 24.Rf3 Qg2 {Now Black threatens to put his Rook to the second rank. White can stop that, but only by giving the d5-pawn away. Basically, Black has a winning position here} 25.Rf2 Qxd5+ 26.Kc2 Rc6 27.Bc4 Qe4+ 28.Kd1 Nf6 {This move neutralizes the only threat in the entire position and wraps up the game} 29.Re2 Rd6+ 30.Rd2 Red8 {White resigned}
Correct solutions:
Philip, Ziyao - 17 points
Justin, Daniel - 12 points
Leroy, James - 10 points
Alex, Derrick - 7 points
Leo, Coco - 3 points
Standings:
Philip - 425 points
Ziyao - 367 points
Jeffrey - 311 points
James - 309 points
Daniel - 292 points
Leo - 278 points
Derrick - 258 points
Alex - 223 points
Leroy - 206 points
Coco - 193 points
Harmony - 187 points
Justin - 130 points
Kevin - 43 points
Long mates (3)