Level
3-Bishop
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #32"][Date "2008.08.08"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r4bk1/n2Rp1n1/1p6/1Pp1pPp1/2P1N1P1/2N4P/6K1/8 w - - 0 38"]38.f6
Buy "Chess on the edge" regardless of your level (find it at Amazon)! It will offer you countless moments of intellectual pleasure and maybe it will influence your play as well...
One of the pleasures I indulge this summer is to take "Chess on the edge" time travel machine and go back in time to replay Duncan's selected games, true works of art yesterday, as they are today and will continue to be tomorrow. Today I stop and game 18 (part of the book; used with permission): Suttles - Letic, correspondence game 1981; in my opinion this is arguably one of the best games ever played. The game has extensive annotations in the book, balanced out by well chosen diagrams. I will stop at the last one (see diagram). Duncan chose to move 38.f6 ... Questions:
a) Carefully analyse the position and decide who stands better (3 points)
b) Why did he play 38.f6 ...? If you do not agree with this move, propose another one (2 points)
c) What is the most possible way the game continued? (5 points)
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. Next week we are going to enjoy some quiet time in Tofino, so the answers will be published in 2 weeks time (August 21st) together with puzzle #33. This should give everyone enough time to solve this puzzle correctly on all 3 counts. Good luck!
Puzzle #31 solution:
Only two solvers have considered "Kf5" as a problem for White; everybody else said that it was an active piece, just to use its exposed position to go for mate in their chosen solutions. It is very important to look beyond the apparent situation and realise that an active King with so many pieces still on the board could be in danger! In the game Raja "solved" the position as shown below. I received 2 nicer solutions and I believe the proposed move 36 (see below) is better than what Raja chose. Of course it is easier to come up with good moves from the comfort of your home and with no time pressure...
[Event "Puzzle #31"][Date "2008.07.31"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "6k1/1Rp4p/2r2p2/4n1p1/N1p1P1K1/p2r1PP1/P1R3P1/8 w - - 0 34"]34.Kf5 Nf7 {The threat is Nh6#} 35.Kg4 Nh6+ 36.Kh3 f5 ({Joshua's solution} 36...g4+ 37.fxg4 ({John's extra line} 37.Kh4 Rd1 {Followed by mate}) ({John's other extra line} 37.Kh2 gxf3 38.gxf3 Rxf3 {Black wins}) 37...Rd1 38.Kh2 Nxg4+ 39.Kh3 h5 40.Kh4 Rh1#) 37.Kh2 Ng4+!! {White resigned}
Correct solutions:
Joshua - 9 points
John - 8 points
Wilson and Jeremy - 5 points
Standings:
49.0 John
43.0 Joshua
41.0 Wilson
31.0 Jeremy
15.0 Karl
10.0 Jacob and Nathaniel
One of the pleasures I indulge this summer is to take "Chess on the edge" time travel machine and go back in time to replay Duncan's selected games, true works of art yesterday, as they are today and will continue to be tomorrow. Today I stop and game 18 (part of the book; used with permission): Suttles - Letic, correspondence game 1981; in my opinion this is arguably one of the best games ever played. The game has extensive annotations in the book, balanced out by well chosen diagrams. I will stop at the last one (see diagram). Duncan chose to move 38.f6 ... Questions:
a) Carefully analyse the position and decide who stands better (3 points)
b) Why did he play 38.f6 ...? If you do not agree with this move, propose another one (2 points)
c) What is the most possible way the game continued? (5 points)
Total available points for this puzzle is 10. Next week we are going to enjoy some quiet time in Tofino, so the answers will be published in 2 weeks time (August 21st) together with puzzle #33. This should give everyone enough time to solve this puzzle correctly on all 3 counts. Good luck!
Puzzle #31 solution:
Only two solvers have considered "Kf5" as a problem for White; everybody else said that it was an active piece, just to use its exposed position to go for mate in their chosen solutions. It is very important to look beyond the apparent situation and realise that an active King with so many pieces still on the board could be in danger! In the game Raja "solved" the position as shown below. I received 2 nicer solutions and I believe the proposed move 36 (see below) is better than what Raja chose. Of course it is easier to come up with good moves from the comfort of your home and with no time pressure...
[Event "Puzzle #31"][Date "2008.07.31"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "6k1/1Rp4p/2r2p2/4n1p1/N1p1P1K1/p2r1PP1/P1R3P1/8 w - - 0 34"]34.Kf5 Nf7 {The threat is Nh6#} 35.Kg4 Nh6+ 36.Kh3 f5 ({Joshua's solution} 36...g4+ 37.fxg4 ({John's extra line} 37.Kh4 Rd1 {Followed by mate}) ({John's other extra line} 37.Kh2 gxf3 38.gxf3 Rxf3 {Black wins}) 37...Rd1 38.Kh2 Nxg4+ 39.Kh3 h5 40.Kh4 Rh1#) 37.Kh2 Ng4+!! {White resigned}
Correct solutions:
Joshua - 9 points
John - 8 points
Wilson and Jeremy - 5 points
Standings:
49.0 John
43.0 Joshua
41.0 Wilson
31.0 Jeremy
15.0 Karl
10.0 Jacob and Nathaniel
Complex endgame