Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #57"][Date "2009.02.05"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r1b1r1k1/1p2n1n1/p3p2Q/4PpN1/3q4/2N5/PPP4P/1K4R1 w - - 0 1"]
How good are you at finding a winning combination? How precise are you in putting together the correct string of moves in the right order? Can you see 2, 3 or more moves ahead? These are all questions you might have heard over and over again from either family, friends or bystanders whenever you had the chance to play a game. I don't know what responses you have in mind, but this week I am giving you the opportunity to test yourself and improve by solving the above puzzle. The position comes from the game: Nigel Short - Petar Velikov, Solingen 1987. Your task:
White to move and mate in 6
The complete mating combination has 1 main line and 7 different side lines or tries by Black to escape. The fastest possible mate is 3 in one of the side lines. Each correct line part of the combination will get 5 points. Total available points for this puzzle is 5 x 8 = 40. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #58.
Puzzle #56 solution:
Thanks to everyone sending their answers, some with 3 or even 4 tries. I appreciate a lot your perseverance! Quite a few saw the Black King trapped in the corner and recognized that as the main idea to find the solution. However nobody managed to name the element common for both "Kh1" and "h2": both pieces are "blocked". Finding the other strategic element "zugzwang" was an easier task and 5 of you identified it correctly. Here is Joshua's answer:
[Event "Puzzle #56"][Date "2009.01.29"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/8/p5r1/1p1R4/1P6/8/5K1p/7k w - - 0 1"]1.Rd1+ Rg1 2.Rf1!! {The strategy that White is using here is zugzwang. It forces Black to take the f1-Rook. After that the Black King and the pawns on h2 and b5 cannot move and the a6-pawn has to move} 2...Rxf1+ (2...a5 {The other option for Black is to move the pawn but this move allows White's b4-pawn to capture and become a passer. Then it is a pawn race with White winning it and checkmating with a Bishop or a Queen promotion} 3.bxa5 b4 4.a6 b3 5.a7 b2 6.a8=B#) 3.Kxf1 a5 4.bxa5 b4 5.a6 b3 6.a7 b2 7.a8=B#
Correct solutions:
John - 14 points
Joshua, Andy Y, Andy Q, Jeremy - 10 points
Marcus - 6 points
Wilson, James, Karl, Mark - 5 points
Humphrey, Jacky - 1 point
Each wrong try gets a 1 point deduction in case of providing the correct solution.
Standings:
John - 54 points
Joshua - 49 points
Andy Qian - 48 points
Jeremy - 47 points
Mark - 43 points
Andy Yee - 41 points
Joanne - 21 points
Wilson, Jacky, Darren - 20 points
Marcus - 17 points
James - 15 points
Humphrey - 12 points
Katerina - 10 points
Karl - 7 point
Nathaniel - 6 points
White to move and mate in 6
The complete mating combination has 1 main line and 7 different side lines or tries by Black to escape. The fastest possible mate is 3 in one of the side lines. Each correct line part of the combination will get 5 points. Total available points for this puzzle is 5 x 8 = 40. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #58.
Puzzle #56 solution:
Thanks to everyone sending their answers, some with 3 or even 4 tries. I appreciate a lot your perseverance! Quite a few saw the Black King trapped in the corner and recognized that as the main idea to find the solution. However nobody managed to name the element common for both "Kh1" and "h2": both pieces are "blocked". Finding the other strategic element "zugzwang" was an easier task and 5 of you identified it correctly. Here is Joshua's answer:
[Event "Puzzle #56"][Date "2009.01.29"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/8/p5r1/1p1R4/1P6/8/5K1p/7k w - - 0 1"]1.Rd1+ Rg1 2.Rf1!! {The strategy that White is using here is zugzwang. It forces Black to take the f1-Rook. After that the Black King and the pawns on h2 and b5 cannot move and the a6-pawn has to move} 2...Rxf1+ (2...a5 {The other option for Black is to move the pawn but this move allows White's b4-pawn to capture and become a passer. Then it is a pawn race with White winning it and checkmating with a Bishop or a Queen promotion} 3.bxa5 b4 4.a6 b3 5.a7 b2 6.a8=B#) 3.Kxf1 a5 4.bxa5 b4 5.a6 b3 6.a7 b2 7.a8=B#
Correct solutions:
John - 14 points
Joshua, Andy Y, Andy Q, Jeremy - 10 points
Marcus - 6 points
Wilson, James, Karl, Mark - 5 points
Humphrey, Jacky - 1 point
Each wrong try gets a 1 point deduction in case of providing the correct solution.
Standings:
John - 54 points
Joshua - 49 points
Andy Qian - 48 points
Jeremy - 47 points
Mark - 43 points
Andy Yee - 41 points
Joanne - 21 points
Wilson, Jacky, Darren - 20 points
Marcus - 17 points
James - 15 points
Humphrey - 12 points
Katerina - 10 points
Karl - 7 point
Nathaniel - 6 points
Mate in 6