Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #96"][Date "2009.11.20"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r3kb1r/1q3pp1/pp2p3/2nN2Bp/P5P1/8/1PPQ1Pp1/3RR1K1 w kq - 0 1"]
These days the World Youth Chess Championship 2009 is in full swing in Turkey. Team Canada has a lot of players you guys might know from the club, or provincial and national tournaments. It is interesting to follow their results and games to compare with your play and find out what it takes to qualify for the national team. Playing at such high level brings the best out of most players; for some it is the benchmark of raising to a higher level of play and a strong desire to go back next year. The above position shows such a case of a player raising her level and gaining more confidence to go along with the win. It is from the game: GIBLON, Rebecca (CAN) - PARAMZINA, Anastasya (RUS) 1712 FIDE rating, round 7, girls under 12 Rebecca finishes off the game in style against a much stronger Russian player. Your task:
a) Analyse the position (15 points)
b) White to move and win (5 points)
Considering this is not a complicated puzzle, please make sure your analysis is as good as it can be. Also do not forget to search for the best winning line against line "b11" from last night's lesson. The best winning line will get a prize! Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #97.
Puzzle #95 solution:
Indeed quite a few of you have sent very good answers. This is a good sign. It was not very clear to the majority how to answer to question "c", but we can work more on this to improve. Below I chose different answers in my quest to find the best all around one.
Andy's answer to question "a":
White's positives: - strong Bishop - controlling the 7th rank - active King - in an attacking position - safer King Black's positives: - up a pawn - nice pawn chain White's negatives: - down a pawn
Black's negatives: - King trapped in the corner - defending - Knight is not doing anything
CONCLUSION: Despite the material White is in a better position than Black and therefore should attack. White should bring his active King closer to Black's King and then checkmate in the corner with the help of his Rook and Bishop.
Rick's answer to question "b"
See solution:
Eugen's answer to question "c"
This is a closed position where normally a Knight should be much better than a Bishop; also all Black's pawns cannot be attacked by the Bishop. However the Bishop participates at the attack against the Black King, while the Black Knight is isolated on the other side of the board. White practically plays one piece up.
[Event "Puzzle #95"][Date "2009.11.13"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "4r2k/3R3p/4p1pB/1n1pKp2/3P4/5P1P/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]1.Kf6 Kg8 {There was no other way to avoid mate, so Black grudgingly makes a King move to stop the penetration} (1...Nxd4? 2.Kf7 Rg8 3.Rd8 Rxd8 4.Bg7#) 2.Rg7+ Kh8 {In order to threaten mate on g7, White has to get his Rook out of there before playing Kf7. If you figured that out, the rest is easy} (2...Kf8? 3.Re7+ Kg8 4.Rxe8#) 3.Rb7 Nd6 4.Rd7 {There is no way to save the Knight and prevent 5.Kf7 ... followed by 6.Bg7#. White wins}
Correct solutions:
Rick, Karl - 30 points
Jeffrey, Owen - 28 points
Andy Q, Humphrey - 25 points
Peter, Alex, Nathaniel - 20 points
Wilson - 5 points
Standings:
Karl - 205 points
Owen - 185 points
Andy Q - 170 points
Rick - 165 points
Jeffrey - 115 points
Humphrey - 68 points
Nathaniel - 52 points
Alex - 50 points
Peter - 25 points
James - 24 points
Katerina - 22 points
Wilson - 7 points
a) Analyse the position (15 points)
b) White to move and win (5 points)
Considering this is not a complicated puzzle, please make sure your analysis is as good as it can be. Also do not forget to search for the best winning line against line "b11" from last night's lesson. The best winning line will get a prize! Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #97.
Puzzle #95 solution:
Indeed quite a few of you have sent very good answers. This is a good sign. It was not very clear to the majority how to answer to question "c", but we can work more on this to improve. Below I chose different answers in my quest to find the best all around one.
Andy's answer to question "a":
White's positives: - strong Bishop - controlling the 7th rank - active King - in an attacking position - safer King Black's positives: - up a pawn - nice pawn chain White's negatives: - down a pawn
Black's negatives: - King trapped in the corner - defending - Knight is not doing anything
CONCLUSION: Despite the material White is in a better position than Black and therefore should attack. White should bring his active King closer to Black's King and then checkmate in the corner with the help of his Rook and Bishop.
Rick's answer to question "b"
See solution:
Eugen's answer to question "c"
This is a closed position where normally a Knight should be much better than a Bishop; also all Black's pawns cannot be attacked by the Bishop. However the Bishop participates at the attack against the Black King, while the Black Knight is isolated on the other side of the board. White practically plays one piece up.
[Event "Puzzle #95"][Date "2009.11.13"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "4r2k/3R3p/4p1pB/1n1pKp2/3P4/5P1P/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]1.Kf6 Kg8 {There was no other way to avoid mate, so Black grudgingly makes a King move to stop the penetration} (1...Nxd4? 2.Kf7 Rg8 3.Rd8 Rxd8 4.Bg7#) 2.Rg7+ Kh8 {In order to threaten mate on g7, White has to get his Rook out of there before playing Kf7. If you figured that out, the rest is easy} (2...Kf8? 3.Re7+ Kg8 4.Rxe8#) 3.Rb7 Nd6 4.Rd7 {There is no way to save the Knight and prevent 5.Kf7 ... followed by 6.Bg7#. White wins}
Correct solutions:
Rick, Karl - 30 points
Jeffrey, Owen - 28 points
Andy Q, Humphrey - 25 points
Peter, Alex, Nathaniel - 20 points
Wilson - 5 points
Standings:
Karl - 205 points
Owen - 185 points
Andy Q - 170 points
Rick - 165 points
Jeffrey - 115 points
Humphrey - 68 points
Nathaniel - 52 points
Alex - 50 points
Peter - 25 points
James - 24 points
Katerina - 22 points
Wilson - 7 points
King left in the center (part 1)