Hello all, This posting is divided into various parts. You can jump to the headings of the sections by search/find for **, a pair of asterisks . ** Positional evaluation of the problem . White: Three pawn islands. The b2 pawn is attacked by the black f6 bishop, but the bishop is presently pinned to the black king. The split pawns on the kingside are not weak in this position, but will need greater care in the endgame, since neither can ever offer protection to the other. The king sits on a semi-open g-file, but black can do little to exploit the slight exposure in the kingside. The Queen is actively placed, pinning the f6 bishop to the black king, but is also under attack from the black g6 pawn, which gives white a problem. The white queen is the only defence to the f4 bishop, and she has no safe move which keeps that piece protected. The 2 white rooks are ideally centralised occupying the central files, the d1 rook is attacking the black queen, and the e1 rook has an x-ray attack on the black e6 knight. The f4 bishop is active on the kingside, and also has a threat on the c7 pawn, should the black queen move away. The knight on e4 is ready for action, either in the centre, or on the kingside. All the white pieces are developed, and contributing to the attack . Black: Two pawn islands. The queenside pawns are contributing nothing as of yet. The kingside pawns are controlling a few squares over there, but there is also a hole on g5, which could be a good location for a white minor piece, though at the moment black seems to have defended this square with his own minor pieces. The king is under pressure, and is also tied to defending the e6 knight.. There are 5 white attacking units, all centrally placed. To counter this, black has only 2 minor pieces in front of the king, to offer protection. The queen is both unmoved, and under attack from the white d1 rook, and it is white to move. The a8 and h8 rooks are on their original squares, and contribute nothing to the black position. The f6 bishop is pinned the king by the white queen, and is thus paralysed The e6 knight looks a little vulnerable, being protected by the king, and having an x-ray threat from the white e1 rook hitting it . ** Hints section, 5 hints . Hint 1, to find the key move . The white queen is attacked, so something must be done about that, right? . Hint 2, to find the key move . Positionally speaking, which looks the stronger piece, the black queen on d8, or the white rook on d1? Aha, so do not sacrifice that one . Hint 3, to find the key move . This winning sequence is a powerful light-squared invasion, but which square can it be on? . Hint 4, to find the key move . Perhaps Aim at a light-square weakness, and a different one may appear . Final hint, to find the key move . Check with the cavalry, to find out if this is the charge of the Light Brigade . ** Proposed solution to WAC078 . It might not be immediately obvious, but white has the opportunity for a decisive light-square invasion. The black knight on e6 is only defended once, and only attacked once. There is however, an x-ray attack on the black knight, from the white e1 rook. If the white knight on e4 was suddenly removed from the board, then white could solve the problem of the attacked queen on f5, by simply capturing the e6 knight with check. Of course, pieces can not just be removed like that, but there is still a means to achieve the end. White plays, 1. Ng5+, and the knight removes itself from the e-file with check, and places a triple attack on the vulnerable black e6 knight. Black has no less than 6 replies to consider. Firstly, moving the king, will lose material as follows. If, 1. ... Ke7, or, 1. ... Ke8, or 1. ... Kg8, white will reply to all 3 king moves with, 2. Qxe6+. White has just won a piece, and more material, if not checkmate in some lines, will soon follow. Secondly, if black tries, 1. ... Kf8, or 1. ... Kg7, then white replies to both these king moves with, 2. Nxe6+. Again, white has just won a piece, and this time with a royal fork. After any black king move subsequent to this fork, white can just start the liquidation process with, 3. Rxd8. So, 5 black king moves all lose. Ah, but after 1. Ng5+, there are 6 replies for black. There is definitely a triple attack on the e6 knight, but surely, black can simply play, 1. ... Nxg5 which would stop the check, while saving the black knight, and white still has the queen attacked. Yes, these 3 factors are correct, so black just plays, 1. ... Nxg5, and white must think again. So, what has changed? . Firstly, the e-file has now become fully open for the white e1 rook, but the second feature, which makes this position winning for white, is what is perhaps not so obvious. The black knight is now on g5, which means the white queen on f5, is now supporting a rook invasion with check on the d7 square. So, 2. Rd7+, and black has to lose the queen for a white rook, and there are 3 ways to do it. Firstly, if 2. ... Kf8, then 3. Rxd8+ Rxd8 4. Qxf6+ Nf7 5. Re7, and black is lost. Secondly, 2. ... Kg8 3. Rxd8+ Rxd8, note if black tries to save the bishop with, 3. ... Bxd8, then 4. Qxg6+ Kf8 5. Re8+ is mate. So, after black plays, 3. ... Rxd8, white achieves a material win with, 4. Qxf6, the black bishop falls. The third reply, black can try, 2. ... Qxd7 3. Qxd7+ Kf8. Note if, 3. Kg8, white wins a piece with, 4. Bxg5 Bxg5 5. Qd5+, forking the black king and g5 bishop. So, white has a nominal 1 pawn plus, but can win further material with, 4. Bxg5 Bxg5 5. Qxc7, with a few threats. The b7 pawn is attacked, there is also, Qc5+, which will pick up the black bishop, and lastly there is, Qe5+, which forks black's bishop and h8 rook. All of these threats can not be parried, and it seems as if losing the b7 pawn is least ruinous, but black will lose more material anyway, when the white queenside pawns get rolling . ** Condensed proposed solution . 1. Ng5+ Nxg5 2. Rd7+ Qxd7 3. Qxd7+ Kf8 4. Bxg5 Bxg5 5. Qxc7 . ** Other tactical variations considered, and rejected . Variation A: 1. Qxe6+ A good try for white, is to try and catch the black royalty in the centre, hoping to pick up material along the way. With all 5 white pieces working, there might be the startling, 1. Qxe6+. Well, that resolves the problem of the attacked white queen, but just how much activity will follow, and remember, the more active white pieces which are traded for inactive black pieces, is almost certainly relieving the pressure on black. Here, black can not avoid capturing the white queen, as any black king move allows, 2. Rxd8, and white has won a queen and knight for a rook. So, 1. ... Kxe6, and now the white e4 knight has 7 legal moves, all unleashing a discovered attack on the black king. Remember, any variation where white has to recover the black queen for the d1 rook, leaves white an exchange down, and the attack will have dissipated, leaving black safe. So, 2. Nc3+ Kf7, and black is safe. Or, 2. Nd2+ Kf7, and here white can not even win black the black queen, the d-file is blocked, black is safe. Or, 2. Ng3+ Kf7, black is safe. Or, 2. Ng5+, and this is preventing the blacking from skulking away to f7, but he can go, 2. ... Kf5. The line could continue, 3. Rxd8, leaving black with a 3-way choice of recaptures. Clearly, the white knight on g5 would like the possibility of forking rooks on f7 if allowed, so black's simplest reply is, 3. ... Rhxd8, and white is an exchange down with no follow up, black is safe. Or, 2. Nc5+ Kf7, and black is safe. Or, 2. Nxf6+ Kxf6, and black is safe . So, now we arrive at white's 7th discovered check with the e4 knight, which is, 2. Nd6+, which neatly covers the f5 and f7 squares, but has similarly blocked the d-file, down which the d1 rook was intending to win back the black queen at some point. Black has 2 replies, the first is, 2. ... Be5. This move will return some material, in order to give the black king the f6 square for flight. The idea is after, 3. Rxe5+ Kf6, but now white has, 4. Ne4+ Kg7 5. Rxd8 Raxd8, and white has 2 minor pieces for a rook, a technical win, but requiring accurate technique in a long game. So, at last white has found a favourable line, however, black does not have to give away the f6 bishop, there is a legal king move in, 2. ... Kd7. Yet again, the white knight has 7 legal moves with which discovered check will be given. Listing them all will reveal nothing, it is hopefully apparent that if white is going to survive this, then a discovered check must be found, which allows white to regain the black queen for the knight, and not a rook, as in lines just given. There are 2 moves, either 3. Nf7+ or 3. Nxb7+, and since white will be capturing the black queen on d8 with the knight, the better move is, 3. Nxb7+, picking up a pawn on the way. So, now the black king has 2 moves to the c-file, and paradoxically, the active choice is the worse move. The reason for this, is the unprotected black bishop and g-pawn on the 6th rank. So if, 3. ... Kc6 4. Nxd8+ Raxd8+, black is trying to trade off an active white rook, and if now, 5. Rxd8, black must be careful. If here, 5. ... Rxd8, then, 6. Re6+ wins the f6 bishop, So, black must play, 5. ... Bxd8, but the same idea again for white, 6. Re6+ Kc5 7. Rxg6 Kxc4. It might seem as if black is grovelling out, but here is a sting in the tail, white has, 8. Bxc7, which leaves white 2 clear pawns up, since, 8. ... Bxc7 9. Rc6+, regains the bishop and wins. So, now back to the second king move which from the start is, 1. Nxe6 Kxe6 2. Nd6+ Kd7 3. Nxb7+ Kc8, and now the king is not vulnerable to a 6th rank check. so now, 4. Nxd8, and black must choose carefully here. The better reply is 4. ... Bxd8, since capturing with the rook by black, would allow a trade of rooks, and the remaining white rook will invade firstly onto the 6th rank, win the g6 pawn, and have a deadly threat of a check on the 8th rank, skewering the king and a8 rook, so black must take time to avoid this. White can then safeguard the queenside pawns with, b3, and then return to win the weak black h-pawn. So, after, 5. ... Bxd8 6. Re6 Rg8, and white is a pawn up, better placed, but there is still much work to do . These lines with white, 1. Qxe6 demonstrate some possibilities for a pair of rooks on fully open central files, combined with a couple of minor pieces, against an undeveloped black army. It might also demonstrate, a centralised knight, with numerous potential discovered checks, needs careful tactical calculation skills . Variation B: 1. Qxf6+ White can achieve a slight material gain, and also set a little trap with, 1. Qxf6+. Clearly, black has only one reply, 1. ... Qf6, and white now has 2 choices. The first, is to keep trading with, 2. Nxf6, hoping for a blunder, since, 2. ... Kxf6, loses an exchange to, 3. Be5+. Black will not comply, and simply play, 2. ... Nxf4. White has the better piece development, but no more, this looks equal. Instead of capturing the black queen, white has an interesting idea in, 2. Rd7+, setting a trap. If black tries for material equality, white will soon crush black. For example, 2. Kf8, intending to let the queen go, and regaining material equality by capturing the white f4 bishop. Note, black should avoid, 2. ... Ke8, which loses to, 3. Nxf6+ Kf8 4. Rxe6. So, now white takes the black queen with, 3. Nxf6, and black takes the white bishop with, 3. ... Nxf4. Material is equal, but the position becomes crushing for white with, 4. Ree7. Doubled rooks on the 7th rank, combined with a 6th rank knight, set up a neat mating net. Black can try, 4. ... Nh3+ 5. Kf1 Ng5, which stops the threatened mate on f7. However, white attacks the defending black knight with, 6. h4, and any move by the black knight, allows 7. Rf7+ mate. Black can only avoid mate with, 6. ... Rh7, but simply, 7. Nxh7+ Nxh7 8. Rxh7 white, a whole rook up, wins . So, after white's tricky, 2. Rd7+, black being a piece up, offers the queen back with, 2. ... Qe7. White can play simply with, 3. Rxe7+ Kxe7 4. Ng5, and the black e6 knight is pinned and lost, and white is better, but a long game is in prospect. Instead, after black interposes with, 2. ... Qe7, white can create complications with, 3. Ng5+. Black has 3 replies. Firstly, 3. ... Nxg5, which loses to, 4. Rexe7+ Kf6, protecting the g5 knight, but then, 5. Be5+ wins an exchange on h8. Secondly, 3. ... Ke8 4. Rxe7+ Kxe7 5. Rxe6+, and white also wins the g6 pawn, and with two minor pieces and a passed f-pawn against a rook, white will eventually win, but will need patient technique. The third black choice after, 3. Ng5+, is, 3. ... Kf6. This is very bold, sometimes moves like this will save the position, and sometimes they just march the monarch to his doom. White continues with, 4. Rxe7, and if black plays, 4. ... Kxe7, this transposes to a line just given, where the black knight and g6 pawn fall. Instead, black can try to make use of the advancing king with, 4. ... Nxf4. Material equality is again temporarily reached, but the position has imbalance. White can try 5. Nh7+, forcing the black king up the board, hoping for a mate. After, 5. ... Kf5, white does not have enough to mate the black king, the square h4 is a haven, should white try to force matters. White can instead grab a pawn with, 6. Rxc7, which leaves black to protect the b7 pawn, however, the black f4 knight covers the g2 square, so if the white e1 rook ever moves off the back rank, then the white king is vulnerable to a potential back rank mate. White is better, but must be careful . Variiation C: 1. Rxd8+ There is a phrase in chess which says, "Obvious, therefore dubious", I think by Bobby Fischer. This is clearly a generalisation, meant to make one think about every move carefully, and not to be lazy, in the move-decision department. Captures and recaptures, no matter how tempting, should not be automatic. Here, with the black queen attacked, it is tempting to just take her. This would be a mistake, both on tactical and positional grounds. Firstly, the black queen is not active, and the white queen is very actively placed, with good attacking opportunities. So, selecting a line which effectively trades queens is almost always certainly a poor decision. Also, more active white pieces will be traded for inactive black pieces. White will be slightly worse after, 1. Rxd8 gxf5 2. Rxa8 Rxa8, and now white has both minor pieces attacked. The only move to avoid material loss is, 3. Nxf6, and black can choose to capture either the f6 knight, or the f4 bishop. The simpler move is, 3. ... Nxf4, leaving white to find a move for the f6 knight. Black has a slight gain in space, white must play carefully. The white position has lost all momentum by entering a line which trades 3 pairs of actively placed units . Variation D: 1. Nd6+ White already has an x-ray attack on the black e6 knight, from the e1 rook, and now tries to be able to safely capture on e6 with the attacked queen. So, white clears the way with, 1. Nd6+, and now black has 3 replies. Attempting to run away with, 1. ... Kg7, looks awful. Simply, 2. Qxe6, and now black must take the knight on d6 with, 2. ... Cxd6, but now the white heavy pieces run rampant with, 3. Rxd6, forcing the black queen to keep a defence on the f6 bishop with, 3. Qf8. However, 4. Rd7+, and the black king cannot move, note that the white f4 bishop covers h6, and now black loses bishop and queen for a white rrook with, 4. ... Be7 5. Rxe7+ Qxe7 6. Qxe7+. So with, 1. Nd6+, black can try, 1. ... cxd6, which transposes directly into the line just given after, 2. Qxe6 Kg7. Note, if the black king goes, 2. ... Kf8, then, 3. Rxd6, and the black queen is attacked by the rook, and the f6 bishop is doubly attacked by the 6th rank force of white queen and rook. The queen must move, and the f6 bishop is lost next move . So, thus far, 1. Nd6+ seems very promising. However, black has a shocking third reply in, 1. ... Qxd6. Now matters are complex. White can capture the black queen in 2 ways, but the white queen is also attacked. The supposedly weak black knight on e6, is now doubly attacked, but also doubly defended. There is also the white f4 bishop, which is defended once, but under a double attack from the black queen and knight. What this means, is that white, now a piece down, must find a reply which solves the problem of his attacked bishop and queen, and also regain material. If white tries, 2. Qe4, black can avoid the unnecessary complication of, 2. ... Qxf4, which should win, but simply play, 2. Qc6, challenging the white queen and removing herself from the white rook's threat. Black will then consolidate, and be winning. There is also, 2. ... Qe7, which seems to leave black a piece ahead, but the central white rooks and queen are still powerfully placed, and the black queen is hiding behind a potentially vulnerable e6 knight. Careful play by black will slowly unravel the position, but why should black permit such pressure, when, 2. Qc6, is a good and safer challenge. So, What has white against, 1. ... Qxd6. It seems the only chance is, 2. Rxd6, and black has no choice but to regain material with, 2. ... gxf5. Now the point of white capturing the black queen on d6 is revealed, the black e6 knight is doubly attacked by the white rooks, so, 3. Rdxe6, and material equality is re-established, though black must be more careful here, the c7 pawn is attacked, and the f6 bishop is presently tied down to prevent a white rook invasion on the e7 square. After, 3. ... c6, black can then start challenging the white rooks control of the e-file, and it seems black is equal . ** Alarm bells . 1. Black has fallen seriously behind in development. Only 2 minor pieces developed, against 5 active white units. Hoping to survive against these odds, is rather too optimistic . 2. Both queens were under attack at the start. White forced matters in such a way, that the black queen fell, while the white queen was under attack all the time. This takes nerve, and confidence in one's ability to calculate . 3. When so far ahead in development, it can be very tempting to analyse all sort of fanciful variations. The original position, offers much food for tactical thought. Be aware, that fantastic combinations are uncommon, and winning attempts like, 1. Qxe6+, analysed in "rejected moves, variation B", will be rare . Paul Benson. -----Original Message----- From: R Dinger - Email Address: rrdinger@xxxxxxxxxx Sent On: 26/07/2011 20:17 Sent To: chess - Email Address: blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [blind-chess] Problem WAC078 Good Morning Puzzlers, This problem is from Mario Lang's puzzle web page at http://delysid.org/chess/epd.cgi and is reported to be from Fred Reinfield's book "Win At Chess" 1958. Problem WAC078 White to move FEN Problem Setup: r2q3r/ ppp2k2/ 4nbp1/ 5Q1p/ 2P1NB2/ 8/ PP3P1P/ 3RR1K1 w - - 0 1 Short Algebraic Problem Setup: White: Kg1, Qf5, Rd1, Re1, Bf4, Ne4, Pa2, Pb2, Pc4, Pf2, Ph2 Black: Kf7, Qd8, Ra8, Rh8, Bf6, Ne6, Pa7, Pb7, Pc7, Pg6, Ph5
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