Hello All.
Just observations on two problems here.
Problem 3.
An interesting factor is the isolation of Black's dark-squared Bishop on the
Queenside. This renders it unable to defend the weak dark-squares on the
Kingside where Black is mated.
However, looking at the position as a whole I wonder what was going on here as
no previous Black move makes sense. Even if White had just played Ne6 from d4
with a double check against the Black King on g7 His Majesty just has to move to
g8 or f7 to avoid the mate. Perhaps this is just my particular way of looking at
positions with regard to what has happened previously.
Problem 10.
A neat under promotion. I suspect Black's previous move was ...Qf4+ allowing a
Knight capture that blocked the White Queen's control of f1 and allowing this
under-promotion.
The value of under-promotions is not to be denied. However, I'd just like to put
them into context before anyone goes off on flights of fantasy. Most
under-promotions occur in the problem world, usually to avoid some sort of
stalemate. Under-promotions in actual play are very rare. Promoting to a Rook or
Bishop is generally pointless because a Queen has properties of both, so why
choose one or the other when you can have both? Promoting to a Knight generally
has a specific tactical point such as an immediate fork usually involving a
check, or as a deflection (again with a check) for some reason or, as in this
example, an actual checkmate.
In actual play I've never seen a forced promotion to a Rook, although I've made
a few fun ones. I've certainly never seen a fun promotion to a Knight. I have
made one fun promotion to a Bishop and that was because in another game my
opponent had forced his own opponent to under-promote to a Bishop (so rare that
no other single example comes to mind!), and so my under-promotion was a sort of
tribute! In practice only promotions to Queen or Knight are worth considering
but the latter, as I said previously, is very rare.
Tyson
On 08 December 2015 at 06:57 Mark R Hague <Mark.hague.list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Lary Evans Problems from 01 to 12 (mates in 1) and
from 13 to 31 (mates in 2) originally compiled on the blind-chess
group with Comments on puzzles 14, 16, 19, 27, 30 and 31 by Tyson Mordou
on the US BCA list
The solutions are placed under the problem setup so you'll have to
be careful how you view the file otherwise you'll spoil the problem for
yourself.
Mate in 1 Puzzles
Problem 3:
Fen diagram:
r1b2r2/7p/ppn1N1pk/2p4q/1bP1Pp2/3P4/PB4BP/1R3RK1 w - - 0 1
Algebraic notation:
White: Knight e6, Pawn c4, Pawn e4, Pawn d3, Pawn a2, Bishop b2, Bishop
g2, Pawn h2, Rook b1, Rook f1, King g1
Black: Rook a8, Bishop c8, Rook f8, Pawn h7, Pawn a6, Pawn b6, Knight c6,
Pawn g6, King h6, Pawn c5, Queen h5, Bishop b4, Pawn f4
Points: 2
White to mate in one.
My solution:
1.
Bg7#
Principle:
Again, Black is boxed in and is unable to
move. He is blocked by his own pieces and the only two open squares (g7
and g5)
are attacked by the White Knight. So White
can move his Bishop to g7 for the win.
Problem 10:
Fen diagram:
6rk/1bp2Q1p/p2p4/1p2p3/5N1N/1P1P3P/1PP2p1K/8 b - - 0 1
Algebraic notation:
White: Queen f7, Knight f4, Knight h4, Pawn b3, Pawn d3, Pawn h3, Pawn b2,
Pawn c2, King h2
Black: Rook g8, King h8, Bishop b7, Pawn c7, Pawn h7, Pawn a6, Pawn d6,
Pawn b5, Pawn e5, Pawn f2
Points: 3
Black to mate in one.
My solution:
1...
f1=N#
Principle:
When promoting a Pawn look at every promotion possibility
not just a Queen! Here once again the White King is boxed in and a
Knight is just the thing for Black.
