Solve a Puzzle Post a Puzzle

L1m1tless · 18-04-2015 11:05am #1

The correct answer gets the right to post the next puzzle

An easy one to start off with.

Black to Mate in 3 Moves

cdeb · 18-04-2015 12:21pm

Not a bad idea!

Does it have to be mate? Or is it enough to gain a winning advantage? The latter are far more common in real games, but the former get all the attention.

1. ... Rh1+ 2. KxR Qh8+ 3. Kg1 Qh2#

L1m1tless · 18-04-2015 12:24pm

Does not have to be mate puzzles, could even be a "white to play and draw" etc.

cdeb · 18-04-2015 12:27pm

Cool; here's one so. It's an analysis line from my game on Wednesday. I figured this was ok for me - but there was another variant that was bad, so I didn't go in for this. It's just as well though. How does white win here?

Sheridan v Burke.jpg

L1m1tless · 18-04-2015 12:37pm

is it

Qxf6 winning a piece?

cdeb · 18-04-2015 1:16pm

Yup.

Can't take back because of mate. It doesn't just win a piece - the attack is completely crushing too, with mate on g7 threatened for starters. Best reply for white I think is QxB!

I at least saw the move immediately in analysis afterwards!

L1m1tless · 18-04-2015 3:25pm

Nice one alright!

White to move and win here. a possible line from Anand Carlsen yesterday.

eclipsechaser · 18-04-2015 4:04pm

Nf6 wins the Queen. If gxf6, then Qg3+ followed by Bxf6#

White to play:

caissa007 · 18-04-2015 4:39pm

Anastasia :-)

brilliantboy · 18-04-2015 5:03pm

@eclipsechaser

1.Ne7+ Kh8 2.Rxh7+ Kxh7 3.Qh4#

Useful pattern to know

White to play

puzz.JPG

eclipsechaser · 19-04-2015 12:23am

Qh6. If Rh7, then Rd8+ wins instantly. If Kg8, then Qxg7 and no matter what way the Queen is captured, white can play fxg3 pinning the Queen to the King.

I found that one a bit tough. Good thing my girlfriend was able to figure it out for me...

Here's one for you. White to mate in 3 (specifically - there are other longer forced mates).

mikhail · 19-04-2015 7:21am

The board's deliberatly turned around, i.e. Black's king is on a1. 1.Kc3 b1=N+ (1... b1=Q 2.Nc2+ Qxc2 3.Kxc2#; 1... b1=R 2. Nc2#; 1...b1=B 2.Kd2#) 2.Kc2+ Nc3 3.Bxc3#

White to play and mate in 1.

brilliantboy · 19-04-2015 9:20am

mikhail wrote: »

The board's deliberatly turned around, i.e. Black's king is on a1. 1.Kc3 b1=N+ (1... b1=Q 2.Nc2+ Qxc2 3.Kxc2#; 1... b1=R 2. Nc2#; 1...b1=B 2.Kd2#) 2.Kc2+ Nc3 3.Bxc3#

Very creative solution but I think it's wrong

White would love to play Kf8 and Nf7# but Black doesn't have a move and would be stalemated, so White needs to give him one. 1.Bf6! gxf6 2.Kf8 f5 3.Nf7#

I'm completely stumped for your puzzle though. Loads of mates but can't find a mate in 1.

L1m1tless · 19-04-2015 5:46pm

Mikhail, Unless there is something I am missing, That looks impossible to mate in 1

brilliantboy · 19-04-2015 5:48pm

Neo_Ninja wrote: »

Mikhail, Unless there is something I am missing, That looks impossible to mate in 1

dxe6 en passant, a dirty trick

L1m1tless · 19-04-2015 5:49pm

hehe

brianhere · 20-04-2015 8:29am

I think the key to that puzzle is that black has moved e7 to e5 in the previous move...

Valmont · 21-04-2015 1:07pm

White to play and draw

cdeb · 22-04-2015 1:51pm

Have to say there should be more puzzles like this one. Endings in general - including endings puzzles - are very neglected.

1. f4 is obviously nonsense - 1. ... gf and black wins. So it has to be a king move.

I'm trying to avoid getting my king to g3 without letting black's king to e3 - in that case 1. Kg4 Kf2 2. KxP KxP 3. Kf5 e4 and the pawn queens.

So I don't think white can be too aggressive here. Golden rule in endings is to take the opposition - what about 1. Kf1? Then 1. ... g5 needs to be considered. 2. fg e4 3. g5 e3 4. g6 e2+ and black will win.

But can white play 1. Kf1 g5 2. Kf2? Then 2. ... gf is a draw, as is 2. ... g3. But black has 2. ... Kd2, and then 3. Kg3 Ke3 and we're back to the first line.

But still not seeing it yet.

Is there any bit of reason in the above?

cdeb · 22-04-2015 2:21pm

Gave up and put it into Nalimov.

I was right in the idea, but way off in the sense of the moves!

Nice puzzle.

Won't put up the solution - even as a spoiler - as I haven't really earned it.

But it's exactly why I like (and fear!) these kind of positions.

brilliantboy · 22-04-2015 3:30pm

cdeb wrote: »

Gave up and put it into Nalimov.

I was right, but way off!

Nice puzzle.

Won't put up the solution - even as a spoiler - as I haven't really earned it.

But it's exactly why I like (and fear!) these kind of positions.

I got it immediately because I recognize the position from some endgame book or other. But I'm 100% certain I would make a mess of it if it came up in a game

cdeb · 22-04-2015 3:39pm

Just edited my post there for clarification - none of the lines I gave was the solution, but my thinking was along the right track. I just didn't consider all the moves.

eclipsechaser · 22-04-2015 5:18pm

Valmont wrote: »

White to play and draw

Excellent puzzle - I really enjoyed it. I think I have the answer...

White plays Kh1 to gain the distant opposition. White then mirrors black's moves along the f-file (and occasionally along the e-file if the black king moves onto the c-file). So if Ke2, white plays Kg2. If black plays Ke3, white plays Kg3. If black plays Kd3, white plays Kh3 etc. Importantly, if black plays Kd2, white should not take the opposition with Kf2 as the pawn on f3 will take away his opposition after Kd3. Instead Kh2 does the trick.

Is that correct?

cdeb · 22-04-2015 5:45pm

That's it

eclipsechaser · 23-04-2015 9:59am

Black has just played Bh3. How should white respond?

brilliantboy · 23-04-2015 10:31am

eclipsechaser wrote: »

Black has just played Bh3. How should white respond?

1.Rxd8+ Kxd8 2.Qd1+ Unless White has some spectacular win somewhere?

Valmont · 23-04-2015 10:59am

Doesn't that still lose after

3...Qxd1 and the queen is going back to f3?

L1m1tless · 23-04-2015 11:15am

The queen can't go back to f3 as its stalemate!

brilliantboy · 23-04-2015 3:07pm

Black to move

puzzz.JPG

Valmont · 24-04-2015 10:29am

There are a few variations worth considering with this one. It's a very good example of some key endgame theory!

1. 1. Kd3…g5 2.fxg5…g4 3. Ke4!...Ke2 4.Kf4…Kf2 5.Kxg4 and if black takes the opposition the e pawn will promote while if he captures the e pawn the g pawn will promote.
2. 1. Kd3…Ke1 2. e2…g5 3. fxg5…g4 4.Kd4! (Ke4 gives black the opposition)…Kxe2 5. Ke4 -+.
3. 1. Kd3…Ke1 2. e2…g5 3. fxg5…g4 4.Kd4…Kd2 5.e1=Q…Kxe1 6. Ke3 with the opposition again to win.

brilliantboy · 24-04-2015 12:15pm

Valmont wrote: »

There are a few variations worth considering with this one. It's a very good example of some key endgame theory!
1. 1. Kd3…g5 2.fxg5…g4 3. Ke4!...Ke2 4.Kf4…Kf2 5.Kxg4 and if black takes the opposition the e pawn will promote while if he captures the e pawn the g pawn will promote.
2. 1. Kd3…Ke1 2. e2…g5 3. fxg5…g4 4.Kd4! (Ke4 gives black the opposition)…Kxe2 5. Ke4 -+.
3. 1. Kd3…Ke1 2. e2…g5 3. fxg5…g4 4.Kd4…Kd2 5.e1=Q…Kxe1 6. Ke3 with the opposition again to win.

Not quite

In the variation 1. Kd3 Ke1 2. e2 g5 3. fxg5 g4 4. Kd4 Kxe2 5. Ke4.. White can reach f1/g1 and take opposition whenever Black captures the g-pawn. I know something about triangles

Valmont · 24-04-2015 1:13pm

Crap!

L1m1tless · 05-06-2015 9:59am

Any good puzzles?

eclipsechaser · 05-06-2015 2:10pm

Neo_Ninja wrote: »

Any good puzzles?

Yes.

If an arbiter has concerns relating to someone trying to enter their event, should the arbiter... :pac:

Here's one I found on the net recently. It's a puzzle from the 1800's. Suppose you’re playing White against an opponent who’s required to mirror every move you make — if you play 1. Nf3 he must play 1. … Nf6, and so on. Can you design a game in which your eighth move forces your opponent to checkmate you with a non-mirror move?

L1m1tless · 05-06-2015 2:12pm

haha!

ooh interesting one! Is the first Move Nf3 or was that just an example?

eclipsechaser · 05-06-2015 2:18pm

Neo_Ninja wrote: »

haha!

ooh interesting one! Is the first Move Nf3 or was that just an example?

Just an example. It's tough to say the least...

L1m1tless · 05-06-2015 2:34pm

It is! Its a good one too because you cant use an engine to cheat! lol I'll see how I go with it.

eclipsechaser · 14-10-2015 4:38pm

Neo_Ninja wrote: »

It is! Its a good one too because you cant use an engine to cheat! lol I'll see how I go with it.

I take it everyone gives up on this one then?

1. e4 e5 2. Ke2 Ke7 3. Ke3 Ke6 4. Qf3 Qf6 5. Ne2 Ne7 6. b3 b6 7. Ba3 Ba6 8. Nd4+ forcing 8... exd4#

Here's an "easy" one so. I have to admit, I hadn't seen this one before so it look me a minute to get it.

caissa007 · 14-10-2015 5:23pm

Pretty finish .....

wine and final destination · 14-10-2015 6:06pm

Rf6+

riggsfitz · 30-11-2015 12:24pm

F5+

riggsfitz · 30-11-2015 12:30pm

wine and final destination wrote: »

Rf6+

Pawn will take the rook on f6.

cdeb · 30-11-2015 12:31pm

And then f5 is mate.

mikhail · 02-12-2015 7:53pm

I like the continuation 1.Rf6+ Kh7 2.Rh6#

eclipsechaser · 03-12-2015 2:58pm

Another easy enough one to get things going again. White to play.

riggsfitz · 03-12-2015 3:12pm

BF8

mikhail · 04-12-2015 11:09am

riggsfitz wrote: »

BF8

That's the start. There's a second move to spot -

1.Bf8+ Bh5 2.Qxh5 gh 3.Rh6#

riggsfitz · 07-12-2015 1:29pm

Bh5 QxBh5+ Pawn h5 (takes Queen) Rh6++ (check mate).

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