| Apr-16-14 | | LucB: Wow, I got it!.. 'took me over 5 minutes to work out the variations, but still.. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | Patriot: Black is down a pawn. White threatens 31.Qxe5.
Black can play the very forcing 30...Rxh2+ 31.Kxh2 Qxg3+ 32.Kh1 Qh4+: 33.Qh3 Rxh3+ 34.Bxh3 Qxh3#
33.Kg2 Rg3+ 34.Kf2 Qh2# |
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| Apr-16-14 | | Patriot: I somehow missed the bishop hitting f2 in the second line so 33.Kg2 Rg3#. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | mathlover: relatively easy |
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Apr-16-14
 | | agb2002: Black is one pawn down.
White threatens 31.Qxe5.
Black has four pieces and one pawn to attack the black king. This suggests 30... Rxh2+ 31.Kxh2 Qxg3+ 32.Kh1 Qh4+ 33.Qh3 (33.Kg2 Rg3#) 33... Rxh3+ 34.Bxh3 (34.Kg2 Q(R)g3#) 34... Qxh3#. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | M.Hassan: "Medium/Easy"
Black to play 30...?
Black is a pawn down
30...........Rxh2+!
31.Kxh2(forced) Qxg3+
32.Kh1 Qh4+
<if 33.Kg2 Rg3#>
33.Qh3 Rxh3+
34.Bxh3 Qxh3# |
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| Apr-16-14 | | diagonalley: darn... i spent ages trying to get 30 ....QxR to work and didn't even look at 30 ....RxP+ :-( |
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| Apr-16-14 | | stacase: I spent too much time looking at ways to Queen the Pawn before I saw that there was a Rook and Bishop on the job. Then it fell apart. |
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Apr-16-14
 | | ferrabraz: Just like Patriot, I missed the imediate checkmate with 33. Kg2 Rg3 (the bishop on c5 covers f2). |
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| Apr-16-14 | | patzer2: The sham Rook sacrifice 30...Rxh2+! demolishes pawn cover and decoys or deflects the White King to force mate and solve this Wednesday puzzle. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a good defense for White after 30 ... Qxa1, with the dual threats of Qxe1# and Rf1+. In particular, I don't see how White can proceed in the line: 30 ... Qxa1
31 Qe8+ Bf8 |
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| Apr-16-14 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: Ack. I considered the game line first, but missed something -- I think it was that Black's queen could check at h4 to get around the defense at h3. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | patzer2: White missed an opportunity with 17. bxc5! bxc5 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. d6! Nd7 20. Bxa8 Rxa8 21. Qd5 Qxd5+ 22. cxd5 Bxd6 23. Rac1  , winning the exchange with a strong initiative.Fritz 12 shows White's decisive mistake was 22. Qd3? which gives Black a decisive advantage with 22...Rb4!  (-1.67 @ 20 depth). Instead, Fritz recommends 22. Qc2  or 22. Rb1  . |
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| Apr-16-14 | | morfishine: 30...Rxh2+ 31.Kxh2 Qxg3+ 32.Kh1 Qh4+
33.Kg2 Rg3#
***** |
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| Apr-16-14 | | patzer2: <Cheapo by the Dozen> Black wins after 30...Qxa1 31. Rxa1 (diagram below)
click for larger viewHowever finding the winning 31...Re3! here might be difficult, especially since the tempting alternative 31...Rf1+?? 32. Kg2!  turns the tables on Black. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | zb2cr: Straightforward, for a Wednesday. 30. ... Rxh2+; 31. Kxh2, Qxg3+; 32. Kh1, Qh4+. Now two short variations: 33. Kg2, Rh3#.
33. Qh3, Rxh3+; 34. Bxh3, Qxh3# (Or 34. Kg2, Qg3#). |
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Apr-16-14
 | | Penguincw: I thought of 31...Rf1+, but realized there are 2 attackers and only 1 defender. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | PJs Studio: I couldn't see the mate after quickly calculating to 31...Qxg3+ Because Qh3 was distracting me. Something I've noticed having trouble with is deeply calculating the effects of open board queen checks AFTER line openings and exchanges. Any recommendations on how I can work on that? |
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Apr-16-14
 | | kevin86: The rook and queen should mate soon...and do. |
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Apr-16-14
 | | Once: Interesting that the Prince Charles pawn on e2 doesn't have much to do with the solution. Black puts the coronation dreams to one side and delivers a snap mate. Except that isn't quite true. This is the position after 26...e2 
click for larger viewAt first glance, it looks as if the e pawn's job is to reach the first rank and promote. But it's also preventing white from keeping a rook on f1 and kicking white away from the f file so that black can use it. After 27. Qxf7+ (what else?) Kh8 28. Re1 Rf8 ...
click for larger view... we can see a striking transformation. The f file which had seemed so utterly in white's power now belongs to black. What is worse (for white) is that black will follow up with Rf2+ and then nasty things will happen in the vicinity of the white king. It seems that the power of a passed pawn isn't just the threat of promotion, it is also its ability to control squares deep in enemy territory. Honourable mention must also go to the Bc5. This not only protect f8 (thus making 28...Rf8 possible), it also allows 29... Rf2+. But then I suppose that is the essence of chess. Both sides start the game with identical and symmetrical forces. The only way to win is to make your pieces more useful than your opponent's. And one way to do that is for your pieces to do more than one job whilst some or all of your opponent's pieces are not doing anything useful. Interesting also how we can sometimes wins by switching tactical goals. Today black starts with a materialistic objective (to queen a pawn) and then switches into a checkmate. Similarly, we can sometimes break off a mating attack to grab decisive material. Not just multi-tasking but also multiple objectives at the same time. |
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Apr-16-14
 | | chrisowen: Trade for one line every chance aim fold delve in... fly at good off a rook f2 sweep across a h2 tres bien to the max in rack my mind as to why he means 25.Qe2 job at hand was to create a threat of his own aid ogles isn't it another bind in a foot rook wheel in also oner way direction after minimal fuss of the queen be meter 25.Qf5 keeps the peace intact for a while joggle a feel f5 line from the scene stuff eg offer free get active in king's side pave find a feint lung bleeder b8 sends queen on hurries journey prey tell if I be face pros each and cons at work before lights time is up accolade in a oomph the queen at mercy safe was a big foot f5 to stop the rot a mist f7 the brave call fad big friendly giant me verificate rook in churlish mode to swing b8 and come down aim f8 at seize the shape off to hunt a king hone flap rook plane sights for, a fog in be on aim ford if ive got this correct line delve infer no ground to made unless to, referral aim hope check in h2 oh tell us a monopoly embargo rolly up I good aims to bank family a king steal offer is the point rook in wheel away a, dragon dead in the water rook swoop in eg liege nt in rich ore mind you mate alive in 5 after e6 in early doors eline crow man service resume at cover c6 threatens aid ogle to swap off yet black would be best advised to sac at h2 in check down e5 whence he came from in ogles son slid e5 at g3 all... for be lad e6 er v is have clean pair of heels e6 light it now in cad cuff free caller mate in 6 castle been jam for a while in free tesser act form a cube nearly done feint cam to shunt engine knights off rook and bishop ok to free cough up a piece more aka I neck try tie free at got queen hut entropy as boot ie queen feel a dang king one at faking left feint to right out of rook sight a go getter minimal fuss cuffs aim band before a far cry you say devious again line for clink at cop ola king every queen saga e5 lines up sight have of g3, ointment in too fly back nadda nadda be bullshin am dig bold gold in store queen rook and bishop aims at dutiful crum rook pivot able have gets caught in the act rack back a ribber muddy a try et tu brute and wolfs at he door e5 bus am g3 angles to bangles all star and spangle respect infer tile took free ground f7+ in light foot sixes and sevens to span the gap a king rate at h8 out of trouble to flare rook bullseye in fare port of call aim frogmarch in fanciful spectrum bless e6 looks set to trade yes if the motion carries just in time carriage it an e2 then energy ruts tag in e2 have providor eminate again flurry it dog in dig at honour and hope in ecumen one a c5 skim cone palm queen to pluck at, mother goose a king as left in pocket waver monarch as tender a much e6 queen effect to try gap in foilables 29...Rf2+ le banquet in honour of rook his majesty pride of rook place am deo meo it's good he bin feed in at back far from f8 rook queen maddens job in heads cobble together bind in frank be of currency a nip in the bud so renege queen a reef e6 mind over cook 30.Kh1 Rxh2+ alive liner a bag success it low in at g3 side queen majesty ramble gives mid feint mate in 6 bar aid majesty free off if ever moon pan for free gold to be had struck at oh g3 gg base nod h4 ersats jolly livery me thinks ie pincer movement as claw back in kind a nellie black sees at shin soluable diminish for majesty ramble give moot beyond the pail aim I 31.Kxh2 Qxg3+ fed changer true delights calm triangle to prove a point rifles at a3 comes across right ranges a gg at son I see cuffs eg ment quarter back at h3 makes the grade at gash c5 in stride covers a g1 square monarch I shape a fork up holy water e6 raise the candle forge a path in be h4 as left red off saw caws jaws from attention dark e5 at he bids a mettle chip an e6 a vested interestmessing around 6 step mate dank and dusty e6 lairs la bind of side he right to left ride would jig be 32.Kh1 Qh4+ mate in two hod carrier do hog he er good hoof rough enough slipshod host here over done to a degrees 0l buddy in wave just cool off rook queen memory lane free his bally hoo basic meter to slam pop an e2 slap f5 on mop head cop quip in cocks a door jacks hip hi hopscotch ram jam free hatter in h4 a cheap again quote chess bask at your rooks peril flap enter at h3 although ide puzzle over f5. |
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| Apr-16-14 | | MostlyWatch: I set up Stockfish to play against itself, level 10 v. level 1, from move 30 Kh1. It played the text. I can actually beat level 1, so this must be an area of the tree of possible moves which has no escape. |
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Dec-27-22
 | | Messiah: It is ridiculous to see that <chrisowen> wasn't moderated even in 2014. |
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Dec-27-22
 | | jnpope: You have to admire his perseverance to stick with that shtick for as long as he has. First time I saw one of his posts I thought he was having a stroke. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 30...Rxh2+