| Feb-07-14 | | sfm: Nice position for Black. Better centralized, c-file control, bishops squeezing the Q-wing. White bishop on e1 and the rook on f1 are not impressing anyone and will not get out anytime soon. Black's king totally safe. 20.f3, not exactly the most scary move you have seen. But where to put the knight. g5, oh no. f6,d6 or c5? 20.-,Nf6?? Out of the blue strikes disaster. The good position and safety was just an illusion. 21.e4! The bishop must cover c6 or Nac6+ ends the show. And there is space on e4, but at a cost! Black has seen the problem now, but too late. All White's pieces come miraculously to life, even those on e1 and f1 and Black king is in a deadly trap. It's over. As Tarrash said: "It's not the good positions but the good moves that win!" |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | Fish55: I thought 21. Bh4 was needed to prepare e4. Didn't see the knight sac 24. Nbc6. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | MiCrooks: I would have played e4 in a game as it is time to open up some lines to that King in the middle of the board. You don't need Queens on to create some real threats. I did not make it through all of the possible variations however. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | sushijunkie: Took my damn time and got this one all the way through. That's good for me. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | MiCrooks: The bishop hanging on e5 is a key to most of these positions. It means that the Bishop has to try to continue to control c6. Otherwise a move like Bc4 might have been possible. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | MiCrooks: Those two Rooks really put the heat on once the f-file gets forced open! Black's best chance is to just throw the piece away for two pawns, but given the activity of the White pieces that is really just giving up. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | diagonalley: hmmm <Fish55> i also only came up with 21.B-R4 ... ah well... very rarely solve a friday puzzle anyway |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: I'm stumped.
If Black cooperates perfectly, then the e4 pawn break could open the d and f files, b4 could be cleared for a bishop check, and e8 attacked via Rf8. But I don't see how to force that sequence to work out. Nh6/Bxb5/Bb4+ doesn't accomplish much without the e4 break ... and it actually makes the e4 break more difficult. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | agb2002: The material is identical.
Black threatens 21... Bxb2.
The bishop on e5 is defenseless. This suggests 21.e4, trying to divert the other bishop from c6: A) 21... fxe4 22.fxe4
A.1) 22... Nxe4 23.Bxe4 Bxe4 24.Nc6+
A.1.a) 24... Bxc6 25.Bb4+ Bd6 (25... Ke8 26.Rf8#) 26.Rxd6 Bd7 (26... Nd5 27.Rxd5+ Ke8 28.Rf8#; 26... Nd7 27.Nxc6+ Rxc6 (27... Ke8 28.Rxe6#) 28.Rxc6, etc.) 27.Rc6+ Kd8 28.Nb7+ Ke8 29.Rf8#. A.1.b) 24... Rxc6+ 25.Nxc6+ Ke8 (25... Bxc6 26.Bb4+ Ke8 27.Rf8#) 26.Nxe5 + -. A.1.c) 24... Ke8 25.Nxe5 + -.
A.2) 22... Bxe4 23.Bxe4 Nxe4 24.Nbc6+ Ke8 25.Nxe5 + -. A.3) 22... Bc4 23.Nbc6+ Ke8 (23... Kd6 24.Bxc4+ wins even more material) 24.Nxe5 + -. B) 21... Bc4 23.Nbc6+ as in A.3. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | morfishine: I had <21.e4 fxe4 22.fxe4> with the idea of eliminating or deflecting Black's WSB allowing checks on <c6> winning Black's DSB <22...Nxe4> forced since 22... Bxe4 (or 22...Bc4 23.Nbc6+ Kf8 24.Nxe5) 23.Bxe4 Nxe4 24.Nbc6+ Rxc6 25.Nxc6+ Ke8 26.Nxe5 wins a piece But now I got visually all tied up and didn't realize the strength of the simple 23.Bxe4 ***** |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: Oh. I missed the fork of the e5 bishop.
Another puzzle that's harder because the mating attack doesn't actually mate; it just wins material. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | pedro99: in the final position if black tries to avoid the discovered check with..Ke8 white doesn't pick up the piece but rather mates with Rxe6ch etc. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | PJs Studio: Nice comment sfm. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | Mr. President: Over here we have ostriches to do that job. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | BOSTER: After 21.e4 black Nc4 ! and he can cont. to play.
22.Bxc4 Bxc4 23 .Nac6+ Kf8
24.Nxe5 Bxf1 25.Kxf1 |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | DanielSarmiento: "BOSTER: After 21.e4 black Nc4 ! and he can cont. to play. 22.Bxc4 Bxc4 23 .Nac6+ Kf8
24.Nxe5 Bxf1 25.Kxf1"
I think instead of Nac6+
23. Nbc6+ Kf8 24. Nxc4 Rxc6 25. Nxe5 winning |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | mel gibson: There were so many lines to investigate in this puzzle that I gave up. DR4 confirmed the best move was: 21 e4 |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | patzer2: Fascinating Friday combination with 21. e4! White pitches a pawn to open the d and f files around the Black King, and then with 24. Nbc6+ pitches a piece to clear the b4 file for a devastating Bishop Check. After 25. Bb4+ Bd6 26. Rxd6  , the discovered check threat (e.g. 26...Bd7 27. Rxb6+ ) is clearly decisive. |
|
| Feb-07-14 | | mel gibson: It is so complicated:
2 Knights that can give check in 3 ways -
one which can capture the black Bishop.
A white Bishop that can check if either
a black or white Knight moves.
A white Rook that can control the d file
next to the black King.
A black Bishop that can threaten a check on the white King if move is e4. It's enough to drive you crazy. |
|
Feb-23-25
 | | OhioChessFan: Had to Google the pun to understand it. I don't feel particularly enlightened. |
|
Feb-23-25
 | | beatgiant: <OhioChessFan> In the end the d-file and f-file are like a couple of cricket wickets, so that could explain the use of the cricket expression. |
|
Feb-23-25
 | | MissScarlett: Baseball is for tramps. |
|
Feb-23-25
 | | HeMateMe: Does this mean one is going to a restaurant and ordering duck? |
|
| Feb-23-25 | | mrknightly: <MissScarlett> Oh yeah, take that back... well, Cricket is for ...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHG... |
|
Kibitzing
