| Jul-06-17 | | ChessHigherCat: if the h file were open, then white could play rook h8+, Kxh8 and if Q the could check on the h file it would be game over with Qh7/h8#. One way to open the h file is 21. Bg5 hxg5. The Q can't check immediately but after the 22. Qxg5 the juggernaut is in motion: white is threatening the Rh8+ followed by mate as described above. Let's see if reality respects my opinion by looking at the game now... |
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| Jul-06-17 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: My second move was an immediate g7, but the game line is slicker. A big problem for Black defending against an early g7 is that it's very hard for him to safely move his king. But since he can take the material loss with ... Qxg7 and play on for a while, the game line is probably better. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | ChessHigherCat: Having looked at the "solution", my line differs but I still think it works because 21. Bg5 is an offer black can't refuse -- or on second thought, it's an offer that black must refuse, but it at least wins the exchange. I admit the game line is better. |
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Jul-06-17
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: The one defense that gave me pause consisted of 21...Rxf2, but 22.Bg5,Qe8; 23.Qd3 and Black has problems. 22.Bxg7,Qxg7; 23.Rh7 might be even better. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | whiteshark: Saw the whole thing even on Thursday. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | gofer: Well the start seems obvious, Be3 is attacked and Ph6 is an easy target.
Black cannot accept, so what next?
<21 Bxh6 ...>
21 ... gxh6
22 Qxh6 Qg7
23 Qxg7+ Kxg7
24 Rh7+ Kg8
27 g7! 
So how best to refuse the sacrifice? White could simply play Bg5 next,
winning an exchange, but it looks like the white DSB is going to do
a <Pac-man> and munch Pg7 next and then black is in real trouble! 21 ... Bd7/Rxf2/e5
22 Bxg7 Qxg7
23 Rh7 Qf8
24 Qg5
~~~
Yep! |
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| Jul-06-17 | | Ariogermano: Simple ! |
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| Jul-06-17 | | stacase: This was a Thursday puzzle because why? |
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| Jul-06-17 | | AlicesKnight: Found the line beginning 21.Bxh6 correctly! White does not fear Q exchanges; the Rs and P are too good. Took me a while to see that 20.Kd1 is needed to avoid 22...Bf4+. Is 13...f5 questionable? |
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Jul-06-17
 | | ferrabraz: 21. Bg5 Be5! and black has the center for the exchange |
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| Jul-06-17 | | The Kings Domain: Fine puzzle and a fine game. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | nikromos: The real problem move here was 20. Kd1!? |
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| Jul-06-17 | | morfishine: Typical French problem LSB (lack of development) resulting in a weak and thus exploitable back rank ***** |
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| Jul-06-17 | | agb2002: White is one pawn down.
Black threatens dxe3.
The natural move is 21.Bxh6:
A) 21... gxh6 22.Qxh6 Qg7 (22... Rxg6+ 23.Qxg6+ and mate next) 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rh7+ Kg8 (24... Kf8 25.g7+ Kg8 26.Rh8+ wins) 25.g7 A.1) 25... Kxh7 26.g8=Q+ Kh6 27.Qh8#.
A.2) 25... Rf8 26.Rh8+ Kf7 27.Rxf8+ Bxf8 28.g8=Q+ wins. A.3) 25... Bd7 26.Rh8+ Kf7 27.Rxa8 wins.
B) 21... Qd7 22.Bxg7
B.1) 22... Qa4+ 23.b3 Qd7 24.Rh8+ Kxg7 25.Qh6#.
B.2) 22... Qxg7 23.Rh7 Qf8 (23... Qxh7 24.gxh7+ followed by Qg5 wins) 24.g7 Kxh7 25.gxf8=Q B(R)xf8 26.Qg5 wins. B.3) 22... Kxg7 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Qh8#.
B.4) 22... Rxf2 23.Rh8+ Kxg7 24.Qh6+ Kf6 25.g7+ wins. C) 21... Rxf2 22.Bxg7 looks similar to B (22... Rxe2 23.Rh8+ Kxg7 24.Qh6+ Kf6 25.Qg5+ Kg7 26.Rh7+ Kg8 -26... Kf8 27.g7+ wins- 27.Rxe7 Bxe7 28.Qxe7 wins). |
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| Jul-06-17 | | malt: Had the same idea as < gofer > 21.B:h6 |
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Jul-06-17
 | | Breunor: I'm not seeing why white played 20 Kd1? Also why not Bxh6 on the 20th move? I suspect there's a common answer to both questions but I don't see it. Thanks for any help. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | weary willy: It takes some courage and some calculation to play 20.Kd1 and not Kb1... Anyone feel the same?! |
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| Jul-06-17 | | Chess Dad: @Breunor:
I'd suspect that the reason for 20. Kd1 is that he didn't fully investigate Bxh6 until Black forced the issue with cxd4. |
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Jul-06-17
 | | beatgiant: <Breunor>,<Chess Dad>
20. Kd1 is so Black's ...Bf4 is not check, as it would have been if 20. Bxh6 gxh6 21. Qxh6 <Bf4+>. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | BOSTER: <Breunor> Kd1 to move white king
from the pin possibility. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | drollere: 20. Kd1 shows white planned Bxh6 before black's d4, otherwise pxh6; Qxh6 Bf4+; Qxf4 Rxf4; Rh7 Qxh7; pxh7+ Kxh7 wins a R. |
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| Jul-06-17 | | JohnBoy: A number of people have commented on 20.Kd1 as played to avoid ...Bf4+. This is obvious. But less so is why white chose this over 20.Kb1. This latter is to me much more natural and less exposing. Is d1 a better place for the white king for some reason I am missing? |
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Jul-06-17
| | beatgiant: <JohnBoy>
On 20. Kb1, Black can try 20...e5 to allow ...Bf5+. It might go 20. Kb1 e5 21. Bxh6 Bf5+ 22. Ka1 gxh6, and now 23. Qxh6 Qg7 holds because now Black's bishop covers h7 at the end of the line. Of course, 23. Rxh6 still looks great for White, but not the immediate win as in the game. |
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Jul-07-17
| | Breunor: Thanks Beatgiant (and others)! |
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| Jul-07-17 | | patzer2: For yesterday's Thursday puzzle (21. ?), I immediately went for the demolition sacrifice 21. Bxh6 gxh6 22. Qxh6 Qg7 . However, instead of the immediate 23. Qxg7 I transposed to the game line with 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qxg7+ Kxg7 25. Rh7+ Kg8 26. g7 . The game seems pretty typical of what you might see when a Master takes on a class A player. The lower rated player as Black tries to take the Master with the White pieces out of his opening book early. However, his attempt at equalizing with opening obscurity leads to an inferior variation in this French defense after 3...dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ Qxf6 6. Nf3 h6 7. Be3  to  . After this weak opening, Black never manages to fully equalize and White with little opposition from his opponent soon builds up a decisive attack. Instead, Black should go for the mainline variation of the Tarrasch French with 3...c5 = as in the recent Super GM draw in Karjakin vs Caruana, 2017 or the win for Black in Karjakin vs Grischuk, 2017. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 21.Bxh6