| Dec-18-20 | | Mayankk: I saw 15 Bxh7+ Kxh7 16 Qh5+ Kg8 17 Ng6 forking Queen and Rook. And then mistakenly thought it could be mate soon at h8. But there was more to play for unfortunately. I had no clue about the Ne4 Ng5 strategy. |
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Dec-18-20
 | | beatgiant: I was looking at 15. Ng6 hxg6 16. Bxg6. Black is forced to flee with 16...Rf7 17. Qh5 Qc7, and then 18. Ne4 Kf8 <19. Ng5> seems to work, echoing the game motif. But 15. Bxh7+ is much simpler and more forcing. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | Brenin: 15 Bxh7+ Kxh7 (otherwise the Q is lost) 16 Qh5+ Kg8 17 Ng6 is obvious, and once you have mentally played that, the reinforcement Nc3-e4-g5 is the obvious way forward, rather than taking the R on f8. If Black takes the N with fxg5 he allows fxg5+ after Qh8+, and leaving it there allows Qh8 mate, so Black is lost. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | Walter Glattke: 19.-fxg5 20.Qh8+ Kf7 21.fg5+ Kxg6 22.Qxg7+ Kh5 23.Qh6+ Kg4 24.Qh4# 19.-fxg5 20.fxg5!? Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Nf4 22.Qh8+ Kf7 23.QxQ "second best" |
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| Dec-18-20 | | mel gibson: Easy -
I saw that in under 2 seconds.
Stockfish 12 says:
15. Bxh7+
(15. Bxh7+ (♗d3xh7+ ♔g8xh7 ♕e2-h5+ ♔h7-g8 ♘e5-g6 f6-f5 ♘c3-b5
♘b4-c6 ♕h5-h8+ ♔g8-f7 ♕h8xg7+ ♔f7-e8 ♘g6xe7 ♗d6xe7 d2-d4 c5xd4 ♖f1-e1
♗c8-d7 ♖a1-d1 ♖a8-c8 ♔g1-f1 ♘b6xc4 ♗b2xd4 ♘c6-d8 ♕g7-g6+ ♖f8-f7 b3xc4 a7-a6
♘b5-a7 ♖c8xc4 ♗d4-b6 ♖c4-e4 ♖e1xe4 f5xe4 ♗b6xd8 ♗e7xd8 ♖d1xd7 ♔e8xd7
♕g6xf7+ ♗d8-e7 ♘a7-c8 ♔d7xc8 ♕f7xe7 e6-e5 ♕e7xe5 ♔c8-d7 ♕e5-d5+ ♔d7-c7
♕d5xe4) +8.38/33 92)
score for White +8.38 depth 33 |
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| Dec-18-20 | | Messiah: Something went off this week, as this is trivially easy until the end. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | stacase: 15.Bxh7+ and 16.Qh5+ and 17.Ng6 was pretty much Chess 101. After that, White's Knight and Queen needed to bring in some extra help as they couldn’t do it all by themselves. There's been some discussion here of late about the appropriateness of puzzles to the day of the week and degree of difficulty. 18.Ne4 is also fairly obvious after those first three moves considering that 18.Qh8+ wouldn't accomplish much. But then 19.Ng5 isn't that easy but at that point I was just clicking the move button [>] to see how it was played out. Maybe "White to play 18.?" would have been more appropriate for Friday. Bottom line, I was pleased to solve the first three moves on a Friday puzzle(-: OK - Time to read the comments |
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Dec-18-20
 | | chrisowen: Laps i keys like bxh7+ hood ago quotient bade bund laps i keys like match klasp pads digs bigs barbeque quandary went wren foot fever jive its dark this like place know noum mays ways ritz pf6 fluff labs afford joffy i keys like bxe5 glint ace it meagre again mage bequeath bxh7+ harangue ghost hang black abacus tots ghost afford point effort i keys miss black it cloth-face bh7 quo! |
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Dec-18-20
 | | HeMateMe: Does N-g6 also win? Forced mate with B + Q? |
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| Dec-18-20 | | saturn2: <HeMateMe>If Back moves the queen away instead of hxg6 it is only loss of exchange. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | RandomVisitor: A quick look at white's move options on move 15:
click for larger viewStockfish_20121407_x64_modern:
<43/75 13:01 +9.75 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Ng6> f5 18.Nb5 Nc6 19.Qh8+ Kf7 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Nxe7 Bxe7 22.d4 cxd4 23.Rad1 Bd7 24.Rfe1 Rc8 25.Bxd4 Nxd4 <42/58 13:01 +3.76 15.Ng6> Qf7 16.Nxf8 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 Bxf8 18.Ne4 Bd7 19.Nd6 Qe7 20.Nxb7 Rb8 21.Na5 Nc8 22.Bc3 a6 23.g4 Nd6 24.Rae1 Qd8 25.Re3 Rb6 42/63 13:01 +0.89 15.Nb5 Nxd3 16.Nxd3 a6 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.Rae1 Nd7 19.Qxe6+ Qxe6 20.Rxe6 Ne5 21.Nxc5 Nd3 22.Re3 Nxb2 23.Rb1 Nxc4 24.bxc4 b5 25.cxb5 axb5 |
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| Dec-18-20 | | TheaN: Hm. Weird. I was eyeing 15.Bxh7+ for a minute or so, but felt the queen and knight weren't coordinating well enough after the Black queen moves 15....Kxh7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Qe8, considered 18.Ne4 but thought it wasn't enough. I missed the 19.Ng5 maneuver that makes this Friday. Settled on <15.Ng6?!> given 15....hxg6 16.Bxg6 Black's having huge issues got getting mated on the back rank; 16....Rf7 is as good as forced, 17.Qh5 Qd7 and now indeed as <beatgiant> mentioned, White needs to follow the main line's principle with 18.Ne4 +-. However, in this line <15....Qd7 16.Nxf8 ±> is 'just' an exchange. Partial credit here I guess. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | Cellist: I saw the combination except for the last move. After short consideration, I thought 19. Nxd6 would be fine for a win because play could continue 19. ... Qxd6, 20. Qh8+ Kf7 21. Ne5+. I was hoping to force the Black Q to take the N on e5 in order to avoid the deadly discovered check on the f-file, but that is not necessary with the N on d3. I had made my plan without consideration for Black's 18th move (Nd3). 19. Nxd6 gives White only a slight advantage. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | agb2002: Black threatens fxe5 and Nxd3.
White has Bxh7+ and Ng6.
In the case of 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 (15... Kh8 16.Ng6+ wins decisive material) 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Ng6: A) 17... Qc7 18.Ne4
A.1) 18... Rd8 19.Ng5 fxg5 20.fxg5 Bf4 (due to Qh8#; 20... Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1) 21.Rxf4 Qxf4 22.gxf4 wins decisive material. A.2) 18... Kf7 19.Ng5+
A.2.a) 19... fxg5 20.fxg5+ Ke8 21.Nxf8+ Ke8 (21... Ke7 22.Rf7+ wins decisive material) 22.Rf7 followed by Qh8 looks winning. A.2.b) 19... Ke8 20.Nxf8+ Kxf8 21.Qh8+ Ke7 22.Qxg7+ followed by Qxf6 wins decisive material. B) 17... Qe8 18.Ne4 with the double threat Nxd6 and Ng5. C) 17... Qd8 18.Ne4 looks similar to A.
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In the case of 15.Ng6 hxg6 16.Bxg6 Qc7 (the king needs the square e7) 17.Qh5 Rf7 (17... Rd8 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8+ Ke7 20.Qxg7#; 17... Re8 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8+ Ke7 20.Qxe8#) 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8+ Ke7 20.Bxf7 Kxf7 (20... Bd7 21.Qh5 + - [R+P vs n]) 21.Ne4 A) 21... Bd7 22.Ng5+ fxg5 (22... Kg6 23.Qh7#; 22... Ke7 23.Qxg7+ followed by Qxf6 wins decisive material) 23.fxg5+ Ke7 (23... Kg6 24.Qxg7+and mate in two) 24.Bf6+ A.1) 24... gxf6 25.gxf6+ Kf7 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.f7+ Kd8 (27...Ke7 28.f8=Q#) 28.f8=Q+ Bxf8 29.Rxf8+ Be8 30.Rxe8+ Kxe8 31.Qxc7 wins decisive material. A.2) 24... Kf7 25.g6+ Kxg6 26.Qxg7+ Kh5 27.Qg5#. B) 21... Nd3 22.Ng5+ fxg5 (else as above) 23.fxg5+ Ke7 (23... Kg6 24.g4 Nf4 25.Rxf4 Bxf4 26.Qh5#) 24.Qxg7+ Ke(d)8 25.Qg8+ Kd7 (25... Ke7 26.Rf7#) 26.Qh7+ and 27.Qxd3 wins decisive material. C) 21... Bf8 22.Ng5+ Ke8, unclear.
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I think I'd play 15.Bxh7+. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | drollere: i think there needs to be a rule that the first puzzle move Bh7+, followed by second puzzle move Qh5+ and the third puzzle move Ng6 forking R and Q cannot ever be more than two stars difficulty. yes, i am a patzer ... and this is the problem. when i see the open light square B diagonal lasered onto a backward p, combined with the open light square Q diagonal, and a N doubly attacked on e5, and the hapless h7 pawn protected only by the liege discretion of the stumpy legged, fat fingered K ... my mind clouds over, my vision fogs ... and when i regain consciousness i find the N on g6 and the Q on the R file, ready to plunge toward the possibly fatal check onto the opponent K. how did this happen? i can't remember. what happens next? well -- is that the puzzle? -- is that the REAL puzzle, the puzzle of what happens next? my legs begin to tremble, my hand shakes, checkmate slobber begins to drip from the corner of my mouth -- is this a deep trap? have i been led willy nilly by my B-Q-N reflex into a position i cannot salvage? have i been crushed by my own involuntary impulse? is my valorious Q about to be trapped and eaten like a bad tempered badger? i wildy cast my eyes about the room. i see agb2002 has already scribbled his way far into A.2.b, B, C, in one line and A.2, B and C into another line -- two lines! two triply subbranching lines of "uh-oh"! i have recklessly blundered into two separate branching lines of mayhem and despair! my despair! i just know it! my eyes blur with tears of despair! my heart pounds with the panic of despair! my poor K wobbles like a Bobo™ doll with desperation! |
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| Dec-18-20 | | Walter Glattke: A1) 20.Qh8+ Kf7 21.Kxg6!/20.fxg5 Bf4 21.Rxf4 Qxf4 22.Qh8+ Kf7 23.Qxg7+ Ke8 24.Qe7# |
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Dec-18-20
 | | AylerKupp: The bishop sac on h7 is obvious, either immediately or later. So what I don't understand is how 13...Nb4 14.Nc3 a player capable of qualifying for the Russian championship could let the bishop live, particularly since 13...Nb4 14.Bxh7 doesn't seem to give White much. At d=40 Stockfish 12 evaluates that White does not have anything better than a draw by repetition after 14...Kxh7 15.a3 (An odd move, it just drives the knight where it wants to go and results in the exchange of White's Ne5. It seems to me that something more forceful is needed, particularly d3 is controlled by White and Black's Nb4 does not have good prospects in the q-side and might be needed in the k-side defense) 15...Nc6 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qg4+ Kh6 20.Qh3+ Kg6 21.Qg4+
click for larger viewBut the immediate 15.Qh5+ after 14.Bxh7+ Kxh7 does not provide much for White after 16...Kg8. Stockfish at d=40 evaluates the resulting position at [-0.59] after 16.Nf3 f6 17.Nh4 g5 (It looks odd to open up the k-side while your king is under attack and your 2 knights are over on the q-side where they can't participate in the defense) 18.fxg5 Qh7 19.Qe2 fxg5 20.Nc3 (in for a penny, in for a pound) 20...gxh4 21.Ne4 Qg6 22.Nf6+ (I thought that 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Nd6 with 24.Rf1(+) to follow seemed promising but it transposes) 24...Kf7 23.Ne4+ Ke7 24.Rxf8 Kxf8 25.Nxd6 Ke7 26.Ne4 Nd7 27.Qe3 hxg3 28.hxg3 Nc6 29.Rf1 e5 30.Nxc5 b6 31.Nxd7 Bxd7 32.Bxe5 (Now material is even, 3P vs.N) 32...Re8 33.Bf6+ Kf8 34.Bc3+ Kg8 35.Qf4 Nd8 36.Rf3 Nf7 37.Qf6 (with material even White doesn't mind exchanging queens) 37...Qb1+ 38.Rf1 Qh7 39.d3 Re6 40.Qd4 Qg6 41.Qxd7 Qxg3+ 42.Kh1 Qh4+ 43.Kg2 Rg6+ 44.Kf3
click for larger viewSo after 13...Nb4 14.Nc3 I would have played 14...Nxd3 without a moment's though or hesitation. But I guess that's one reason (among many) that I wasn't invited to play in the 2000 Russian Championship since 14...Nxd3 is apparently not as good a move as 14...f6. At d=43 Stockfish evaluated the resulting position after 14...Nxd3 at [+1.14] after 15.Nxd3 Bd7 (I think that this is an inaccuracy and that the knight is needed on the k-side. Therefore 15...Nd7 is a step in that direction) 16.Rae1 Rfe8 17.Ne4 Bc6 18.Nxd6 Qxd6 19.Qg4 Qf8 20.Ne5 (Sure could have used that knight on d7 right about now!) 20...Rac8 21.f5 exf5 22.Qxf5 f6 23.Nxc6 Rxc6 24.d4 cxd4 25.Bxd4 h6 26.a4 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Qc8 28.Qe4 Qd7 29.a5 Nc8 30.Qe8+ Qxe8 31.Rxe8+ Kf7 32.Rd8 Ke7 33.Rh8 a6 34.Kf2 Ke6 35.Ke3 Ne7 36.Rd8 Rd6 37.Rxd6+ Kxd6 38.Bc3 Nc6 (Leaving Black's k-side light squares undefended for a possible entry by White's king does not seem like a good idea to me) 39.Ke4 g6 40.g4 Ke6 41.h4 Nd8 42.h5 gxh5 43.gxh5 Nc6 44.b4 f5+ 45.Kf4
click for larger viewThe position looks very bad for Black; Black's k-side pawn structure is weak and Black's king is tied to the defense of the Pf5. White's q-side majority is mobile and he can force a passed pawn on the q-side which Black will have difficulty stopping unless Black's king goes over. And if Black does that, both the Pf5 and the Ph6 are likely to fall. Restarting the analysis from this position Stockfish at d=34 evaluates the position as likely lost for Black with an evaluation of [+5.93] after 45...Nb8 46.Bg7. But these are long lines and I think that Black's play could be improved along the way. |
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| Dec-18-20 | | sophiephilo: This cannot possibly be difficult.
Because I got it. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 15.Bxh7+