Oct-28-22
 | | Korora: Once again, my first guess was correct rather than my subsequent guess. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | stacase: The first two moves,
30.Rxf2 ...
31.Qxd3+
were rather obvious, the rest, not so much. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | Brenin: I saw 30 Rxf2 Qxf2 31 Qxd3+ Bg6, but I was looking for a more conclusive outcome than 2P up in an endgame with opposite Bishops. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | Brenin: My instinct (and some hindsight) tells me that Black should have exchanged Qs when he had the chance with 32 ... Qxd4, since White's Q was more active, and combined better with its R and B than his. Moving his R away from the blocking square g8 was the final blunder, allowing 38 g8=Q+ and the subsequent mating threats. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | mel gibson: I saw 30. Rxf2 but I thought it was boring and spent at least 5 minutes looking for something better but I couldn't find anything. Stockfish 15 follows the text and says:
30. Rxf2
(30. Rxf2 (♖f1xf2
♕f3xf2 ♕b3xd3+ ♗h5-g6 ♕d3-d4 ♕f2xd4 ♗b2xd4 ♖a8-d8 ♗d4xa7 ♗g6-c2 a4-a5
♖d8-d5 b5-b6 ♖d5-b5 ♗a7-b8 ♔h7xg7 g3-g4 h6-h5 g4xh5 ♔g7-h6 ♔h3-g3 ♔h6xh5
a5-a6 b7xa6 ♖a1xa6 ♗c2-e4 ♗b8-c7 ♔h5-g5 ♔g3-f2 ♔g5-f5 ♔f2-e3 ♗e4-c6 ♖a6-a1
♔f5-e6 ♖a1-d1 ♔e6-f5 ♖d1-g1 ♖b5-b4 ♔e3-d3 ♗c6-d5 ♖g1-e1 ♔f5-g4 ♖e1-e5
♗d5-h1 ♖e5-a5 ♗h1-b7 ♔d3-c3 ♖b4-b1 ♖a5-a7 ♗b7-c6 ♔c3-c4 ♖b1-b2 ♔c4-c5
♗c6-h1 ♖a7-a4+ ♔g4-h5 ♖a4-d4 ♖b2-c2+ ♔c5-b4 ♗h1-b7 h2-h4 ♔h5-g6 ♖d4-d6+
♔g6-h5 ♖d6-d7 ♖c2-b2+ ♔b4-c3 ♖b2-b1 ♗c7-d8) +3.75/51 384) score for White +3.75 depth 51. |
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Oct-28-22
 | | al wazir: I too saw only the obvious first two moves.
I think white should be able to take control a little more directly. Here's my idea. If black plays 32...Qf3, as in the game, then white plays 33.Qf6. Now if 33...Qh5+, then 34. Kg2 Qe2+ 35. Qf2 Qe4+ 36. Kg1. What does black do now? White is looking to play Re1 and Qf8. White's position is solid and black has no checks. After 32. Qd4, black can trade ♕s, as <Brenin> suggests: 32...Qxd4 33. Bxd4. Now if black's ♖ stays on a8 or goes to g8, the plan is for the white ♖ to occupy f8. If the black ♖ moves, the white (R) can go to the seventh rank and attack black's Q-side ♙s. |
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Oct-28-22
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: <al wazir>, not to worry; we only need to see the first two moves. Black has so many possible defenses that not even a player of Vaganian's strength can see every possibility. After White's 31st move, he probably evaluated that he had defused Black's attack, protected his own King, and kept a 2-pawn advantage. Good enough. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | Mayankk: My line was 30 Rxf2 Qxf2 31 Qxd3+ Bg6 32 Rf1.
Now if 32 … Bxd3 33 Rxf2 and White is up a pair of pawns with the threatening g7 pawn still there. And if 32 … Qxb2 33 Rf8 Qxg7 34 Rxa8 and White is up an exchange plus a pawn. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | boringplayer: Got the first 2 moves, but thought 32.Rf1 was good enough. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | agb2002: White has a rook and a pawn for a bishop.
Black threatens 30... Qf5+ 31.Kg2 Bf3+ 32.Kxf2 Bd5+ 33.Ke1(3) Qe4+ 34.Kd2 Bxb3. This threat and the overloaded black queen suggest 30.Rxf2 Qxf2 31.Qxd3+: A) 31... Bg6 32.Qd4
A.1) 32... Qxd4 33.Bxd4 + - [2P].
A.2) 32... Qf3 33.Re1 looks very good for White (33... Bf5+ 34.Kh4 with the threats g8=Q+ and Qf4). A.3) 32... Qf5+ 33.g4 Qf3+ 34.Kh4 must be winning (34... Qg2? 35.g8=Q+ Rxg8 36.Qd7+ and mate in two; 34... Rd8 35.g8=Q+ Rxg8 36.Re1). A.4) 32... Bf5+ 33.g4 Qxd4 34.Bxd4 as in A.1.
B) 31... Kg8 32.Rf1 Qc5 33.Rf5 Qc8 34.Qd5+ Kh7 35.g8=Q+ Qxg8 36.Qd7+ Kg6 37.Rf6+ Kg5 38.Qf5#. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | jrredfield: 30 Rxf2 is the only move that shows a winning evaluation in the engines. I looked at it but wasn't sure how to make it work after the first couple of moves so I can't say I solved it. Even with 30 Rxf2, White is not that far ahead and has to play very accurately as Vaganian did. |
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Oct-28-22
 | | scormus: The first two moves are rather straightforward for a Friday, but then what? Surely there is a clear way for W to press home the advantage, isn't there? I looked at a few extravagant tries but they quickly failed. Looks like W has to consolidate with what he actually played. I see SF chooses 33 .... Qxd4, But OTB I think B was better trying to avoid the Q swap |
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Oct-28-22
 | | chrisowen: I picketed c flare it was quo Rxf2 abc claw its axiom jah its a fog pug a good quad cudgel its Rxf2 eon :) |
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| Oct-28-22 | | TheaN: Concurring with everyone here, the thought process isn't in the first two moves. The point is that the Qg4+/Qf3+ perpetual is looming, if it's not worse for White with both Black bishops on the board. So, <30.Rxf2> takes out a crucial attacker for Black, <30....Qxf2> 30....Bg4+ 31.Kh4 +- just displaces the bishop <31.Qxd3+ Bg6> the only move that accomplishes something for Black. Then we arrive here:
click for larger view
I honestly took well over ten minutes to make forcing lines work for White, but they don't. The biggest key is 32.Rf1? to force a queen trade in case of 32....Bxd3? 33.Rxf2 +-, but 32....Qxb2! -+ defends everything for Black. Likewise, 32.Bd4? I'd gladly simplify with Black 32....Bxd3 33.Bxf2 Kxg7 = and I don't see any progress. So that really leaves <32.Qd4 ±>. The puzzle kind of stops here, as it's Black's initiative. After 32....Qxd4 33.Bxd4 the far passer gives White excellent winning chances in a tough to win endgame, and if Black declines the trade, the rook joins in and White should be able to finish tactically. Regardless, White made progress, and was the only way to prevent perpetual. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | Refused: Kinda had the same problem as TheaN.
30.Rxf2 Qxf2 31.Qxd3+ Bg6
White should be winning this, eventually. But the position lacks an off switch here that puts black out of his misery immediately and not after 15+ moves of grinding. |
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Oct-28-22
 | | Jimfromprovidence: I thought this difficult as well beginning with white's 32nd move. It took me a while to work out the difference between the text 32 Qd4 instead of 32 Qc3 below.
click for larger viewHaving the queen now on the 3rd rank allows 32... Bf5+, forcing 33 g4 Bxg4+ 34 Kxg4 Qg2+. 
click for larger viewNow if white's queen intercedes with 35 Qg3, then black can take the bishop, attack the rook, then take the g pawn next move. If white moves the king instead, it looks like black can force a perpetual check. |
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| Oct-28-22 | | YetAnotherAmateur: The first 2 moves were relatively easy: 30. Rxf2 solves a lot of problems for white. 30. ... Qxf2 (there's nothing better) 31. Qxd3 eliminates black's passer and makes the question more of "win or draw". 31. ... Bg6 seems like the obvious next step for black. But now what? The Bb2 is en prise, and also the wrong bishop for promoting on g8. You don't want 32. Bd4? Bxd3 33. Bxf2 Kxg7, because there goes your strongest weapon. Other bishop moves hang the queen, so they're out. Moves that don't threaten the queen lose the initiative completely. So that leaves 32. Qd4 as the best available option by the looks of it to try to keep the pressure on. One thing to watch out for from there if you aren't paying attention: 32. ... Bf5+ 33. Kh4?? Qxh2# |
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| Oct-29-22 | | saturn2: I did not find the win after the first two puzzle moves. I tried 32.g8 Rxg8 33.Qd7 Qf7 and after the queen trade white is up a pawn but it is too drawish |
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Kibitzing
sac: 30.Rxf2
icon.
