allanbeardsworth

White to play and win

FN Barnett v W Nelson 2005

Solution

Quite a standard solution to today's problem: biff, biff, biff, mate.

1 Ng6+ Kh7[] 2 Nf8+ Kh8[] 3 Qh7+ Nh7[] 4 Ng6 smothered mate.

Posted with Blogsy

Black to play and win

D Collier v M Levitt

Solution

Not too hard today, since the line is linear, and forcing. 1…Rf1+ 2 Kf1 Rh1+ 3 Ng1[] Qd3+ 4 Re2 Qe2 mate.

Posted with Blogsy

White to play and win

A Bickoff v M Rubery 1989

Solution

The move my hand wanted to play, the move I would play ten times out of ten in blitz, is 1 Nh6!- which turns out to be very good; but in a classical game, I would have more doubts, 'just in case' there was a defence: and I could see myself chickening out by playing the safe, and fairly strong, 1 Rh3.

Back to the best move, 1 Nh6, the easiest line to dispense with is 1…Rf8; then 2 Nf7+ wins the exchange, and white still has the attack. So only 1….gh needs calculating. Then 2 Qg4

Nc5 3 Bh6 wins.

I wrote the above before turning to the solution in the book, and before entering the position into Stockfish. Alas, I missed something, as did white in the game. Black did indeed play 1…Rf8 and white did indeed win the exchange by 2 Nf7+, but 2 Rg7!! is far classier.

2…Kg7 3 Qg4+ Kh8[] 4 Qg8+!!

Rg8[] 5 Nf7+ Kg7[] 6 Bh6 mate.

Posted with Blogsy

White to play and win

JJ Steenkamp v J Lovemore 1997

Solution

Fairly standard today: 1 Ng7! is an obvious biff. If 1…Kg7, 2 Bb2; and if 1…Qg7, 2 Rg3; and otherwise the king side is ripped open.

Posted with Blogsy

White to play and win

Find the most convincing way to win

A Willenberg v D Bornheim 2005

Solution

I muffed this one. Reitstein's rubric, which I didn't give, said that white thought that 1 Bf6 would give an advantage, but wanted more, and found it. I found something, but not it, and had I applied Purdy's due process, I would have found the best move, which in hindsight is also 'obvious'.

First, my line. 1 Rf6! with the principal line 1…gf 2 Qh7+ Kf8[] 3 Qh8+ Ke7[] 4 Bf6 mate.

I thought that was 'it', the solution, and lazily only looked at the better defence 1…Rg5!. Then, 2 Qh7+ gets nowhere, so 2 Bh7+! Kf8[] (2…Kh8? 3 Bg6+ and 4 Rf7+ 1-0) 3 b4! Qe5 (3…Qa7 drops the Bd6: 4 Rd6 and white is a piece up)

4 Rf7+! (not too hard to visualise, since it is a forcing variation, and has to be looked at) 4…Kf7[] 5 Rf1+ Ke7 6 Re1 1-0

So, I was pleased with this long variation, and so turned to the solution, only to see what I had missed. There is a phrase in chess 'long variation, bad variation' and mine is a case in point. Instead, examine all biffs leads you to 1 b4! which diverts the Q, and also means that black can't defend by playing …Rh5: so e.g. 1…Qc8 2 Bf6 and it is all over.

Finally, if instead 1 Bf6, then 1…Rh5 is messy. 2 b4 Rh4 3 bc gf 4 cd Rd4 5 Rad1 and white is better, but the game goes on.

Posted with Blogsy

Black to play and win

Mate in 5

J Van den Berg v D Wolf 1989

Solution

There is clearly a smothered mate motif, and also back rank mate ideas. Once I saw that the Rf1 was tied to the first dank, 1…Qf2! came to mind, and, as soon as I saw it, the lines clicked into place.

The mate in five follows after 2 Rf2 Rd1+.

If instead 2 Rg1, 2…Qg1+! and after 3 Kg1, Rd1+ 4 Ne1[] Re1 mate.

Posted with Blogsy

White to play and win

M De Pointe v A Goodman 1967

Solution

I found a solution , but not the solution.

I chose 1 e5!, which is the 'move my hand wanted to play' and after 1…de, played the inferior 2 Ne4? My line was easy to calculate a long way: 2…Qf4 3 Qf4 ef 4 Nf6+ Kf8[] 5 Nd7+ Ke7 6 Rg7 Kd7[] 7 Rf7+ Kd6 8 Rf4.

That was as far as I got: of course, it is technically winning, but equally, the game goes on. Also, if 2…Q somewhere, then 3 Qg2 Qg6 4 Qh2! is 1-0 because of the threatened Qh8+.

However, after 1….de, 2 Rh7! is far stronger: I just didn't see the Rh7 lift.

Reitstein gives 1 Rh7! as the solution, and it is equally good.

White missed this idea too, playing 1 Qg2, and the game went on.

Posted with Blogsy

Black to play and win

White has just played 1 Nf3, covering c2 and g2.

P Hangelbroek v JH Van Dyk 1961

Solution

The move 1 Ne1 turns white's took into a LPDO, and coupled with the jump-biff Qb7-b1 it isn't too hard to see 1..Nc3! winning at least the exchange: and possibly the a2 pawn.

Posted with Blogsy

Black to play and win

J Tsalicolgou v AN Rubinsztein 1975

Solution

I got this one wrong, but only in the sense of choosing a -8 move when Stockfish (and black in the game) found a -11 one.

Firstly, mine: 1…Re4! 2 Rd2 Rd2

When Black's position is over-powering. If for instance 3 Qf3 then 3…Rf2+ and either the queen falls to a discovered check if Qe4, or if the rook is captured, at the end of the exchanges the LPDOS Bb2 drops off.

—

However, 1…Rc1+ scores even higher, and after 2 Bc1 (2 Rc1 Be2 and black wins a piece, with the LPDOS Bb2 dropping off) Qd1+ and mates. In the game, black played 2…Qe2? and drew- strange that he missed Qd1+ having found Rc1+.

Posted with Blogsy