allanbeardsworth

White to play and win

allanbeard v master15 2013 Playchess, 3 min

Solution

A variation on standard decoying. The Ra8 is tied to defending the Qa7. So, 1 Bf7+! Kf7[] 2 e8(Q)+ Rhe8 [] (Raa8 Qa7 1-0) 3 Rf1+ Kg8[] 4 Re8+ Re8[] 5 Qa7 1-0.

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White to play and win

allanbeard v Maulwurfseye 2013

Solution

It is only a pawn, but its loss also ruins black's structure, but it is also another example of the importance of following CJS Purdy's mantra to ignore threats. 1 Bf7+!! and after 1…Kh8, 2 Qa6. If instead 1….Kf7?? 2 Qb3+ wins the black queen, as does 1…Rf7?? 2 Qb8+ Rf8 3 Qb3+.

Purdy on threats, In Search of Chess Perfection, pg 289

You must see all real threats. That means you must also see the unreality of real threats…. When in doubt, you can always save time by remembering it is really your move. Try then the following way of thinking:

Imagine the threat could not possibly be executed. Then what would be my best move? Try out each attractive move separately, considering each one as follows. Visualise the whole position as it would be after this move of yours, and then work out whether the opponent would gain by executing his 'threat'.

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White to play and win

allanbeard v King David, Playchess 3 min, April 2013

Solution

1 Qe1!! a5 2 Qg1!! and the queen enters, with one defence being 2…Kc8 3 Be6+- Black has other defences, such as 1….c5 2 Bd5! . If Black makes a 'pass' move, because of the back rank mate threat oif white plays 2 Qa5, then white has time for (eg 1…h6) 2 h3!! and then 3 Qg1!!

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Alas, due to a technical hitch (*), for the next couple of weeks I will not be posting daily problems from Reitstein's book. I will be able to again in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I am going to post daily random problems, many taken from my own games, but others as well.

White to play and win

Position after 11…b5

allanbeard v nacado

allanbeard v MuruganK

allanbeard v Sokho_35bm

allanbeard v Semi

allanbeard v Grackhack

allanbeard v Peter_Matyukov

All 3-3 blitz on ICC or Playchess

Solution

A little tactic today, black players have fallen several times into this Morra trap. 1 Bb6 and it is game over.

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Blog updated 20/8/16: updates in bold and italics, underlined

White to play and draw

J Gluckman v J Plaskett 1991

(Black is the British GM Jim Plaskett)

Solution

This is a position which no matter how long I sat at the board and stared, I wouldn’t be confident with my analysis. And yet I would play 1 c5+! instinctively. Perhaps more in hope than anything else, supported by the thought it can’t be worse than the alternatives.

Black then has to choices

a) the winning line, 1…Bc5

1…Bc5

Reitstein just dismisses this line as “if 1…Bc5, 2 Kc4” implying is is drawn, but it is a win.

1…Bc5 2 Kc4 Ba7 (maybe Bb6 is better to have Bd8 in reserve, looking at e7) 3 Kb4 Ke5 4 Bb3 Ke4 5 Be6

Diagram A

Here it is black to play, so Kf4-g3-h3, white Kc4-d3-e2, 8…Kg2:

..and I fear that black wins. (He does: he is a tempo ahead of the lines after 1…Kc5)

Update 20/8/16: I wrote the original posting a long while ago, whilst on holiday, and suspected the problem was cooked. I didnt have Reitstein’s book with me at the time, and forgot about updating the blog until when again on holiday I found the photocopy I had kept in the pocket of my Kindle case.

As suspected, the problem is cooked. Black missed a win in the game.

b) a drawing line, 1…Kc5

1…Kc5

1…Kc5 2 Bb3 Kd6 3 Kc4 Ke5 4 Kb4 Ke4  (or 4…Kf4: makes no difference) 5 Be6

Diagram B

Here, in diagram B, it is similar to diagram A, but less advantageous to black, since the B is in the way on g1, taking a square from the black king, biffable should white get his king to f1, and not as helpful in controlling the white e pawn. So here Kf4-g3-h3, white queen to e2, 8…Kg2 9 Bd5+ Kg3 10 Kf1 Bc5 11 Be6

And I think this position is drawn. White shuffles his bishop on the h3-c8 diagonal until black pushes his pawn to h2, then white plays his bishop to the h1-a8 diagonal, and after K*g4 white sets up a fortress with Kg2.

The key difference is that 1…Bc5 moves the B from the g1 square, so that when the King is checked by Bd5+, Black’s King can move to g1 (rather than g3) therefore denying White’s King access to f1. The Black King on g1 can then support the h pawn to its promotion, from when it is easy. Quite a subtle difference: who would have thought, without analysis, that the B is in the way on g1? Once you see it, it is ‘obvious’, but before then it isn’t clear at all.

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Black to play and win

(Or, at least, get a large advantage).

M Van Shaick v D Thom 2003

Solution

Examine all biffs, and noting the geometrical alignment of the white Q and KR, 1….Bd5! is not hard to find.

White must take, so 2 Qd5 Rcd8, and white can either lose the exchange, by moving his queen (Zhenjiang the win would be fairly straightforward) or try to survive by 3 0-0! Then 3…Rd5 4 Rd5:

I am not convinced that black is winning. For instance, if black tries to keep a pawn on the queenside, by 4…b4, white can play 5 Bc4 threatening both to take on a5 and to advance his king pawn to e6, when black may be forced into passivity. So, instead, 4…a4 5 Rb5 ab 6 ab Qd2 7 Bc4 Qg5+ 8 Kh1 Qf5 reaching the following position:

Black is to be preferred, but would you this as black against Carlsen? I wouldn't, or would not be at all confident of doing so.

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Black to play and win

J McPhillips v S Williams, British Chess Championships, 29 July 2014

Source: Daily Telegraph column by Malcolm Pein.

Solution

If I were black, I would be happy with my positon, but would probably play 1…Nf3, gain the two bishops, and see what happens. Not the best type of evaluation, but honest.

Simon however played the wonderful 1…Bc2!

I thought the king could tuck it self away on b3: but, in fact, it would be in a mating net there.

1…Bc2 is the first sac by Britain's answer to 'Fire on Board'Alexei Shirov. After 2 Kc2 Qf5+ 3 Kc1 Simon followed up with the incredible 3…Rc3+! the point of which is to remove the Ne2 from its control of f4.

If 4 bc, 4…Ba3+ 5 Kd2 Nc4+ wins the queen. So 4 Nc3 is forced. Then 4…Nc4 opens the way for 5…Bf4+ when the Q and B diagonal battery win, especially since the Nc4 controls d2. White's best is 5 Qd6 Nd6:

There' s no forced win, and a piece count shows more or less equality, but black is in fact winning: white's king is unprotected, and a pawn advance coupled with Rc8 and maybe Nc4 will decide the game.

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White to play and win

AH Van Schallwijk v LM Wentzel 1945

Solution

Another rest day today. 1 Qh7+! Nh7[] 2 Ng6 is smothered mate.

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Black to play and win

G Kamsky v R Pomomariov 2013

Source: Chess Today, 4582

Pono played 1…Qf3 – the move I would always play- but there was a better move.

Warning: I think this is a stinker. Despite spending a lot of time on this puzzle, I didn't solve it, and didn't even consider the winning initial move. But as is often the case, as soon as it is shown, it becomes obvious, if you know what I mean.

Solution

The best I could come up with was 1…Re1+ 2 Kg2 Qa1, threatening Rh1 and maybe winning the h3 pawn, and then check, check, check and see if anything happens. In fact, it doesn't: 3 Qd2! Rh1 4 Kg3! Qg1+ 5 Kh4 Qg2 6 Qe3! and now all there is is 6…Rh3+! 7 Qh3[] Qf2+ 8 Qg3 Qc5 and a drawn Q ending.

So, how to win? I didn't examine all biffs because 1…Qe7! is super strong. If say 2 Rd5, anchoring the rook on somewhere safe, then of course 2…Qe1+ 3 Kg2 Re2 0-1, since if 4 Re8+ Kh7, and white can't protect f2. So best is 2 Rc6! hoping for the same line, when after 3…Re2 there is 4 Rg6+ drawing by perpetual after 4…fg, or if 4…Kf8 5 Qf5 holds and may well be better for white.

But after 1…Qe7! 2 Rc6! Black has 2…Qb7! and now Re1+ and Q or R h1+ lines emerge, though in fact after say 3 Qc5 the win is 3….Re1+ 4 Kh2[] Qf3 0-1.

Wonderful: but also showing how hard chess is, since even elite players miss such things.

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Black to play and win

L Ball v J Ophoff 2000

Solution

A rest day today: 1…Rb1+ 2 Kh2[] Kd4 and the rook is trapped, 0-1

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