[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by MANE

If Be4 e1=N
Then Bd5 c2
Bc4 c1=N (here bishop is now becoming a bit inactive as a lot of light squares controlled by knights)
Interestingly Bb5 is the right move as Ba6 wins material but the position for white becomes unplayable.
After this there are 2 lines Nc6 or Nc7 both in favour of white

Yes, this is correct.

Originally Posted by doxinboy

5. Kf6? e2
6. Bg6#.

No, there is no Bg6# in this line. In this line, after Bg6+ Black can play Kg4. This is the main point of Kf5. That covered the g4 square which is not covered when you play Kf6.

[binand]

Originally Posted by MANE

For Nc6
Bc6+ Nc7
Ba4 Nb3
Bb3+ c4
Bd1 Nf3
Bf3#

Longest sequence to avoid checkmate I guess.

What I found attractive in this puzzle is that after white incarcerates the black king on h5, black has to keep promoting pawns to knights to avoid checkmate (black ends up having a total of four knights), and later on keep sacrificing these knights to avoid the same checkmate. :-)

[binand]

Another (composed?) puzzle from the collection. White to play and win, again. This is just a curio, I should say.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by binand

Another (composed?) puzzle from the collection. White to play and win, again. This is just a curio, I should say.

Attachment 2190512

1. e7 f1=Q (else there is 2. e8=Q#)
2. e8=Q+ Qf8
3. Qe6+ Kh8
4. Qe5+ Kg8

And now White continues this zigzag movement to capture the a2 pawn with check!

5. Qd5+ Kh8
6. Qd4+ Kg8
7. Qc4+ Kh8
8. Qc3+ Kg8
9. Qb3+ Kh8
10. Qb2+ Kg8
11. Qxa2+ Kh8
12. Qb2+ Kg8
13. Qb3+ Kh8
14. Qc3+ Kg8
15. Qc4+ Kh8
16. Qd4+ Kg8
17. Qd7

And now there is no defense against Qh7#.

[Dr.AD]

A close friend of mine is a strong chess player, rated about 2400, and plays a lot in the European circuits (he stays in Europe). He is a very tactical player and his games are full of attacking lines and fun tactics. To this date, he has defeated a few GMs in FIDE events with his tactical lines. He also plays for one of the top clubs in Europe.

He recently shared below position from one of his games. He was playing White. In this position, it is back to move. Black had promoted his pawn on a1 a move ago, and in reply, White had played Kg6. And now it is Black's move. The question is, what is the best move for Black?

Black to play. What is the best move for Black?

[binand]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

The question is, what is the best move for Black?

I'm in the middle of a call so can't really analyse, but Rf2 looks good to me. Neutralises the threat of f6+, attacks the white rook on d4 and if black takes evasive action, opens up the long diagonal for Qf6+.

[binand]

Originally Posted by binand

I'm in the middle of a call so can't really analyse, but Rf2 looks good to me.

(Quoting myself)

Looked at it during lunchtime. 1... Rf2 only allows black to wrest a draw. There is no winning line for black as far as I could see - all other moves seem to be losing for black because of the threat of f6+ (eg: 2. f6+ Ke8 3. f7+ Ke7 3. Rd7+ Kf8 4. e7#).

With Rf2 it is white who has to fight for a draw. But that white can easily manage with 2. Rd7+ Ke8 3. Bh5. The discovered check threat now is strong enough for black to accept the draw.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by binand

Looked at it during lunchtime. 1... Rf2 only allows black to wrest a draw. There is no winning line for black as far as I could see - all other moves seem to be losing for black because of the threat of f6+ (eg: 2. f6+ Ke8 3. f7+ Ke7 3. Rd7+ Kf8 4. e7#).

Correct! 1. ... Rf2 is the only move that achieves a draw. Anything else loses for Black.

We found it funny that Black has a Queen for Bishop, and yet it is Black who has to find the precise move to save the game. 1. ... Rf2 is the only saving move.

With Rf2 it is white who has to fight for a draw. But that white can easily manage with 2. Rd7+ Ke8 3. Bh5. The discovered check threat now is strong enough for black to accept the draw.

Well, after 3. Bh5, it is Black again who has to find the right moves. Else the threat of discovered check is too strong. The only line saving for Black is 3. ... Rh2 4. f6 Qg1+ 5. Kh6 Rxh5+ 6. Kxh5 Qh1+ and now probably there is perpetual check with Queen. The engines seem to think Black can win, but in practice this is a perpetual I believe. But this is the only like that has any hopes for Black in spite of being a Queen up.

Going back to the position, Black failed to calculate this when he played a1=Q. At that point, Black probably thought he is winning. But turns of Kg6 by White is way too strong. Black probably underestimated the power of that move. In spite of the King in the middle and a Queen on the board, the King is quite safe of f6, and Black's Queen is somewhat out of the game at a1.

[pnredkar]

What about 1. ... Rd2? Does it also not lead to a draw for black?

Related question: How do you analyze positions? Do it in your mind or use some software. I being away from chess for a long time, I really cannot analyze too deep. And it's too cumbersome to do it on a board. If there is some software that I could use to visualize positions and rewind, that would be helpful.

[binand]

Originally Posted by pnredkar

What about 1. ... Rd2? Does it also not lead to a draw for black?

Nope, if black doesn't play 1... Rf2 they lose to 2. f6+. This check is very potent - the two connected pawns with support from the bishop gel really well to be as powerful as a queen. Now 2... Ke8 3. Rxd2 and white lost his rook for nothing and checkmate looms.

(If white takes the rook without f6+ then they cede control of the square to black who can now force a draw)

Originally Posted by pnredkar

How do you analyze positions? Do it in your mind or use some software.

I can do 4-6 moves depth mentally - might not always cover all variations. I also use a software called Chesspad - http://www.wmlsoftware.com/chesspad.html - discovered it when I started playing long-duration games (postal chess in the Internet world) on letsplaychess.com.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by pnredkar

What about 1. ... Rd2? Does it also not lead to a draw for black?

No. 1. ... Rd2 loses for Black. In fact, 1. ... Rf2 is the only move that gives Black a draw. Every other move loses. And that in spite of being a Queen up for a Bishop. That is the beauty of this position.

Here is how 1. ... Rd2 loses:

1... Rd2 2. f6+ Kf8 (2... Ke8 3. Rxd2 Qb1+ 4. Kg7 and now there is noting to prevent the mate) 3. e7+ Ke8 4. Bd7#

In reality, this was a Blitz game (3+0 time control), and therefore, the players may not have been able to see all the lines. The player playing Black had a Blitz rating of 2423, and even then missed the 1. ... Rf2 move.

The actual game went like this: 1. ... Rg2?? 2. f6+ Ke8 3. f7+ Ke7 4. Rd7+ 1-0.

Related question: How do you analyze positions? Do it in your mind or use some software. I being away from chess for a long time, I really cannot analyze too deep. And it's too cumbersome to do it on a board. If there is some software that I could use to visualize positions and rewind, that would be helpful.

There are tons of software which can help you analyze chess positions. However, that is not done during problem solving or training. I usually solve the position in my head and spend as much time as required till I "believe" I have analyzed it correctly. That is the learning process and I enjoy that a lot. So basically solve the puzzles in your head - that is educative, enjoyable and also the fair practice of solving puzzles.

If you just want to play out the moves (without engine analysis), you can do that on many online boards such as on lichess.org or chess.com. But again I usually do not move the pieces till I see the line in my head. The best way to solve a problem is to simulate the game conditions: you look at the static position and analyze in your head without luxury of moving the pieces.

I use engines to check my analysis when required after I have submitted an answer. In many online chess problem solving tools, they allow you to analyze the position using an engine only after you submit your answer and you get the points or the penalty for the right or the wrong answers respectively. It is fair to analyze later to see what you missed.

[Dr.AD]

One more puzzle from a real game.

White to play and win:

[MANE]

Mod note: Post edited, please take time to post with proper punctuations in future. This affects readability as well as goes against the etiquette and forum rules. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

One more puzzle from a real game.

White to play and win:

Re7 is totally winning for White. The main motive is to move the Queen from the back rank for a checkmate.

So for Re7, if Qe7+ then Ba6 and its checkmate in 2-3 moves, if Be8 then Re8, then Black Queen has to take the white rook and then White Queen takes black queen.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by MANE

Re7 is totally winning for White. The main motive is to move the Queen from the back rank for a checkmate.

So for Re7, if Qe7+ then Ba6 and its checkmate in 2-3 moves, if Be8 then Re8, then Black Queen has to take the white rook and then White Queen takes black queen.

Correct!

1. Re7 is the key move that diverts the Black Queen away from any potential defense. Once Black plays Qxe7 then Ba6 is a mate in 2. There is no alternative to Qxe7 anyways as Be8 loses to Rxe8, as you mentioned. And for anything else, there is the threat of Rxc2+ leading to mate in 2 again.

This position was from Caruana vs Ponomariov 2014.

[SmartCat]

Interesting. For the first time, I have an opponent who played 'King's Gambit' (which I accepted). It's an ongoing game with upto 24 hours per move, so I need to read up on this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Gambit



This seems a lot more riskier (for the initiator) than the Queen's Gambit, since the opponent's King is exposed and my Queen has lots of room to move around.