3r3k/1b2rpp1/p2qpN1p/1p6/4pP1Q/P5R1/1PP3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1

Endgame of the Week (294)

Here is one for you noobs. What does White need to do to win? Or can he?

7k/8/1P6/4p3/8/3K4/r7/4R3 w - - 0 1

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Solutions Update

Problem 1 - Black To Play (17)

b4k2/Q4p1q/8/8/4r3/6P1/5P2/1R1R2K1 b - - 0 1

The Student first found this mate-in-3 for Black:

1...Qh1+
2.Kxh1 Rh4+
3.Kg1 Rh1#

There's also a mate in 2:

1... Re1+
2.Rxe1 Qh1

In an actual game, there wouldn't be much of a difference if you found one or the other, both are forced mates, and a win is a win.

Problem 2 - White To Play (63)

1q3rk1/5ppp/4n3/R2N4/8/3Q4/5P2/6K1 w - - 0 1

The moves are forced, but perhaps not so obvious:

1.Ne7+ Kh8
2.Qxh7+ Kxh7
3.Rh5#

See how the knight on e7 is covering both escape squares. Sometimes that's hard to see from a couple of moves back.

Problem 3 - White To Play (100)

r7/8/8/5p2/7R/p3PkP1/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1

What might be tricky about this problem is that the first move is a "set up" move that White needs to make in order to force the checkmate. Black's king isn't going anywhere and if White could just scooch his king over to f1, he'd be able to checkmate with this rook. So...

1.Kf1

Black has few options. Only this move will stave off the mate.

1...Ra4

2.Rxa4

2...a2

Futile, but there is no other move.

3.Rf4#

Problem 4 - White To Play (37)

3r3k/1b2rpp1/p2qpN1p/1p6/4pP1Q/P5R1/1PP3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1

Black's 'g' pawn looks awfully weak, but if White moves 1.Qg4, then 2...g6 holds for awhile:

1.Qg4 g6
2.Qh4 Kg7

And now it's not clear how White can make progress in this line. But White has a better option:

1.Qg5!

And now Black's defense 1...g6 fails because of 2.Qxh6# which move White couldn't do before because his Queen was not on the right square.

Taking the queen also fails:

1...hxg5
2.Rh3#

As does taking the knight:

1...gxf6
2.Qg7#

The only thing Black can do is to try to protect the 'g' pawn, but all this does is hold out for one more move:

1...Rg8
2.Qxh6+ gxh6
3.Rxg8#

Kaboom!

Endgame of the Week

7k/8/1P6/4p3/8/3K4/r7/4R3 w - - 0 1

White can certainly win. And it's pretty straightforward. There's no tricky stuff that you sometimes see in endgames, such as stalemate threats or underpromotions or things of that nature. The only thing you need to know for this one is: don't get greedy.

1.Rb1!

You need to do this first. If you succumb to greed and plsy 1.Rxe5? immediately, then Black gets behind the pawn with 1...Rb2! and then 2.Re6 Kg7 3.Kc4 Kf7 4.Rc6 Ke7 5.Kc5 Kd8 and then if 6.Rc7, 6...Rc2+ wins the rook. If White moves the rook anywhere else, then 6...Kc8 and Black gets the draw.

1...Ra8

Black needs to get back there and block the pawn.

2.b7! Rb8
3.Ke4 Kg7

Black tries to get his king into the act, but he's going to be too late. And now White can finally snarf up that pawn.

4.Kxe5 Kf7
5.Kd6 Ke8
6.Kc7 and wins

Black will be forced to trade his rook for the pawn in order to stop it from queening.

And there you go.

Hope to see you all next week.

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Note: that cryptic line of letters and numbers you see underneath each board diagram is a representation of the position in what is known as "Forsyth-Edwards Notation", or F.E.N. It's actually readable by humans. Most computer applications nowadays can read FEN, so those of you who may want to study the position, you can copy the line of FEN and paste into your chess app and it should automatically recreate the position on its display board. Or, Windows users can just "triple click" on it and the entire line will be highlighted so you can copy and past it into your chess app.

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So that about wraps it up for this week. Chess thread tips, suggestions, bribes, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to my yahoo address: OregonMuse little-a-in-a-circle yahoo dott com.

posted by Open Blogger at 04:55 PM

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