5k2/5p2/2K2P2/p3Q3/1q5p/1P4p1/P7/5n2 w - - 0 1

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Solutions Update

Problem 1 - Black To Play

4k3/3p1pp1/p2Pp3/1pr2n2/5P2/1PP2qPK/P2B4/5RQ1 b - - 0 1

1...Ne3!

And now it's impossible to defend against Rh5#, for example:

2.Bxe3 Rh5#

-or-

2.Qxe3 Rh5#

-or-

2.Rxf3 Rh5#

Either the knight or the queen is sufficient to keep the White king from escaping. White can capture one or the other, but not both.

Problem 2 - White To Play

5b1k/5n2/4P1K1/6B1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1

There are basically two major branches on this decision tree. White's first move can either be 1.Bf6+ or 1.exf7+.

1.Bf6+ Bg7 (not 1...Kg8 2.exf7#)
2.Bxg7+ Kg8
3.exf7#

The second branch is:

1.exf7 Bh6
2.Bf6+ Bg7
3.Bxg7# (or 3.f8=Q#)

Or, instead of 1...Bh6, Black can play 1...Bg7, in which case

2.Bf6 Bxf6
3.f8=Q#

Problem 3 - White To Play

Karjakin

2R5/4bppk/1p1p4/5R1P/4PQ2/5P2/r4q1P/7K w - - 0 50
Carlsen
After 49...Kh7

So, Carlson's killer combination starts with:

50.Qh6!

At this point, Karjakin resigned, and the match was over. But play might have continued

50...Kxh6
51.Rh8#

or, alternately:

50...gxh6
51.Rxf7#

Either way, Karjakin's goose was cooked in 2. A nifty little combo by Carlsen.

When I first saw this game, and how it ended, I wondered about why Karjakin played 49...Kh7, because it seemed like an obvious loser to me. If I were confronted with this position in one of my games, I most likely would've gone with 50...Bf8. Why? Because just *looks* like a better move to me. Of course, Karjakin didn't get to within a hair's breadth of the world championship by listening to me tell him how to play the game, so what do I know?

Karjakin

2R2bk1/5pp1/1p1p4/5R1P/4PQ2/5P2/r4q1P/7K w - - 0 50
Carlsen
After 49...Bf8

As it turns out, if Karjakin had chosen 49...Bf8, Carlsen could have mated him in 7:

50.Rxf8+ Kxf8
51.Rxf7+ Ke8

if 51...Kg8, then 52.Rf8+ Kh7 53.Qf5+ Kh6 (53...g6 54.Qxg6#) 54.Qg6#

52.Rf8+ Kd7
53.Qf7+ Kc6
54.Rc8+ Kb5
55.Qc4+ Ka5
56.Ra8#

I'm guessing Karjakin most likely saw this line and rejected it. But the path he chose instead was brutally short. This line seems to have more "play" in it, even though it's ultimately a loser. And if you feed this position to your chess app and have it play Black, this is the line it will choose.

Problem 4 - White To Play

5k2/5p2/2K2P2/p3Q3/1q5p/1P4p1/P7/5n2 w - - 0 1

The Black queen is precariously placed. It has to protect against White's queen delivering mate by moving to b8. So all White has to do is give it a little nudge.

1.a3! Qxb3

The best of a bad lot. If 1...Qxa3 then 2.Qb8# or if 1...Qd2 then 2.Qb8+ Qd8 3.Qxd8#

But White can't be stopped.

2.Qc5+ Kg8

Not 2...Ke8? 3.Qe7#

3.Qg5+ Kf8 (or 3...Kh8 4.Qg7#)
4.Qg7+ Ke8
5.Qg8#

An alternate path to mate instead of 4.Qg7+ is

4.Qh6+ Ke8
5.Qh8#

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 OregonMuse at 04:55 PM

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