r2q1r1k/pppbNppp/3p1P1n/2b1n1NQ/4P3/1B5P/PPP3P1/R1B2R1K w - - 0 1

Endgame of the Week (Endgame 254)

It is Black's move. Can he force a stalemate or a draw by some other means? Show your work.

5K1k/7p/6p1/6P1/7P/8/8/8 b - - 0 1

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Solutions Update

Problem 1 - White To Play

8/p1n5/1p3k2/2p2B2/8/2P2R2/Pr5r/2R3K1 w - - 0 1

Establishing a rook on your opponents 2nd rank is a good thing. Putting a second rook there is, in most cases, decisive. But in this position, White can use a discovered check to cut off the defense of the rook near his king:

1.Bc2+! Ke7

Black has no choice

2.Kxh2

And now White should win.

Problem 2 - White To Play

2rqnrk1/pp3ppp/1b1p4/3p2Q1/2n1P3/3B1P2/PB2NP1P/R5RK w - - 0 1

You can almost guess how this is going to go, what with 3 white pieces bearing down on the g7 pawn and all. But there is a bit of a hazard getting there.

1.Qxg7+!

Of course.

1...Nxg7
2.Rxg7+ Kh8

And now, the hazard. If you were White, you might be tempted to play

3.Rg5+?

Because discovered checks are tactically useful, most of the time. But not this time.

3...Nxb2!

Oops. Forgot about that knight, didn't you? So 3.Rg5 is a mistake. Also bad is 3.Rag1 because of, get this, 3...Nxb2. Instead, you should play

3.Rg8+! Kxg8

Don't worry, you have another rook available.

4.Rg1+ Qg5
5.Rxg5#

Problem 3 - White To Play

1rb1r1k1/2q1pp1p/p2p2pB/2pP4/1pP2Q2/1P1n4/P4PPP/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1

1.Qf6!

This places Black firmly on the horns of a dilemma. If he takes the queen with 1...exf6 then 2.Rxe8#. But any other move by Black results in 2.Qg7#.

Problem 4 - White To Play

OK, here's one that will prove to be quite challenging. What's best for White?

r2q1r1k/pppbNppp/3p1P1n/2b1n1NQ/4P3/1B5P/PPP3P1/R1B2R1K w - - 0 1

I futzed around with this problem for about an hour, with no success. Finally, I said the heck with it and set it up in my chess app. I felt bad for cheating, but on the other hand, the app's analysis told me I was actually on the right track. But I lost my way.

1.fxg7+ Kxg7
2.Qxh6+ Kxh6
3.Ne6+ Kh5

I had managed to get this far. Yay me. But then

4.Rf6

The threat here is 5.Rh6#. And this is the move I didn't see. I kept trying to continue the attack with checking moves such as 4.g4+ and 4.Nf4+, but the Black king kept slipping through my hands like a greased pig, and I eventually ran out of checks. But with White's rook now in play, all Black can do is throw pieces in the way to delay the mate:

4...Be3
5.Bxe3 Ng4
6.Rf5+ Kh4
7.Bg5+ Kh5
8.Nf4#

There's also a mate in 10 that I completely did not see. I suspect not many of you saw it, either:

1.Nxh7 Qxe7
2.fxg7+ Kxg7
3.Qxh6+ Kg8
4.Ng5 Qxg5
5.Qxg5+ Ng6
6.Qxg6+ Kh8
7.Bxf7 Be3
8.Bxe3 Rxf7
9.Bd4+ Rf6
10.Bxf6#

Told you it was challenging.

Endgame of the Week

5K1k/7p/6p1/6P1/7P/8/8/8 b - - 0 1

Black can't escape. He can either move 1...h6 or 1...h5:

1...h5
2.Kf7 Kh7
3.Kf6 Kg8
4.Kxg6

Ignoring the 'h' file pawns, this is a classic won position for White. Black has to move his king to either f8 or g8, and whichever one he chooses, White will take control of the queening square at g8. So:

4...Kf8
5.Kh7 Kf7
6.g6+ and wins

or

4...Kh8
5.Kf7 Kh7
6.g6+ Kh8
7.g7+ Kh7
8.g8=Q+ Kh6
9.Qg6#

So let's look at Black's other first move:

1...h6
2.h5 Kh7
3.Kf7

Again, Black has two moves, either 3...gxh5 or 3...hxg5. The first one is the easy one:

3...gxh5
4.g6+ Kh8
5.g7+ Kh7
6.g8=Q#

or:

3...hxg5
4.hxg6+ Kh6
5.g7 Kh5
6.g8=Q and wins.

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 OregonMuse at 05:20 PM

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