6rk/pp1n3q/2n5/2PQPr2/4N3/5p1P/PPP2PP1/R2R2K1 b - - 0 1

Endgame of the Week (451)

It's White's move. Can he do anything about that passed pawn on the h-file?

k7/4p3/4p2p/pP6/P3p3/5p2/1K1P1P2/8 w - - 0 1

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Solutions Update

Problem 1 - Black To Play

2q3k1/5pp1/5b2/2p5/1p1r1B2/1P4Pp/2P2P1P/1Q3RK1 b - - 0 1

1...Rxf4!

White's bishop really isn't protected by the pawn on g3. Because if 2.gxf4 then Qg4+ 3.Kh1 Qg2#

And if you saw this, consider the problem solved. Extra credit if you explored how Black could continue the attack. You might have seen that White is forced to do something like

2.f3

This clogs up the a8-h1 diagonal and protects g2, which, thanks to the pawn on h3, is a yuuge weakness for White. But even with this defense, White's game quickly falls apart. A typical continuation might be something like:

2...Bd4+
3.Kh1 Qc6
4.gxf4 Qg6

Threatening Qg2#. The rook sac on the previous move opened up the g-file to make this threat possible. But White can still fight.

5.Rg1 Bxg1
6.Qxg1 Qxc2
7.Qf1 Qg2+
8.Qxg2 hxg2+
9.Kxg2 c4
10.bxc4 b3

And the pawn cannot be stopped. But you didn't need to see all of this in order to solve the problem. If you saw that Black wins the bishop, that's good enough.

Problem 2 - Black To Play

1r4k1/2p2ppp/5n2/4b3/1q1n2P1/1P1B3P/N1PB2Q1/2KR3R b - - 0 1

1...Nxb3+
2.cxb3

Or 2.Kb1 Nxd2+ 3.Kc1 Bb2#

2...Qa3+
3.Kc2 Qb2#

Or, this completely other line found by moron commenter rickl also works:

1...Ne2+ 2.Kb1

If 2.Qxe2 or 2.Bxe2 then 2...Qa3+ 3.Kb1 Qb2#

2...Qxb3+
3.cxb3 Rxb3+
4.Kc2 Rb2#

Problem 3- White To Play

r1b1rk2/pp6/1n4Q1/4q3/7R/8/PPP2P2/1K1R4 w - - 0 1

1.Rh7!

Threatening Qf7#

1...Be6

Completely inadequate is 1...Qe6 2.Qg7#

1...Re7 is not much better: 2.Rd8+ Re8 3.Qf7#

2.Qh6+ Kg8
3.Rg1+ Qg3
4.Rxg3+ Bg4
5.Rxg4#

Or 5.Qg7# works just as well.

Problem 4 - Black To Play

6rk/pp1n3q/2n5/2PQPr2/4N3/5p1P/PPP2PP1/R2R2K1 b - - 0 1

Sometimes, you just have to bust up the position. Like this:

1...Rxg2+!

To which White only has two responses.

2.Kf1

If 2.Kh1?? then Qxh3#

2...Rg1+

Not good enough is 2...Qxh3 3.Ke1 Qh1+ 4.Kd2 and White escapes.

3.Kxg1 Qxh3

And now the threat Qg2# is unstoppable. All White can do is throw nuisance checks, hoping he can make something happen. Sometimes this can work -- but not this time:

4.Qg8+ Kxg8
5.Nf6+ Rxf6
6.exf6 Qg2#

Endgame of the Week

k7/4p3/4p2p/pP6/P3p3/5p2/1K1P1P2/8 w - - 0 1

1. Kc3 e5!

Black's pawn is not fast enough to escape: 1...h5 2.Kd4 h4 3.Kxe4 h3 4.Kxf3 h2 5.Kg2 and wins. So Black's move is an attempt to throw up an impassible obstacle.

2.Kc4 e6
3.Kc5 h5
4.Kd6 Kb7

Black's king was in danger of being trapped, i.e. 4...h4 5.Kc7 h3 6.b6 h2 7.b7+ Ka7
8.b8=Q+ Ka6 9.Qb6#

5.Kxe5 and wins

Be careful to take the right pawn. If 5.Kxe6 then h4 6.Kf5 h3 and Black's pawn can't be caught.

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 05:05 PM

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