3r2k1/R4pp1/1p5p/4p3/6b1/1P1n2P1/P4PBP/4N1K1 w - - 0 1

Endgame of the Week (Endgame 183)

It's White to move. Can he force Black out of his defensive crouch and win, or can Black hold?

8/8/3k1K2/pP6/P7/8/8/8 w - - 0 1

A Note On Last Week's Endgame

A number of you morons raised question about my solution for the endgame last week, and I didn't have time to look into it as I had other things to attend to. So let's talk about it now. To refresh your memory, here is last week's endgame:

8/8/1p6/4pppP/7r/4k3/4P3/R3K3 w Q - 0 1

And the solution was to force an exchange of rooks which would free up White's h-pawn:

1.Ra3+ Ke4
2.Ra4+ Kd5
3.Rxh4 gxh4
4.h6 h3
5.h7 h2
6.h8=Q for the win

HOWEVER...

Anon Y. Mous, rickl, bradc, and Peter Ciarleglio each noticed that 1...Ke4 isn't forced. Black could instead move his king to f4 and then block the second check by advancing a pawn. Like so:

1.Ra3+ Kf4!
2.Ra4+ e4

And with the e4 pawn now gumming up the works, White has no clear path to victory. Indeed, I'd say it is Black who has the winning chances.

So good work, morons, and congrats to you all for discovering the flaw. I like to think it's kind of like science.

Dress Pr0n For The 'Ettes -- and the 'Rons?

From last week:

12 Maybe sundresses next week, eh?

Posted by: Soothsayer -- Fake Commenter at August 12, 2017 05:05 PM

Sun dresses and big hats.

Posted by: Colorado Alex In Exile at August 12, 2017 05:11 PM (Tnhbr)

Heh. Didn't think the 'rons would be interested. But hey, who am I to judge? So, by request:

Ha! Didn't expect that, did you? Actually, I think she looks adorable. But here are some older ladies:

Apart from the little girl in the red dress, Mrs. Muse didn't much like this batch of pics. She told me she thought they were "too showy". Maybe she's right. So it will be interesting to see if they appeal more to the 'rons than the 'ettes.

___________

Solutions Update

Problem 1 - White To Play

1r6/1p3r2/p1pR2p1/2P3p1/4k3/1PK2pPP/1P6/5R2 w - - 0 1

1.Re1+ Kf5
2.Rde6!

This is the move that may have been hard to see. White is setting up the mate next move, and there's naught Black can do about it.

2...f2

As good as any.

3.R1e5#

When I tried to solve this problem, I figured White's 2nd move had to be a "set up" move, and I thought it was 2.Kd4. Then then 2...f2 3.R1e5#. But my chess app found this line:

2...Re8

Throws the rook away, but stops the mate in 3.

3.Rxe8 Re7

Black: Hey look, I've got one more rook to throw away.

4.Rxe7 f2
5.Re5#

Problem 2 - Black To Play

6k1/4Qp2/6p1/r2p4/r1q5/B5P1/5PK1/R7 b - - 0 1

White's bishop is looking mighty vulnerable. How can Black take advantage?

1...Qe4+

Removes the defender. Black must take the Queen

2.Qxe4 dxe4

The bishop is now pinned, and will be taken.

3.Re1 Rxa3
4.Rxe4 and Black wins with a Rook advantage.

Problem 3 - White To Play

r7/pp1bpkn1/3p1rpQ/2pPq3/2P1P2R/2N5/PP2B1P1/2K4R w - - 0 1

1. Qxg7+ Kxg7

If 1...Ke8 then 2.Rh8+ Rf8 3.Qxf8#

2. Rh7+ Kg8
3. Rh8+ Kg7 (or 3...Kf7)
4. R1h7#

Problem 4 - White To Play

3r2k1/R4pp1/1p5p/4p3/6b1/1P1n2P1/P4PBP/4N1K1 w - - 0 1

1.Nxd3 Rxd3
2.Ra8+ Kh7
3.Be4+ g6
4.Bxd3

This is the published solution, White wins a rook outright. However, my chess app pointed out that Black is not forced to recapture the knight White takes on move 1:

1... Be2
2.Nb2 Rd2
3.Ra8+ Kh7
4.Be4+ f5
5.Bxf5+ g6
6.Ra7+ Kh8
7.Bxg6 Rxb2
8.Be4 Kg8
9.Bd5+ Kf8
10.Rf7+ Ke8
11.Rf6 Rxa2
12.Rxh6 Rd2
13.Be4 Rd4
14.Re6+ Kd7
15.Rxe5

So in this line, when the dust settles, White is up 3 pawns.

Endgame of the Week

8/8/3k1K2/pP6/P7/8/8/8 w - - 0 1

1.Kf5 Kd5
2.Kf4 Kd6

Black mustn't fall for 2.Kf4 Kd4 since 3. b6 wins outright.

3.Ke4 Ke6
4.Kd4 Kd6
5.Kc4 Kc7
6.Kd5!

If 6.Kc5 then 6...Kb7 7.Kd6 Kb6 8.Kd7 Kb7 and White cannot make progress.

6...Kb6
7.Kd6 Kb7
8.Kc5 Ka7

8...Kc7 9.b6+ Kb7 10.Kb5 Ka8 11.Kxa5 wins

9.Kc6 Kb8
10.Kb6 Kc8
11.Ka7

White seizes control of the queening square and wins.

Hope to see you all next week!

___________

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.

___________

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 05:02 PM

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