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February 03, 2018
Mini Chess Thread 02-03-2018
Pic Note
Chess cartoon stolen from the book The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War.
Blog Note
I have no idea what happened to the Pet Thread, which usually has appeared by now. I can see it in the queue, but I don't want to publish it since it's not mine. So hopefully it will be up later.
Easier Problem - White To Play (619)
This is a famous problem. I may have used it on the chess thread before. If yoiu know the answer, don't blurt out it -- let the n00bs figure it out for themselves. It's quite clever. Fun fact: this problem is attributed to Paul Morphy, although the evidence for this is slim. We just close our eyes and pretend.
Hint: Restrict Black's movements even further
kbK5/pp6/1P6/8/8/8/8/R7 w - - 0 1
More Challenging Problem - White To Play (615)
Hint: Ignore the pin and counterattack
k7/3N4/8/B2P4/KQr1Rp2/4n1b1/8/2q5 w - - 0 1
Dress Pr0n
The Rain It Raineth Every Day, 1906Leonard Campbell Taylor (1874-1969)
From 1929:
(h/t
Ephemeral Elegance)
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Solutions Update
Easier Problem - White To Play
kbK5/pp6/1P6/8/8/8/8/R7 w - - 0 1
Mate in 2:
1.Ra6!
Black is pretty much hamstrung. His bishop can't move. If it does, then kaboom: 2.Rxa7#. The only other move is
1...bxa6
Which allows White to push his pawn.
2.b7#
More Challenging Problem - White To Play
k7/3N4/8/B2P4/KQr1Rp2/4n1b1/8/2q5 w - - 0 1
White mates in 8 moves.
You might be tempted to play 1.Rxc4, hoping for 1...Nxc4 2.Qf8+ Kb7 3.Qb8+ Ka6 4.Nc5#, but Black could instead play 1...Qxc4 and after 2.Qxc4 Nxc4, the position is starting to look quite drawish.
So instead, White should play:
1.Re8+! Ka7
2.Bb6+ Ka6
3.Nc5+ Rxc5
4.Ra8+ Kb7
There are two possible moves for White here, 5.Ba7+ or 5.Bc7+
If 5.Ba7+ then
5...Kc7 (or 5...Rb5 6.Qxb5+ Kc7 7.Qb8+ Kd7 8.Qd8#)
6.Qb6+ Kd7
7.Qe6+ Kc7
8.Qe7#
The other main branch of the decision tree is 5.Bc7
5.Bc7+ Rb5 (if 5...Kxc7 then 6.Qb6+ Kd7 7.Qd8#)
6.Qxb5+ Kxc7
7.Qb8+ Kd7
8.Qd8#
Hope to see you all again 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
04:38 PM
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