7k/7p/1Rp2np1/1p6/5q2/7P/6P1/Q6K w - - 0 1

Dress Pr0n For The 'Ettes:

Great chat with Anne from @atlasobscura about the #19thc use of pina fibres in fashion, fine white fibres of the pineapple leaf. The cloth is still produced in the Philippines. The lustre produced is visible in this #1860s dress interspersed with lilac satin stripes @metmuseum pic.twitter.com/DPp6Td3NWu

— Dr Kate Strasdin (@kateStrasdin) September 8, 2018

Greetings From Bulgaria

___________

Solutions Update

Easier Problem - White To Play

B1k2K2/1N1p4/p2Q4/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1

This is the forced line, a win in 2:

1.Na5 Kd8
2.Qb8#

Which, much to my embarrassment, I didn't find. My app did. I thought the answer was

1.Qb6 d6
2.Qd8#

But I had overlooked 1...Kb8 2.Nd6+ Kxa8 3.Qb7#

Which is still a win, but one move longer than the fastest.

More Challenging Problem - White To Play

7k/7p/1Rp2np1/1p6/5q2/7P/6P1/Q6K w - - 0 1

1.Rb7 c5
2.Rf7 Qd4

Nothing can stop the killer move Rf7. If 1...Kg8 then 2.Qa8+ Ne8 3.Qxe8+ Qf8 and either 4.Qxf8+ Kxf8 with a won endgame for White.

3.Qxd4 cxd4
4.Rxf6 and wins

Or there's a forced mate, but it's a ways out: 4.Qe6+ Kh8 5.Qe5+ Kg8 6. Qc7 Qf1+ 7.Kh2 Qf6 8.Qxh7+ Kf8 9.Rb8+ Qd8 10.Rxd8#

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 paste 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 05:17 PM

| Access Comments