This weeks puzzle (last week puzzle was the jig-saw)
J. Granda Zuniga - I Ibragimov, US Open, Los Angeles 2003
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
White to play and....?
A clue? OK.
trade down to a won ending
J. Granda Zuniga - I Ibragimov 2003.
FEN
5bk1/5qp1/6Q1/4r3/P1p1N3/7P/2B2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 43
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1.
Qh7
Kxh7
2.
Ng5
Kg8
3.
Bh7
Kh8
4.
Nxf7
Kxh7
5.
Nxe5
c3
6.
a5
c2
7.
Nd3
Bb4
8.
a6
Bc5
9.
Kf1
Kg6
10.
Ke2
Kf5
11.
Kd2
c1=Q
12.
Kxc1
Ba7
13.
Kd2
0
[FEN "5bk1/5qp1/6Q1/4r3/P1p1N3/7P/2B2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 43"] 43. Qh7+ {This sets it all up wonderfully.} 43... Kxh7 44. Ng5+ Kg8 {Kh8 or Kh6 then Nf7+ and NxR White is a piece up.} 45. Bh7+ {Full credit to White for looking at all the checks past the Queen sac.} 45... Kh8 46. Nxf7+ Kxh7 47. Nxe5 {White wins the ending. We play on for a few moves.} 47... c3 48. a5 c2 49. Nd3 Bb4 {White does not play NxB. That would lose.} 50. a6 Bc5 {Again White does not play NxB. That would lose.} 51. Kf1 Kg6 52. Ke2 Kf5 53. Kd2 c1=Q+ 54. Kxc1 Ba7 55. Kd2 {Now it is an easy win.}
Private Eye April 2024
I never gave you a puzzle last time out so this time you are getting two!
This one I reckon is a wee bit easier and I am going to give you a huge clue.
Composed by J. Hasek in 1929
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
White to play and win. The clue is in this variation.
FEN
4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1.
Kc5
f5
2.
Bb5
Kd8
+1
[FEN "4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kc5 {This is not the solution this is a variation to give you ideas.} 1... f5 {If Black does not play this then 2.Kd6 forces a mate.} 2. Bb5+ Kd8 {3. Ra8+ Ke7 or 3.Kd6 then Rf6+ so the clue is to solve it is to prevent Rf6.}
FEN
4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1.
Bf5
gxf5
2.
Kc5
f6
3.
Kd6
Rg8
4.
Ke6
Kf8
5.
Kxf6
+1
[FEN "4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Bf5 {The Bishop has to be taken. and Black can never get the f7 pawn to f5 for Rf6+} 1... gxf5 2. Kc5 {The usual prime tactic in Rook endings, the skewer wins the study.} 2... f6 {2...Kd8 3.Kd6 wins.} 3. Kd6 {The pretty part being 3...Rf7 blocks a flight square. 4.Ra8 mate.} 3... Rg8 4. Ke6 {And black is either checkmated or drops the Rook to a skewer.} 4... Kf8 5. Kxf6
About a month ago I was showing the kids I coach good things you can do
with Knights. Amongst the examples I demonstrated was the following game
from the Traxler or the Wilkes Barre variation of the Two Knights Defence.
I skipped though all the theory and variations and just headed for the instructive
position and the Knight mate. I only used the game because I like to show how these
positions came about and they are from actual games. Not positions I've made up.
A week later some of them played in an Allegro, they all tried the Traxler...and lost.
This is the game I showed the kids with the Knight mate.
J Cesena - J Dyke, San Francisco 1979 (do not show kids this game.)
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1.
e4
e5
2.
Nf3
Nc6
3.
Bc4
Nf6
4.
Ng5
Bc5
5.
Nxf7
Bxf2
6.
Kf1
Qe7
7.
Nxh8
d5
8.
exd5
Bg4
9.
Be2
Bxe2
10.
Qxe2
Nd4
11.
Qxf2
O-O-O
12.
c3
Rf8
13.
cxd4
Ng4
14.
Qxf8
Qxf8
15.
Ke1
Qf2
16.
Kd1
exd4
17.
Re1
d3
18.
h3
Qf3
19.
gxf3
Nf2
0
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 {The Traxler. Do not go into this unless you are drenched in its theory.} 5. Nxf7 {White usually plays 5.Bxf7+ it is deemed better and tamer than 5.Nxf7.} 5... Bxf2+ {At the moment the fashion is not to take this. But White can play 6.Kxf2.} 6. Kf1 {There is a lot of theory to memorise in both this move and 6.Kxf7.} 6... Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. exd5 Bg4 {It was around here the kids started to forget what do next.} 9. Be2 Bxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qxf2 O-O-O 12. c3 {All the kids games that got this far saw 12.d3 and Black lost the lot.} 12... Rf8 13. cxd4 Ng4 14. Qxf8+ Qxf8+ {Black has bought an expensive Queen. But White is undeveloped.} 15. Ke1 Qf2+ {The Queen and Knight are always a formidable attacking duo.} 16. Kd1 exd4 {Care is still needed White should start untangling with 17.b3} 17. Re1 {This natural move is a big blunder. Now Black wins by force.} 17... d3 {Can you see the threat.} 18. h3 {Some books give 18. Nc3 as being played here.} 18... Qf3+ 19. gxf3 Nf2 {Their wee eyes sparkled with delight. I had created a roomful of monsters}
A Red Hot Pawn game with the Traxler and the 6.Kf1 variation.
Grumms - mookid RHP 2014
8
a
7
b
6
c
5
d
4
e
3
f
2
g
1
h
1.
e4
e5
2.
Nf3
Nc6
3.
Bc4
Nf6
4.
Ng5
Bc5
5.
Nxf7
Bxf2
6.
Kf1
Qe7
7.
Nxh8
d5
8.
exd5
Bg4
9.
Be2
Bxe2
10.
Qxe2
Nd4
11.
Qxf2
O-O-O
12.
Ng6
hxg6
13.
Na3
Ne4
14.
Qe3
Rf8
15.
Ke1
Qh4
16.
g3
Qg4
17.
d3
Nf2
18.
Bd2
Nxh1
0
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 {White's safest line is 5.Bxf7+ Kf8 6. Bb3 or 6. Bd5 but there is a lot of theory to both.} 5. Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 {6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ and another chunk of theory to memorise.} 6... Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. exd5 Bg4 {From here OTB Black has a good score.} 9. Be2 Bxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qxf2 O-O-O {Here Beliavksky give 12.b3! with the idea of 12...Ng4 13.Ba3.} 12. Ng6 {Pointless. You want Black to waste a move taking this Knight on h8.} 12... hxg6 13. Na3 {13.Nc3 looks better but it is looking dodgy for White.} 13... Ne4 14. Qe3 Rf8+ 15. Ke1 {15. Kg1 was better but Black still has all the winning chances.} 15... Qh4+ 16. g3 {Now 16...Nxg3 and it is all over.} 16... Qg4 {This is OK the win is not far off.} 17. d3 {17....Rf2 with Re2+ coming and it is 0-1.} 17... Nf2 {Threatening Qd1 mate. 18. Kd2 and Black still has work to do.} 18. Bd2 Nxh1 {18...Rf3 put the boot in but White had seen enough and resigned.}
Had a few days holiday touring the Scottish West Coast Islands.
Despite my relaxed nautical disposition I never strayed far from the lifeboat
and made it a point to mingle with those who looked like strong swimmers.
