FIDE has revealed their latest deterrent against OTB cheating.
Nine sniffer dogs that have been trained to detect electrical devices.
A FIDO...sorry FIDE spokesman said ; “We have unleashed these dogs in the hope
we collar players who have been cheating and can and finally muzzle this problem.”
The dogs are named. Rin Ding Ding, Scoobie Roo, Bobby, Barkvinik, Woofalov, Pet....
Enough with the dog jokes..................Russ
Back to three normal puzzles this week. All are ‘White to Play and Win.’
Clue:
Give up a Rook taking back with check and win the b3 Rook.
Clue:
The first move is easy. The last two moves are Nc3 and Nf3.
Clue:
I see two unprotected Black pieces.
Solutions at the bottom
I recently had cause to dive into this book looking for an old game. A good book
this one. Harding and Heidenfeld choose some excellent games as examples
I found what I was looking but by chance stumbled upon this note
These are suggested White replies too two Black moves in this position.
Black has three passed central pawns for the piece.
I think we can dispense with 16...c4? 17. Bxc4 dxc4 18.Nxc4 BQ anywhere and 19.Nd6+
That variation is an obvious White plus. 16....0-0 is a bit tougher because it is not all that
clear that the Classic Bishop Sac on h7 is going to work. There is a ratty move in there.
We will go the whole game to lead up to the critical position.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 {The Classical French.} 4. e5 {This or 4.Bg5 are the most popular replies.} 4... Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 {A well known position in the opening manuals. Usually now it's 8...a6 or 8...Be7.} 7... Qb6 {But this move pops up from time to time.} 8. Na4 Qa5+ 9. c3 cxd4 10. b4 Nxb4 {Now it is game on. Black picks up three pawns for the piece.} 11. cxb4 Bxb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 {So far so forced. We now get to the interesting position.} 13... b6 14. Bd3 Nc5 15. Nxc5 bxc5 16. O-O {16...g6 is given as the best move in the book.} 16... O-O {Now we look at the sacrifice.} 17. Bxh7+ Kxh7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Nf3 {With the clear threat of Ng5.} 19... g6 {The defence will be based on Qc7 moving the f7 and g7 pawns.} 20. Qh6 {Looks OK so when the f7 pawn moves White will have Qxg6+} 20... Qc7 {Now 21.Ng5 f6 22.Qxg6+ Qg7 or 21...exf6 Rxf6 do not seem to work.} 21. Nxd4 {But this move is very promising.} 21... cxd4 22. Rf3 {22...f6 23 Rg3 is good for White, practically a forced win however this next move....} 22... Qc3 {..is the ratty move I mentioned. Black has Rook, Bishop and rolling pawns for a Queen.} 23. Rxc3 dxc3 24. h4 {What to do is not panic, White can still cause mayhem.} 24... Rb8 25. h5 c2 {Do not panic, everything is under control. Can you see the neat game saving trick shot.} 26. hxg6 Rb1+ {Don't panic.} 27. Kh2 {Better than 27.Kf2., you will see why in a moment, now Black has to stop Qh7 mate.} 27... fxg6 28. Qxg6+ Kh8 29. Rxb1 cxb1=Q 30. Qxb1 {I told you everything was under control.} 30... Rxf4 {If White has played 27.Kf2 this move would have been a check.} 31. Qb8 Rc4 32. Qxa7 {White is winning. Black cannot get that Bishop into the game and the a-pawn will romp home.}
Let us look at most of an RHP game where White gets in Nd6+ in a French Defense.
I say ‘most of a game’ because I take over to wrap it up. I do it a more instructively.
tmarescalco - jansax RHP 2006
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nf3 {5.f4 is top choice but how can anyone argue against a developing move.} 5... c5 {6.dxc5 is mainline and goes into a completely different game.} 6. Bg5 {This turns out great but only because Black allows it too. Black should play 7...Qb6.} 6... Be7 {Allowing the French Bishop to be chopped off. and the square d6 lights up as a Knight outpost.} 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Nb5 {Now we see why 6...Be7 was such a faulty choice. d6 and c7 hang.} 8... Na6 9. Nd6+ {An uncastled King and a monster steed on d6. It is looking grim.} 9... Kf8 10. Bxa6 bxa6 11. c3 {I'd have gone for 0-0 and then cook up an attack. But nothing is wrong with this move.} 11... h5 {Looking at getting the h8 Rook into the game.} 12. Qa4 {Again I'd have castled but we now see the idea behind c3.} 12... Nb6 13. Qa3 Nc4 {Black wants to get rid of that d6 Knight but this is a mistaken plan.} 14. Qxc5 Nxd6 15. exd6 {Black now realises 15...Qd7 meets 16.Ne5.} 15... Qb7 16. d7+ Kg8 {The game is over. White played 17.d8=Q= and it was utter carnage. I'd have played....} 17. Qf8+ {17...Kxf8 18.d8=Q mate. White can win this without the extra Queen.} 17... Kh7 18. Ng5+ Kg6 19. Qxf7+ {You do need the Knight either} 19... Kxg5 20. Qxg7+ Kf5 21. h4 {The King is in a mating net.} 21... Qxd7 {Nothing will stop the coming mate.} 22. Qg5+ Ke4 23. Qe5+ Kd3 24. Qe2 {Checkmate.}
FEN
5k2/8/8/8/2K5/pr2r3/4R3/2R5 w - - 0 1
[FEN "5k2/8/8/8/2K5/pr2r3/4R3/2R5 w - - 0 1"] 1. Rf1+ {If 1...King onto the e-file then 2.Rf-e1 Rxe2 3.Rxe2+ and Kxb3} 1... Kg7 {Black avoids for as long as possible the pattern from the previous note.} 2. Rg2+ Kh6 3. Rh1+ Rh3 {Only move.} 4. Rgh2 {White comes out of this a Rook up. The a-pawn is not a threat. In fact if it was not there this would be a draw.} 4... Rc3+ 5. Kb4 Rb3+ 6. Ka4 {No more checks, one last try.} 6... a2 7. Rxh3+ Rxh3 8. Rxh3+ Kg5 9. Ra3 {White Wins.} *
FEN
r2qkb1r/pppb2pp/2np1n2/5pN1/2BQP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQk - 0 1
[FEN "r2qkb1r/pppb2pp/2np1n2/5pN1/2BQP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1B1K2R w KQk - 0 1"] 1. Bf7+ Ke7 2. Qxf6+ {Hopefully you saw this one. I gave a you a good clue. If now 2...gxf6 then 3.Nd5 checkmate.} 2... Kxf6 {We are now in 'only move' territory so pretty easy to calculate.} 3. Nd5+ Ke5 4. Nf3+ Kxe4 5. Nc3 {Checkmate.} *
FEN
1q6/4p1k1/4r1p1/6P1/5R2/P4Q2/KP4P1/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "1q6/4p1k1/4r1p1/6P1/5R2/P4Q2/KP4P1/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Rf7+ {An awkward first move because it seems to go nowhere.} 1... Kg8 {Now which undefended Black piece do you go for.} 2. Qh3 {Threatening mate with Qh7 so Black's reply is forced.} 2... Kxf7 3. Qh7+ Ke8 {Now you should see the target. The Black Queen is going to be skewered.} 4. Qg8+ Kd7 5. Qxb8
