Showing posts with label Solve This. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solve This. Show all posts

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Sacrifice Everything

Black to move

This position is Problem 12 in Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations, 5th ed. (2014), published by Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). For the past several years, I have been enjoying the electronic edition of Anthology of Chess Combinations, 3rd ed (2005) and will continue to do so. The Anthology was part of my selection with credit that I received for placing fifth in a Chess Informant Reader's Contest (see "Best of the Best: Chess Informant Reader's Contest").

There are many benefits to electronic books. They are light weight and require minimal storage space. The electronic edition of Anthology of Chess Combinations includes a "solver's kit"--a software interface with search capabilities and other features. Solving positions onscreen makes using the Anthology simple. See my review at "Anthology of Chess Combinations".

Print books still have their merits in this electronic age. With a pencil, I can track how I did on each problem and when I solved it (or failed). If I put the book away for a couple of months, my bookmark will remain in place and I can resume where I left off. In my review of the Anthology, I noted that tracking completed problems was the most important feature absent from the software.

The Encyclopedia, 5th edition adds approximately 300 problems over the total in the Anthology, 3rd edition. The organization of problems has changed somewhat. Morphy's famous queen sacrifice (see "Morphy's Immortal") was the first problem in the electronic edition of the Anthology and appears as number 191 (the first of the advanced in the annihilation of defense section) in the Encyclopedia.

I ordered the Encyclopedia last week and qualified for free shipping because I added the Informants missing from my collection. It arrived yesterday. I am happy!

I correctly solved the problem in this post in two or three minutes.

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Manual of Chess Combinations

In January, a young woman showed up at a youth chess tournament that I was running with an interesting book of chess combinations. She told me that this book had been recommended by her coach, who is a Russian master.* She also said that she was working her way through the book and finding many challenging problems that demanded creative and flexible thinking.

I looked up the book on Amazon and added it to my wish list. It is Sergey Ivashchenko, The Manual of Chess Combinations, vol. II (Russian Chess House, 2002).

I almost bought the book that day, but I waffled because I was also planning to buy the Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations, 5th edition (Chess Informant, 2014). At the 23rd Dave Collyer Memorial Chess Tournament, a used copy of Ivashchenko's was among the books that IM John Donaldson brought to sell. It was $10. I grabbed it instantly while he was still unboxing the other books.

Ivashchenko claims that this book is designed to lift players from 1600-1700 up to 2200 or higher. Hence, in theory, I should be able to work through the first two or three sections rather quickly, and then find more challenging problems. Indeed, I have solved a few of the early problems in two minutes or less. Nonetheless, a couple have proven more difficult.

After five minutes with Problem 15, I worked out the idea and verified that it would succeed, but I missed a nuance in Black's defense and so did not have the whole sequence correct.

White to move




*The young woman has been playing in my youth tournaments since fourth or fifth grade. She is now a high school senior. When she was in middle school, I coached her for a month or so to prepare her for the Idaho Girls State Championship, where she tied for first. She now plays as well as a solid A Class player, albeit with a much lower rating. I was happy that I was not paired against her in the Collyer. If she keeps playing chess through college, she will become a master.

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The Critical Position

This position comes from my round two game against Bob Rajala in the 23rd annual Collyer Memorial. He played a Caro-Kann, and I struggled to find an advantage. We reached a position where I thought that I could be in trouble with a single inaccuracy.

Black to move

Bob played 28...Qg6, much to my relief. I exchanged my rook for his bishop and knight, and ten moves later he resigned.

I expected, and he had planned, 28...Qg5!

Should I play 29.g3 or 29.g4?

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Calculation

Working through a random set of combinations from the Anthology of Chess Combinations, third edition, I find that I need the patience to slow down and improve the accuracy of my calculations. Too much blitz and timed tactics solving has cultivated an expectation that I should see things instantly.

This position is a case in point. I found the correct key (first move), the correct idea, and saw clearly and correctly the final position. However, I missed the second move of the sequence.

White to move

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Problem Solving Contest

At today's Groundhog's Shadow youth chess tournament, participants may attempt to win a chess book. One entry will be drawn from all those that submit answer sheets with all the answers correct.

Begin with the endgame if you want to become a strong chess player. Assess each of the following diagrams as two positions: a) White to move, and b) Black to move. Indicate on your answer sheet whether the side to move should win (W), draw (D), or lose (L) with best play by both sides. Give the best move for each position.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Endgame Puzzle

Can White win this position?

White to move

Several days ago, this position was posted on a Chess.com fan page on Facebook.

My first winning try against Stockfish was grounded in shallow analysis: 1.Be7.

I wanted to transfer the bishop to f6 or f8 and then play h6-h7. Alternately, I might find a way to advance the f-pawn. This plan might might work if Black tries harassment from the side. 1...Rc7?? 2.Bf8 Kg8 3.Ke6 Rc1 4.Bd6 Rg1 5.f5+-.

However, after 1...Rg2 2.Bh4 Rg1 3.Bf6 Rh1, I realized I needed a new plan.

1.Kg4! seems a better try. 1...Rg2+ 2.Kh4 Rf2 3.Kg3 Rf1 4.Kg2 Rc1 5.Bf6 Kg8 and now what?

White to move

I could not find a way to make progress.


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Elementary Rook Ending

In this diagram, if it is White's move, it is an elementary Lucena Position. But what if is is Black's move?

Black to move

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Mate in Ten

In the International Chess Tournament, London 1851, Adolf Anderssen prevailed over all of his opponents. Through play of casual games, he and József Szén determined that one of the two of them would win the event. The two met in the second round, which Anderssen won 4-2. This position occurred in the fourth game of their match. Anderssen won the game with a strong attack on Szén's king. However, his play was far from perfect.

Anderssen missed a forced checkmate in ten moves.

Black to move

It should not come as a surprise that this position is one of two from this game that appears in the "Essential Middlegame Knowledge" section of Rashid Ziyatdinov, GM-RAM: Essential Grandmaster Chess Knowledge (2000).

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Sacrificial Attack

In keeping with the theme of the name of the tournament, today's Solstice Sacrifice youth chess tournament has a problem solving contest concerning a sacrificial attack. In this case, all six positions are theoretical positions that might have occurred, but did not, in Mayet -- Anderssen, 1851.

Black has a winning sequence from each position.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Defend Well

White has gained two pawns through Black's short-sighted plan. But, now Black's attack looks serious. How does White maintain maintain the advantage?

White to move

White played bxc4 and lost quickly.

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Forcing Checkmate

White to move

It is checkmate in five from this position. My opponent missed a delaying move, so I was able to mate in four.

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Decoy

I found all the elements of this combination, except the first move. It had been among my candidates, but somehow I dismissed it without clear analysis.

White to play

The position appears in the Anthology of Chess Combinations, third edition (2005). It is from the game Sokolsky -- Koifman, 1948.
Detail: Decoy

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Problems with Knights

These six chess problems all feature knights in a critical role. They were assembled as a problem solving contest for the Black Knight's Joust, a youth chess tournament that I am directing today. All entries with six correct answers submitted before the start of the last round become eligible to win a prize.

At the King's Clash two weeks ago, the solution to all six problems was the move of a king. One entry had six correct answers. The young player won a book.

The knight's move may not be the first in the winning combination. It is often the last.

The first two are from Gioachino Greco, c.1623. Number three is based on one in several problem books. Number four come from a game won by Lionel Kieseritzky in 1842. The fifth, from Horwitz--Bledow (1837), contains a common idea that can arise in the opening. Problem number six is from the 21st match game between Louis-Charles de la Bourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell (1834).


Black moves first

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Knockout Blow

Too much online chess at short time controls makes a player sloppy. I missed the strongest move here, although it was still there a move later when I found it.

White to move

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Painful Memory

In 2005, I was playing an underrated elementary age youth late at night at the Spokane Chess Club. It was part of one of our summer quad events. A critical position was reached when he played 21.bxc3 and offered a draw. I was down an exchange plus a pawn.

Black to move

The next morning I awoke from a deep sleep at about 3:00 am and immediatly set up the game in Fritz. I required less than five minutes to demonstrate what I should have seen several hours earlier.

What did I learn in my sleep?

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Opportunity

When a tactical opportunity presents itself, seize it. Perhaps Black thought that he won a pawn with 33...Nxf2. This position arose in Miroshnichenko -- Rychagov, Sochi 2005. I found the game while exploring options for Black in the Catalan after 6.Qc2 dxc4 7.Nbd2, which scores very well for White.

White to move

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Knight Forks

When I get a new copy of Chess Informant, I play through all of the games published therein that are classified C00-C19. These are the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) classifications for the French Defense.* New on my computer are the download versions of CI 119, CI 120, and CI 121. These electronic publications are in ChessBase format.

This morning I glanced through an excellent instructive article on pawn endings in Informant 120, "Precision" by Eduardas Rozentalis. Then I started working through the French Defense games. Naturally, the tactics in these games are instructive.

The position below appears in the notes to CI 120/100 Solak -- Bartel, Yerevan 2014.

White to move

The correct move in this position is the final one in Solak's annotations. He leaves the reader to work out why it is a winning move.

I may use this position with some of my students next week. After White's move and an obvious looking subpar response by Black, a position is reached that may be useful with some of my beginning students.


*ECO Code is a trademark of Chess Informant.

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Slaying Blind Pigs

My low rated opponent opponent threatened a draw by repetition with his blind pigs. I was happy to find the antidote in this blitz game.

White to move

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Compensation

Does White have compensation for the sacrificed pawn? How should Black proceed?

Black to move

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Sacrificial Breakthrough?

In the final round of the Spokane Falls Open, I was paired against an underrated child. Alex has been one of the strongest local scholastic players through the past two years, winning or finishing near the top of the K-12 section in nearly every event through third and fourth grade. This summer, he spent two weeks at a premier youth chess camp in California. It had a dramatic effect on his play! Now, he will be finishing near the top of our local open events. His rating going into the weekend's event was mid-1200s. (Edit: now that the event is rated, we know that he gained over 250 Elo, rising to 1515--still grossly underrated.)

I was strategically lost after a few moves, but my young opponent could not find the knockout blow. Rather, we reached a minor piece ending in which my two knights may have offered better chances than his knight and bishop. After I turned down his offer of a draw, he built a fortress.

Black to move

I spent about six minutes in this position contemplating 43...Nxa3. Would a sacrifice of a knight for two pawns destroy my opponent's fortress and give me the edge. I was not certain and opted for 43...Nb2 instead.

I let this knight become trapped in order to liquidate White's kingside pawns. After trading my other knight for his knight and removing his last pawn except for the useless a-pawn (the bishop operates on the wrong color squares), we agreed to a draw.
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