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Date: 17 Apr 2005 22:47:01
From:
Subject: This chess problem shouldn't have been included in this new release
I recently purchased Beat the Grandmasters by Christian Kongsted by
Gambit Press publications. This book consists of 351 puzzles of
various complexity and asks the reader to figure out the correct move
that results in a winning position that may or may not lead to
checkmate.

Here's the position:

r1bq1rk1/1pR2n1p/p2p4/1B1P1p2/3QpPpN/4P1P1/PP4KP/2R5 w - - 0 1

It's White to move. Now, I didn't cheat by looking at the solution
after I've been stumped trying to solve this puzzle. The problem is
the wording just below the diagram "White has a strong initiative. How
can he exploit his advantage?" and it's on page 9, puzzle number 5.

My problem with this puzzle is that the solution backfires on the
reader. I've been testing this on Junior 9 and although I make the
correct move for White...1.Rxc8!, sacrificing the exchange to
eliminate the light squared bishop controlling the h3 - c8
diagonal...Junior 9's response was the stunning 1...Qc8!?, which
nearly had me fall off the chair when I saw this.

It's a stunning move because it continues to protect the vulnerable f5
square which forces me to further exchange the rook for the queen to
eliminate it's defensive role in protecting the f5 square. The problem
here is...unless I withdraw the bishop hanging on b5, the best I can
get is..a perpetual! Otherwise if I insist on trying to go for the
mate...Black gets to mate me first because my White king is surrounded
by Black's pawns.

So do you think this puzzle was a valid one to include in this
collection? Based on my problem of trying to checkmate Black
here...and seeing the hidden resources Black has...I think this puzzle
wasn't worked out carefully enough with computer analyis to ensure its
inclusion in this puzzle collection. It's a great brain teaser...but I
think this one wasn't proof checked before putting it in. Any ideas on
this?




 
Date: 18 Apr 2005 11:05:14
From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Claus-J=FCrgen_Heigl?=
Subject: Re: This chess problem shouldn't have been included in this new release
[email protected] wrote:
>
> r1bq1rk1/1pR2n1p/p2p4/1B1P1p2/3QpPpN/4P1P1/PP4KP/2R5 w - - 0 1
> diagonal...Junior 9's response was the stunning 1...Qc8!?, which
> nearly had me fall off the chair when I saw this.
> Black gets to mate me first because my White king is surrounded
> by Black's pawns.

Black has a check or two, that's all. See

1. Rxc8! Qxc8 2. Rxc8 Rxc8 3. Nxf5 (threatening Qg7 mate) 3...Rc2+ 4.
Kg1 Ne5 (4...Rc1+ 5. Bf1 and now what?) 5. Nh6+ Kg7 6. Nxg4 and the
black knight is pinned. The white king has an escape to h3 if all else
fails. White follows up with fxe5. Black has a last trick is 6...Rd2!?
7. Qc3! (7. Qxd2?? Nf3+) and it's over.

All these complications aren't necessary. White can keep it simple with
3. Bd7 (plan Be6 and Nxf5, the bishop also controls c8) 3...Rc2+ 4.
Kf1 Nd8 (at least controls e6, Black doesn't have a good move here) 5.
Nxf5 (threat Nh6 mate) 5...Rxf5 6. Bxf5. From here it should be easy.

Claus-Juergen


 
Date: 18 Apr 2005 06:24:12
From: Roman M. Parparov
Subject: Re: This chess problem shouldn't have been included in this new release
I don't understand, if you just take the queen, and retreat with bishop, you
already have a decisive material advantage, for the f5 pawn falls.

And even if you leave the bishop hanging and play Nxf5, how can there
be a perpetual, since you approach with your king towards the rook and
... Kf8 doesn't save - Qg7+, Qg8+, Qxf7+ and so on.

Maybe it were you to be wrong by USING a computer in the first place, it
obviously _backfires_.

--
Roman M. Parparov - NASA EOSDIS project node at TAU technical manager.
Email: [email protected] http://www.nasa.proj.ac.il/
Phone/Fax: +972-(0)3-6405205 (work), +972-(0)50-734-18-34 (home)
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