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Puzzle for 3/20/07 by Selezniev

The Ukrainian Selezniev composed this puzzle
White to move and win.

5 comments:

  1. I believe Rc8+ will do it!

    1. Rc8+ Kxc8(forced)
    2. b7+ now

    if 2...Kb8
    3. d5 Kc7 (forced)
    4. bxa8=B! and white should now win. Note can not promote to Queen as this would lead to stalemate, as 4.bxa8+Q Stalemate. No move for black King that is not check.

    or if
    2...Kc7
    3. bxa8=B

    The trick in either above variations is to have the white king eat up all the black pawns and then to get in front of the remaining white d pawn to promote to either a queen or rook, so as to be able to later deliver checkmate.

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  2. So B is stronger then the Q.

    Mark, I needed help in what to use in order to create diagram so I can post it as you did.

    you said (be careful on those things):
    "or if
    2...Kc7
    3. bxa8=B"
    3.bxa8Q is musch faster. Black can play 4...d5. White pawn did not move yet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marijan,

    You are so right about the second variation I gave. 2.bxa8=Q would work now as black would be forced to play d5. With the continuation:
    3. Qb7+ Kd6 or Kd8 and white should be able to zero in for the kill soon enough.

    Regarding putting the board diagrams on the post, here is the step-by-step:

    Open Fritz
    Select New Game
    Select Position setup
    In the position setup window place the pieces were you wish and click the option as to whose whose turn is it to move next.
    Click done.
    The position will then be on the normal Fritz viewing screen.
    Select Save position.
    Remember where it will be saved to, or better yet save it to your desktop.
    Then go to the blogsite to create a post. (This you already know how to do.)
    When you create the post use the insert picture feature and select the saved board position as the picture to upload. Done.

    By the way, I will not be at NCCC tonight, kids have a school event that I will be attending.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you. So simple. Did not think that fritz allows that. Could not find set up position.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have to see 1 more move at the end: can White's Bishop escape the corner? Answer is "yes" with a final Zugzwang 4. bxa8=B! Kb8 5. Bb7, but it makes a notable echo with the main line.

    For an endgame puzzle of a totally different order---where you need to "cheat" with Fritz or another program merely to enjoy and have a chance to solve it!---check out my first-and-only "Engine Study"! Ernest Marx was a mainstay of my home club in NJ, the Dumont Chess Mates.

    Anyone going from here to the Marchand Open in Rochester weekend after this one? Alas, it is likely I won't have time to play...because of my other chess involvements, no less. Even tomorrow, I have a 3:30--5:30 research meeting and a 6:30pm event downtown, so it may be hard for me to poke my head into the club meeting at UB.

    ReplyDelete