Black to move. How can Black win using a known endgame pattern?
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Hi,
my first shot would be: Sacrifice the rook on d7 so that the king blocks the white d-pawn, then convert the black a pawn and there should be enough time to stop white from converting the d-pawn and win the game. (??)
Bernd from Germany
I won against Crafty and Rybka using the following technique:
1. Create a passed pawn (1…h5)
2. Push your passed pawn. Your rook blocks the f-file while White’s own d5 pawn blocks the a8-h1 diagonal.
3. White may sacrifice his bishop for your queen. That’s fine–you’re up a rook vs pawns.
4. Capture the pawns. Be sure the final K+R vs K+P ending remains a win.
Perhaps the problem would be easier to solve if we knew (as it seems) that the chessboard is upside down.
That ascertained, 1 … h5 will win easily.
Giuseppe
The board is upside down?! Hmmm… I guess it’s obvious now that I think about it. )=
I originally felt 1. … Rc6. Followes by 2. … Rxd6, 3. … a3. Promote the pawn to a queen and start picking off the other white pawns.
– EJ
Perhaps the problem would be easier to solve if we knew (as it seems) that the chessboard is upside down.
?
No, the board is oriented right. Queen goes on color, and d1 in this diagram is white.
Unless I’m missing something?
Without and indicator you can’t tell whether the square a knight’s move below the black king is d1 or whether the square two space below the black king is d8. Either way queen is on color. Is suppose either way makes for an intersting puzzle.
True, the board is legal. What Giuseppe points out is that the board’s shown from Black’s view. That means h8 is bottom-left and a1 is top-right. Some may not realize.
Anonymous@4:29:52 believed White’s pawn was 2 squares from promoting and came up with an interesting defense.
Enrique Huerta mentioned 1…Rc6, which is clearly impossible. I think he meant to say Rf3. However, 1…Rf3 2.a5 Rxe3 3.Kxe3 h5 4.gxh5 g4 5.h6 looks like a loss for Black. I wouldn’t sacrifice your rook here.
Susan,
Is the board white or black at the bottom. is the board normal or upside down.
if the board is normal. then I might try Rh7. getting on the same side as the king so can check from that side.
if 2. d7 then Rh8 seems forced. and now white to move the bishop away from the king.
I dont think Susan has ever presented the board upside down.
I am sorry. the mind got stuck on the board. I forgot to say after white saves the bishop then black moves the pawn from a3 to a2. obviously queens and wins.
Sorry, Black is on the bottom of the board.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
If 1.- h5, I can’t see how white can prevent queen promotion on h1 or g1, cos white is blocked. If Kd4 hxg4, and if wite walks with a-pawn, just Ra2 after, say, a6-a7. B on c6 really a tragedy.
The W bishop is cut off by W’s own pawns. The W king is cut off by the B rook.
Suggestion: B plays 1… h5 and either 2.gxh5 with a push of the b pawn or …h6. W will counter by advancing the a or h pawn, B will then retreat the rook back to the 8th rank and hope to advance his pawn far enough that the W king can’t cover.
Not to change the subject Susan, but how about some US Open tennis picks?
I think black would win if the board were not upside down, too!
I am surprised some of you would think the board was set up wrong. If you look at the opposing pawns on the file, regardless which side is bottom or top, the pawns would be on the b-file. Knowing this, there is no way both pawns could be moving on opposite directions. Therefore, the bottom of the board is Black. The brain is so used to seeing boards (in books) shown where White is always at the bottom that the brain finds it hard to adjust. But when you play two games in a row, you switch sides but somehow the brain there adjusts easily.
I would say the best plan is to sacrifice the a-pawn to creat a passed b-pawn.