A few days ago, I showed you on my blog a similar study (except the White King was on d8 and not c8).
This morning, my wonderful friend Mr. Frederic Friedel (founder of ChessBase) for more than 2 decades sent me a note about the same test which ChessBase published back on December 25, 2001. By the way, ChessBase is designing the official website for the 2007 World Championship in Mexico City as well as handling many other technical issues.
This was a 2 part test on ChessBase. The first part is the one above (which is relatively easier) and the second part is the one I shared with you (same position with King on d8).
Don’t feel bad if you did not find the solution because it is not so simple. You can read about it here and the most interesting part here. It is about what happened when this puzzle was shown to Garry.
That’s funny. My first try with the previous puzzle, which ended in stalemate, is actually the correct answer for this puzzle.:)
Actually it says he solved the puzzle, both parts 1 and 2.
From the article:
“Garry still kept shaking his head and muttering “something is wrong,” and was incapable of giving the required answer.
What was the explanation? The problem was simply too easy, he could not understand why I would ask him something as elementary as that. I suppose it is similar to having a world-famous mathematician and asking him to demonstrate his skills by multiplying the numbers 7 and 3.”
Part 2 he solved “in 2 minutes and 15 seconds.”
He did not even try to solve part 1 because he knew the answer and it wa s very simple, b6+ to block the b pawn wins.
“jerry MacDonald said…
That’s funny. My first try with the previous puzzle, which ended in stalemate, is actually the correct answer for this puzzle.:) “
You did not read this article either. It is not a draw.
Susan, is it b6+ ??? …
.. And the h pawn will be Queened first, and will not allow a pawn to be Queened, as will control square a1!
And it doesn’t matter if the King takes or goes to a8 after the check!
Susan I don’t believe that Garry Kimovich didn’t solve it, even with all the preasure he have had!
It’s an absurd!
yevlev, yeah, it’s b6 first, but then notice that it goes to stalemate unless he allows the two queens to co-exist (you probably should have read the solution on the site).
I think that part of the puzzle was okay, the point about how it would be stalemate and that’s why Garry smiled.
Garry found the answer in his head in two minutes and fifteen seconds (sometimes I think grandmasters must have extra brains on a different planet they can use)… and this could be or apparently was when he was not his best/tired/annoyed.
Most of us (me especially) may be dumb and forget about things in chess.. but come on we’re not that bad.
I didn’t honestly think Garry couldn’t solve a non-supercomputer type puzzle, but I thought maybe he thought: “the heck with it” after a few minutes and asked for the solution. So I tried to solve it myself. I gave up when I realised you probably needed two queens because the elegance of it evaporated with that (I’m sure Kasparov spent a few seconds of the 2:15 minutes hoping it wasn’t that and there was another way).
Now I feel used Susan. Used and abused. I could very nearly have spent about 20 minutes or more on it, just to get it right and just to say I solved something that Garry Kasparov gave up on.
No I meant I tried a certian line in the first puzzle that didn’t work, but it works for this puzzle.
“yevlev, yeah, it’s b6 first, but then notice that it goes to stalemate unless he allows the two queens to co-exist (you probably should have read the solution on the site).”
Um, no…
You might want to actually read what you claim to have read, its white to play “AND WIN”. Set up this position against fritz, or deep shredder, or whoever you want and white will win the game. black cannot queen and the connected passed pawns are useless without king support against a queen and king.
okay you’re right, that is a correct answer to the puzzle that was displayed, I meant the other puzzle at on the website that Susan put up before. I don’t can’t understand why both this site and the other one put up: “Garry couldn’t solve this puzzle.”
“He did not even try to solve part 1 because he knew the answer and it wa s very simple, b6+ to block the b pawn wins.”
What are you talking about? It says it right there, he solved it. There isn’t even any vagueness or fuzziness about it… it’s like saying a mathematician couldn’t solve the problem: 3 x 7 because he wouldn’t give the answer straightaway… or even because he took a second to think about it.
Apologies for going on and on about it.. but I just don’t know *why* it says that.
Yeah, what is that “Garry couldn´t solve this” crap?
He just took a few seconds checking whether it was true he was being asked such “stupidity”.