White to move. What should White do to hold this game? No computer please!
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This one is rather well known. It is a composition by Botvinnik if memory serves from early in his life.
Here is another composition of Botvinnik’s that is quite instructional.
4K3/3P1R2/1k6/1p6/8/8/3r4/8 w – – 0 1 White to play and win.
I was away today and I had no opportunity to post my solution for Susan’s problem. It took me 40 minutes to solve. Thanks for your problem. Here is the solution
1. d8=Q+ Rxd8+
2. Kxd8 Kc5
3. Rc7+ Kd5
4. Rb7 Kc4
5. Kc7 Kc5
6. Rb8 b4
7. Rb7 Kc4
8. Kb6 b3
9. Ka5 Kc3
10. Ka4 b2
11. Ka3 Kd3
12. Rxb2
If you really want to challenge yourself, Alena, try this one from the great Zinar. This is one of the most difficult puzzles out there due to the sheer complexity.
8/p1p5/Pp5p/1P2p3/1P5k/1P2pP1p/4P2P/2K5 w – – 0 1
1. Kc2 Kg5
2. Kd3 Kf4
3. Kc3 e4
4. fxe4 Kxe4
5. Kc4 Ke5
6. Kd3 Kd6
7. Kxe3 Ke5
8. Kd3 h5
9. e4 Kf6
10. Kd4 Kg5
11. Kd5 h4
12. Ke6 Kf4
13. e5 Kf3
14. Kf6 Kg2
15. e6 Kxh2
16. e7 Kg1
17. e8=Q h2
18. Qe1+ Kg2
19. Qe4+ Kg3
20. Kf5 h1=(any piece)
21. Qxh1
In my opinion it’s a main idea but there are a lot of subvariations. It was very easy for me to solve. I think this is because I like studying pawn endings. about 4 minutes.
Alena,
What if black doesn’t play 3. ….e4, but instead plays a move like Kg5 or Kf5?
I told you- this puzzle is difficult and complex. You haven’t solved it.
And to help clue you in a bit- one of the two moves I suggested for black loses, the other draws. Which is which?
1. Kb2 Kg5
2. Kc2 Kf5
3. Kc3 Kg5
4. Kc4 Kf5
5. Kd5 h5
6. Kc6 Ke6
7. Kb7 Kd7
8. Kb8 Kd8
9. Ka8 Kd7
10. Kb7 Kd8
11. Kc6 Ke7
12. Kd5 Kf6
13. Ke4
You still haven’t really plumb the depths of this problem, but you have a winning line here. For a deeper analysis, you can go here.
Nice geometry, easy to find considering the check threat e5-e4+:
1. g4+ Kh4 2. Bh6! (threatening Qh2#) Qxh6 3. Qh2+ Kg5 4. Qd2+ Nf4
5. Qd8+ the end.
Not brilliant but elegant, fulfilling the classical demand that all pieces
participate in the final solution (well, WK is out, it would be absolutely
perfect with it involved)
Well, my mistake, the demand is actually not fulfilled,
since it is also checkmate without BN on f4 :-(((
1. g4+ Kh4, 2. Bh6! Qxh6, 3. Qh2+ Kg5, 4. Qd2+!
a) 4…Nf4, 5. Qd8#
b) 4…Kf6, 5. Qxh6 Kf7, 6. Qh8!! Black is in complete zugzwang and then White wins.
Solutions have already been given, after looking at the position I didn’t see the Bishop sacrifice…I thought there would have to be consistent checks until checkmate…but that bishop sacrifice is where I got stumped. Excellent puzzle.