White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Nf5+!! gxf5, 2. Bh6+! Kg6, 3. gxf5+! Kxh6 (3…Kxf5, 4. Qf4+ Kg6, 5. Qg5#), 5. Qxf6+ Kh5, 6. Bf3# 1-0
Additional analysis to 1. Nf5+!!,
1…Kg8, 2. Qxf6
a) 2…Qf8 (preventing Qg7#), 3. Nh6+! Qxh6 (forced), 4. Bxh6 and White mates next move.
b) 2….gxf5, 3. Bh6! Qf8 (or 3…Bd4, 4. Qg5+! Bg7, 5. Qxg7#), 4. Qg5+! Qg7, 5. Qxg7#!
1. Nf5+ gxf5
2. Bh6+ Kg6
3. gxf5+ Kh5
4. Bf3+ Ng4
5. Bxg4+ Kh4
6. Qf4 Bxf2
7. Qxf2+ Kxg4
8. Qf4+ Kh5
9. Qg5#
How should White proceed after 1. Nf6+ Kf8? With 2. Qf6 or 2. Bh6+?
1. Nf5+ Kf8
2. Bh6+ Ke8
3. Qxf6 Qd8
4.Re1+ Kd7
5. Re7+ Kc8
6. Nxd6+ Qxd6
7. Qxd6 Ra7
8. Rxa7 Bxa7
9. Qc6+ Kd8
10. Bg5+ f6
11. Bxf6#
1. Nf5+!! Kf8
2. Qxf6! gxf5 (2…Qd8, 3. Qxh8#)
3. Bh6+ Ke8 (3…Kg8, 4. Qg7#)
4. Re1+ Kd7
5. Re7+ Kd8
6. Rxf7+ (discovered check) Kc8
7. Qxf5+ Kd8
8. Qd7#
Alena, another puzzle for you:
8/2pp1ppp/8/1pPP1PPk/8/8/PP6/6K1 w – – 0 0
A true challenge, and in more ways than normal- so keep that caveat in mind- it illustrates why variations are important in problem solving. This is a famous problem by the great Troitzky
Great problem, Yancey! I think it’s a draw, but it has a couple o nasty stingers in it where Black, if not careful, loses.
I tried to solve it yesterday but I got only a draw. I will think further. It’s very hard I need one tempo to win but I don’t know how to get it yet.
Troitsky, when he composed the problem had white to move and win. As I wrote, the problem is a challenging one in more ways than one. If you think it is drawn, show your work and I will verify it.
1. g6 fxg6
2. a3 Kg5
3. b3 Kf6
4. fxg6 hxg6
5. a4 bxa4
6. bxa4 Ke7
7. Kf2 Kd8
8. Kg3 Kc8
9. Kg4 Kb7
10. Kg5 Ka6
11. Kxg6 Ka5
12. Kxg7 Kxa4
13. Kf6 Kb5
14. Ke7 Kxc5
15. Kxd7 Kxd5
16. Kxc7
it was difficult for me to get a draw.
8. c6 might be better
Alena,
Clearly, you understood why white couldn’t play 1.a3, but you still play it too early. The line Troitsky wanted you to find is 1.g6 fxg6 2.f6. So work on that line.
Or, if you have considered it, tell me why you abandoned it.
1. g6 fxg6 2. f6 gxf6 3. a3 Kg5 4. b3 Kf5 5. a4 Ke5 6. d6 cxd6 7. c6 dxc6 8. a5 and White wins. If Black tries to draw by playing …. d6 at some point White can simply play cxd6 and Black will lose a tempo by recapturing.
Yes, that is one of the lines Troitsky wanted you to find as a solution. Now take a broader look at black’s options at move 3 and on. Troitsky missed something.
After your hint I found the solution instantly.
1. g6 fxg6
2. f6 gxf6
3. a3 Kg5
4. b3 h5
5. a4 c6
6. axb5
7. c6 dxc6
8. dxc6 b4
9. c7 f5
10. c8=Q
You are slowly getting there, Alena. However, the critical line is
1. g6 fg6
2. f6 gf6
These moves are forced, and they serve the purpose of costing black a tempo to move around his own pawns- a meme that Troitsky meant to be repeated later on as a way of delaying the black king from reaching a8 in time. So, continuing:
3. a3
And here you detour into 3. …Kg5. Don’t feel bad, the first time I “solved” this puzzle, I thought this was the key line and all others were simple variations. However, the critical juncture for analysis of this problem is black’s third move. So have at it.
1. g6 fxg6
2. f6 gxf6
3. a3 Kg4
4. b3 Kf3
5. a4 bxa4
6. bxa4 Ke2
7. a5 f5
8. a6 f4
9. a7 f3
10. a8=Q f2+
11. Kh2 f1=Q
Is this about right?
You got it. As I learned 6 years ago, this problem is busted in several of its forms. A commenter named Cortex pointed this out when this puzzle was posted here in 2011:
Link
Troitsky and Zinar overlooked black’s supporting and pushing the f-pawn for a draw at the very least. The problem can be fixed by putting the white king on g2 instead of g1 preventing the black king from reaching e2 via f3.
I agree with Alena’s line. I think Trotsky may have missed Black’s K march along the 8th rank.
Troitsky missed something, but not that.