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1. Qb3+ Qe6
2. Re1 Qxb3
3. Rxe8+ Kh7
4. Rxb3 Nd6
5. c7 +-
I was thinking more on the lines of:
1. Qg3! Re7
2. Rxe7 Qxe7
3. Qb3+
or
1… Qf7
2. Qb3+
What do y’all think?
My mistake. The simple 1… g5 puts that idea to rest.
These puzzles are excellent. Normally books say ‘white to play, this one has a fork’ or something. I prefer ones such as this that allow me to figure out what the best move is with no hint.
I did not solve it though.
if you want more puzzles:
http://www.wtharvey.com/
personally I clicked on Kramnik
http://www.wtharvey.com/kram.html
because I here from people that Kramnik plays boring defensive positional chess so that the tactics would be easier. I’m not good at finding tactics 🙁
“I’m not good at finding tactics.”
Get a puzzle book (there are many to choose from) and do one hour per day — you will see a real improvement in short order.
If you do three hours a day, you will see a tremendous improvement, perhaps even one or two rating classes in a year’s time.
1.Qg3 might be good too.
1.Qg3 g5 2.Qb3+ Qe6 3.Re1
1.Qg4! maintains pressure by threatening mate @ g7, dominating the weak light squares around black’s King while eyeing an opportunity to secure/clear the promotion square. Best might be 1…Ne7 to prevent mate (1…Re7? 2.Qxc8+ or, 1…Qf8 is passive, begins to bottle up the King and brings two hogs on the seventh with 2.Rd1). Now 2.Rd7 leaves the queen very few good spaces and moving to f8 is not an option so, 2…Qb8 trying to stay close to the promotion, 3.c7 Qa8 4.Rex7 Rxe7 forced, 5.c8=Q+ winning the queen. Another thought is losing the exchange early with 2.Rxe7 Rxe7 3.Qc8+ Kh7 4.c7 will promote or win back the rook.
Finally, might I make two requests. A small picture of the problem on the blogging page allowing us weaker players to view while we type. If I try to go back to check my work, I lose the blog. Second, might the border of the problem be in such a color or manner to allow better visibility of the algebraic notation? Thank you for this excellent training tool.
@anonym … hmmm… very nice explorations – but, to be honest, as nice as worthless … the “passive” move 2… qf8 prevents mate and keeps the knight – advantage! 2.rd1 will meet 2… f5! and after 3.qg6 the black hero – and his kings best friend – the jilt rook on a2 will move to e2
3… rae2 now maybe 4.rdd7 and the bold knight will jump from c8 to e7 to end the reign of terror of the white queen on the white fields
5… ne7 – black is clearly better – a whole knight!!
sincerly, Vohaul :-))
I have some more „private“ questions to susan: about learning tactical motifs … I’m an amateur player – with pauses (study, family, etc.) since 35 years – my grandpa thought me the principles of chess – I’ m now about 46 years old … my highest rating was 2046 on ELO, 22 years back in 1981 – I lost this points by inactiveness … nowadays I returned playing chess, of course again on amateur level – and I’m no longer interested in ratings, because I know: anything can happen – on board … I’m very common to computers, I’m very common to computer chess – but I kept tuned to my main handicap in real time matches: I WASTE TIME by calculating senseless positions. And time trouble is the effect!
The younger generation seems to calculate by moves – I can not calculate by moves – I calculate by positions – typically I think: if he/she goes there I will go to this field and after capturing that piece he/she might take back or not … etc. I am unable to calculate moves in a row. It might happen to me, and it happens sometimes – to see a position 10 move or so ahead – no matter what happens on the real board. But it also happens to me, not to see any move at all (mentally repetition of the given position) – I never use this a-h and 1-8 caption for calculation ‘(I won’t even remind my own calculations)… am I insane? I never had a personal trainer or so … maybe you have an advice for me – even old men might be open for advices!
Great blog, great people around
Sincerely, Vohaul
Thank you Vohaul for taking the time to review my findings. It also gives me another chance to challenge my “calculations”. I did not figure the pawn to f5. However, 1.Qg4 Qf8 2.Rd1 f5? 3.Qc4+ winning a rook en pris. Also very interesting perspective on calculating by position, and very true! Thank you. Chess4him
hello chess4him, in the line
1.gg4 qf8
2.rd1 f5!
the white queen can not move to c4 to win that rook by checking, because there is a white pawn still on f4, isn’t it?
🙂 sincerly, your Vohaul
What about
1.Rd1 immediately.
If:
1… Qf8 or Qc5
2. Qb3+ with the sort after en prise rook
If:
1… Qa3
2. Qd5+ Kh7
3. Qf7 Rg8
4. Rd8
JJ
Thank you Vohaul, I stand corrected and humbled. I still have a lot to learn, including assessing the position properly.
Chess4Him
@chess4him – no way you are humbled! e.g. i myself “mated” a few weeks ago in a puzzle here with a rook – BUT the rook could be captured by the “mated” king … ^^ no one needs to be perfect to be good!
@JJ my first move won’t be a queen move, but a rook move instead…
1.rd1 rad2
and what now?
the rook has to leave the d-file – and black is better – a whole kgnight!
(the solution given in posting 1 by ANONYM (how i hate this!) is – in my opinion – the only right one – with a clear win for white!)
sincerly your’s,
Vohaul