Monday brain teaser

6 comments

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  A. Weiler says:

  September 28, 2009 at 7:00 pm

  I had put all my concentration on the e6, d6 pawns and had thought they can salvage White. After considering in vain some lines I tried a line where I tried an early Bd4 to stop the check from the promoted Black Queen on h1- a2.
  Then it struck me – that’s its possible to try Bishop to a1 because there is the h pawn promotion to consider too.
  So its Ba1 if Black promotes , than White promotes and mate on b2 is coming.
  However if Black decides to take:1.. KxB, than white promotes with a check: 2. h8+ and K runs and 3. Qxh4 and that’s stops Blacks promotion dreams.
  Good puzzle!
  Hope I got it right.

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  Yancey Ward says:

  September 28, 2009 at 7:12 pm

  dc7 seems to lose to Ba6 preventing white from queening a pawn, and d7 seems to lose to Ne6 for the same reason. Also, de7 doesn’t seem to be an improvement since Bb5 is just as neutralizing.

  Now, for bishop moves:

  1. Be5 Na6
  2. Ka7 h1(Q)
  3. h8(Q)Qd5 and white has some serious problems holding this- the king is naked, and 2. Ka8/Kc8/Kb7 don’t seem to be improvements to me in this line;

  1. Ba1 h1(Q)
  2. h8(Q)Qa8 (forced)
  3. Kc7 Qh8
  4. Bh8 ed6
  5. Kb6 and the e-pawn can’t be stopped.

  1. Ba1 Ka1
  2. h8(Q)Kb1
  3. Qh4 should win for white easily.

  I vote for the first move as Ba1.

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  Anonymous says:

  September 28, 2009 at 8:39 pm

  1. Ba1

  Conside Kxa1:

  1….Kxa1
  2. h8=Q+ Ka2
  3. Qxh4 prevents queening on h1

  Consider h1=Q
  1….h1=Q
  2. h8=Q Qa1+
  3. Kxc7 Qxh8
  4. Bxh8 exd6
  5. Kxd6 should win for white

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  CraigB says:

  September 28, 2009 at 8:41 pm

  1. Ba1 looks like the right plan,

  1. Ba1 h1Q
  2. h8Q Qa8+
  3. K:c7 Qa7+
  4. Kd8 Qa8+
  5. K:e7 Qa7+
  6. d7 Qa4+
  7. Ke8 and the checks are over, Black must guard against mate on b2, and another Q is coming. Nothing else seems better for Black; 3….Q:h8, 4. B:h8 h3
  5. Be5 stops the pawn and White makes a new Q on h8. White has only to be careful to keep his K on black squares so black’s B cannot move with check and perhaps be able to get to the b1h7 diagonal before white’s B leaves h8.

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  jcheyne says:

  September 28, 2009 at 9:40 pm

  Tough one.

  1. Ba1 h1(Q)
  2. a8(Q) Qa8+
  3. Kxc7 Qa3
  4. Qb2+ Qxb2
  5. Bxb2 exd6
  6. Bc1 Bb5
  7. Kxd6 Kb1
  8. c4 Ba4
  9. Bf4 and White wins

  7. … h3
  8. Bf4 Kb1
  9. Ke7 Kxc2
  10. Bh2 Kd3
  11. Kf6 Bc6
  12. f4 Ke4
  13. f5
  and White wins this one, too.

  There must be an easier way.

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  algebraic says:

  September 29, 2009 at 12:38 am

  f3