No computer please. This one is great for your calculation skills. Have fun! White to move and win!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
More endgame precision! White to move and win!
About Author
a common study: Rd2!! wins
why is Rd2 better than Rd1 ??
white needs to break opposition, maybe by moving rook twice.
Anonymous said…
a common study: Rd2!! wins
11:00 AM
that’s no answer at all. you need to show the win.
I have the win with Rd1.
1. Rd1 d4
2. Re1+ Kd5
3. Kf6 d3
4. Kf5 Kd4
5 Kf4 d2
6. Rd1 Kd3
7. Kf3 Kc2
8. Ke2 now the pawn is won and the game.
1. Rd1 Ke4
2. Kd6 d4
3. Kc5 d3
4. Kc4 Ke3
5. Rxd3+ wins.
lets try the Rd2 and see if that works. without seeing the solution. you must present a solution to be correct.
1. Rd2 d4
2. Re1+ Kd5
3. Kf6 d3 ! attacks e2 but not e1
4. Rd2 Ke4 !
5. Ke6 Ke3
6. Rd1 Ke2
7. Rh1 d2
8. Rh2 Kd3
9. Rh3 Kc2
10 Rh2 Kc1
11 Rh1+ d1Q
12 Rxd1 Kxd1 draw.
so not only does he not present a solution. but his answer is wrong as best I can see. if Rd2 does win, then please present a solution.
My solutions show that Rd1 wins.
I did not use a computer. but I did use a chess board and pieces. I did not work this out in my head. but the moves were pretty obvious.
I am not saying my solution is correct. but it looks pretty good.
1)Td2? est insuffisant pour gagner et seul 1)Td1! gagne.
What about 2…Kf4
1. Rd1 d4
2. Re1+ Kf4
3. Kd6 d3
4. Rd1 Ke3
5. Kd5 d2
6. Kc4 Ke2 =
there is a mistake in your solution.
1. Rd1 d4
2. Re1+ Kd5
correct is
1. Rd1 d4
is already a draw.
what needs to be done is get the opposition. thus.
1. Rd2 d4
2. Rd1!!!
that gets the opposition and the win. I leave it to others to work it out.
by the way I an a different anonymous than the person who proposed Rd2 as the win in the first posting. and I do agree that it is not a solution without presenting the moves. and I have not presented a solution. only some hints to help others get the full solution.
I like this…
1. Rd2 d4
2. Rd1 Ke4
3. Kd6 d3
4. Kc5 – now that white gets the opposition on the black pawn becomes clear
4. …Ke3
5. Kc4 d2
6. Kc3 – black is lost
If anyone wants an extremely difficult christmas puzzle there is one where you are encouraged to use your chess computer. that is because the computer does not solve it. yet the solution is sort of very simple.
http://www.chessbase.com/puzzle/christmas2005/index.htm
Merry Christmas Susan, Merry Christmas to all!
Samkid, as long as the rook is on the d-line, the pawn can only advance as far as d4 on his own. Then the black king has to move too
giving way to the white king.
With a rook at a1 the pawn could advance to d3 without moving the black king, and thus keeping the white king at distance.
Now the function of the rook is clear.
But which square is best?
D1 is the best square because on the other squares black can gain a tempo by attacking the rook with the king on his way forward.
But you should move to d1 only in that moment in which
1) the pawn cannot advance anymore, so the black king has to give way
2) you hold the opposition, so black has to let you slip forward.
Compare 1.Rd1 d4 2.Kd7 Kd5 3.Kc7 Kc5 4.Kd7 Kd5 5.Ke7 Ke5 and so on
with 1.Rd2 d4 2.Rd1 Kd5 3.Kd7 Ke4 4.Kd6 when white can slip forward via the left wing
If you complain that in the first variation you could move the rook to hold the opposition 1.Rd1 d4 2.Kd7 Kd5 and now 3.Rd2 you will see the gain of tempo for the blackies 3. …Ke4 4.Kd6 Ke3 5.Rd1 d3 6.Kd5 Ke2
Ok il faut reconnaitre son erreur donc 1)Td2! (good move)
I see my error now.
I said:
1. Rd2 d4
2. Re1+ Kd5
3. Kf6 d3 ! attacks e2 but not e1
4. Rd2 Ke4 !
5. Ke6 Ke3
6. Rd1 Ke2
7. Rh1 d2
8. Rh2 Kd3
9. Rh3 Kc2
10 Rh2 Kc1
11 Rh1+ d1Q
12 Rxd1 Kxd1 draw.
but the correct move is
1. Rd2 d4
2. Re1+ Kf4 draws.
I was thinking about this move but thought that Kd5 would be stronger holding out the white king. but this is better. Once I really look at it on the board it becomes obvious this draws becaue white can not win the pawn and keep the rook.
I wish I could edit my last post. there is a big error in the last post. I copy and pasted the wrong part. correct is this.
I have the win with Rd1.
1. Rd1 d4
2. Re1+ Kd5
etc.
but this is wrong. there is a draw with
I have the win with Rd1.
1. Rd1 d4
2. Re1+ Kf4.
so Rd1 only draws and does not win.
rd1, rd2 and rd3 all win..
Of course 1.Rd1 does not win. It even gives the win out of hand.
This study is from Reti and the chess folk gives to the solution 1.Rd2! an exclamation mark.
Last anonymos, you should learn to interpret such notation: sometimes such exclamation marks are a hint that the move is the only winning move.
In this case 1.Rd3 does not let the win slip out of hand but you should continue proper and after 1. … Ke4 let follow 2.Rd1 Ke5 to begin once again with 3.Rd2.
But 1.Rd1 surely does not win anymore, and the reason is given above already from some anonymos.
Source: Reti, Hastings and St.Leonards Post, 1922, version Muenchner Neueste Nachrichten, 1928
Not to be mistaken with Réthy, who was also a hungarian player, but less formidable than Reti.