Saturday Brain Challenge

14 comments

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  M.Pasman says:

  January 9, 2010 at 5:56 pm

  1.Rg1 Kh2 2.Ke3 Kxg1 3.Ng4 Kf1 4.Nh2+ Kg1(e1) 5.Nf3+ Kf1 Bd3x

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  Yancey Ward says:

  January 9, 2010 at 6:51 pm

  The most obvious move is Rf3, so I will analyze it first:

  1. Rf3 Kh2
  2. Ng4 Kg1
  3. Ne3 Kh2
  4. Kf4 g1(Q) (Kg1 loses to Ng2)
  5. Ng4 Qg4 (forced)

  seems to be a draw since the rook at f3 is hanging.

  So, white needs another plan if this line is to succeed:

  1. Rf3 Kh2
  2. Ng4 Kg1
  3. Ne5 Kh2
  4. Rf2 Kg3 and the game is a draw at best for white, and maybe a loss.

  The last try in this line is:

  1. Rf3 Kh2
  2. Ng4 Kg1
  3. Nf2 Kh2
  4. Rh3 Kg1
  5. Ke3 Kf1
  6. Rh1 gh1(Q) (g1Q 7. Rg1 wins)
  7. Nh1 wins for white.

  The key to this line is blacks first move:

  1. Rf3 Kh4.

  This is complicated, and I am still working on it.

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  Anonymous says:

  January 9, 2010 at 7:06 pm

  1.Rg1 Kh2
  2.Ke3 Kxg1
  3.Ng4 Kf1
  4.Nh2+ Ke1(g1)
  5.Nf3+ Kf1
  6.Bd3 1-0

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  Anonymous says:

  January 9, 2010 at 8:28 pm

  1. Rg1! Kh2 2. Ng4+ Kxg1 3. Ke3 Kf1 4. Nh2+ 5. Nf3+ 6. Bd3#

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  scrotrot says:

  January 9, 2010 at 8:40 pm

  1.Rg1 Kh2
  2.Ng4+! Kxh1
  3.Ke3 Kf1
  4.Nh2+ Ke1
  5.Nf3+ Kf1
  6.Bd3 mate

  or
  4. Kg1
  5.Nf3+ Kf1
  6.Bd3 mate

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  Asbjørn says:

  January 9, 2010 at 9:19 pm

  Nice puzzle. I suggest:
  1 Rg1 Kh2
  2 Ng4+ Kxg1
  3 Ke3 Kf1
  4 Nh2+ Ke1 (or Kg1)
  5 Nf3+ Kf1
  6 Bd3#

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  aam says:

  January 9, 2010 at 9:48 pm

  1. Rg1 Kh2
  2. Ng4+ Kxg1
  3. Ke3 Kf1
  4. Nh2+ Ke1/g1
  5. Nf3+ Kf1
  6. Bd3#

  if the black king doesn’t go for the rook, then soon, the black g2 pawn will fall, and the bishops will get exchanged, and black will lose. e.g.,

  1. Rg1 Kg3 (instead of …Kg2)
  2. Ke3 Kh3
  3. Be4

  or
  1. Rg1 Kg3
  2. Ke3 Kh2
  3. Kf2
  (simpler, although the mating line could also be tried)
  and 4. Be4

  or
  1. Rg1 Kh2
  2. Ng4+ Kg3 (instead of taking the rook)
  3. Ke3 Kxg4
  4. Kf2
  and white maneuvers the Bishop to take the g2 pawn, exchange the bishops, and win.

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  Consul says:

  January 9, 2010 at 9:57 pm

  In optimistical mood i’m seeing an exchange of the rook with the queen, but in a position where White wins anyway. Then there are also other variations of course, but i’m too lazy to write them all, i think the two exclamation marks are due to the existence of the mentioned variation:
  1. Rf3+ .. Kh4
  2. Rf4+ .. Kh3
  3. Ke5 .. g1/Q
  4. Bf5+ .. Kh2
  5. Rh4+ .. Kg2
  6. Rg4+ .. Kf2
  7. Rxg1 .. Kxg1
  8. Kf4 .. Kf2
  and now i think…
  9. Bg4

  Then… you can imagine, can’t you? 😀

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  Anonymous says:

  January 9, 2010 at 10:05 pm

  Hmm, isn’t this pretty linear?
  1 rg1 Kh2
  2 ng4 kg1
  3 Ke3 Kf1
  4 Nh2+ Ke1
  5 Nf3+ Kf1
  6 Bd3 ++

  Did I miss something?

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  Tim says:

  January 9, 2010 at 10:10 pm

  My daughter and I solved it with a little a priori reasoning. The right first move is 1.Rg1, drawing Black’s King back into the corner: 1…Kh2 2.Ng4+ Kxg1. Now Black is virtually stalemated, so White just needs to find the right place for his King. It turns out that he will need the f3 square for the Knight, so: 3.Ke3 Kf1 4.Nh2+, and now no matter which way Black’s King goes, White will catch him in a mating net: 4…Kg1 5.Nf3+ Kf1 6.Bd3#, or 4…Ke1 5.Nf3+ Kf1 6.Bd3#

  Clever!

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  jcheyne says:

  January 9, 2010 at 10:17 pm

  Let’s go with the “this one is fun” theme.

  1. Rf3+ Kh2
  2. Ng4+ Kg1
  3. Re3 Kf1
  4. Bd3+ Kg1
  5. Re1# That was fun, but Black blew it.

  1. … Kh4
  2. Rf4+ Kh3
  3. Rf3+ Kh4
  4. Rf4+ Kh3
  5. Rf3+ Kh4 That wasn’t much fun. Forget 1. Rf3+

  1. Rg1 Kh2
  2. Ke3 Kxg1
  3. Ng4 Kf1
  4. Nh2+ Kg1
  5. Nf3 Kf1
  6. Bd3# That was fun. It would have worked even if Black had played 4. … Ke1 (5. Nf3+ Kf1 6. Bd3#), but Black can do better.

  1. … Kh4
  2. Kf4 Kh3
  3. Ng4 Kh4
  4. Nf2 Kh5
  5. Nxh1 gxh1(Q)
  6. Rxh1# Fun, but …

  5. … Kh6
  6. Rxg2 Kh5
  7. Rh2# Fun again, but …

  5. … Kh4
  6. Rxg2 Kh3
  7. Be4 (or Rf2) Kh4
  8. Rh2# This is the most fun, because Black has run out of options.

  Not fun: It’s 35 degrees in Tampa, with a hard freeze tonight and tomorrow night.

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  Jochen says:

  January 9, 2010 at 11:16 pm

  Cute one. I think I have found the solution (which took me some time!).

  1. Rg1, Kh2 2. Ng4+, Kxg1 3. Ke3!, Kf1 4. Nh2+, Ke1/Kg1 5. Nf3+, Kf1 6. Bd3#

  Other defenses win prosaically (e.g. 1. -, Kg3 2. Ke3 3. Kf2).

  Best wishes from Germany

  Jochen

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  Timothée Tournier says:

  January 10, 2010 at 4:22 am

  This is quite simple

  1.Rg1! (the threat is to win simply by bringing the King and winning the pawn) Kh2 2.Ke3! KxR 3. Ng4! Kf1
  4.Nh2+ a) Kg1 5. Nf3+ Kf1 6. Bd3++

  b)Ke1 5.Nf3+ Kf1 6.Fd3++

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  Chess Prodigy says:

  January 10, 2010 at 8:16 am

  Seems to be correct!! 🙂

  1. Rg1 Kh2 2. Ke3 Kxg1 3. Ng4 Kf1 4. Nh2+ Ke1 5. Nf3+ Kf1 6. Bd3# *

  Regards
  Niri
  http://www.chessindia.blogspot.com