No computer please. See if you can figure it out.
Source: ChessToday.net
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1.Kc4, with the double threat of supporting the g-pawn push and taking Black’s g-pawn, seems to do the trick.
Well, this seems easy as white’s king cannot do much for the time being, so black should be able to take the white pawn off the board.
However, if it was so easy – and it at least appears to be – it would not be posted as a puzzle. Will we ever see a solution?
One of the (very) few bugging things about this websites: unless solutions are posted in the comments you do not get them at all.
The solution is posted by one of the members for each puzzle. I’ve been following this blog since 1-06 and every puzzle has the correct answer in the comment section. Susan addressed this issue in the past. She wants players to think and figure things out and not rely on published answers.
The last endgame puzzle is far from solved.
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2009/01/very-difficult-puzzle.html
looks like an obvious draw. am i missing something?
Wodi: i am not that frequent on this blog; however i remember a few endgames that were indeed very difficult and nobody gave a complete and correct solution but rather different people came with parts of the solution or useful ideas, out of which the picture could be composed, and there were a couple of studies nobody could solve.
I only have a vague idea of the
solution. It should be something like
1 Kc4 Nh2 2Kd5 Nf3
3 Ke6 g4 4Kf5 g3 5Kg4 g2
6 g7+ Kxg7 7h=Q+ Kxh8
8 Kh3 g=B 9 Kg2 =
Of course 8..g=Q or R is pat
Olimat
More precise comment:
B. plan is Nh2-f3-h4 Kg7 Nxg6.
So 1 Kc4 Nh2 2Kd5 Nf3 3 Ke6
(3 Ke4 fails after 3..Nh4 and
4 ..Kg7.)
3 ..g4
(3..Nh4 ??4 Kf6 g4 5 g7+ Kxh7 6 Kf7
is very bad for B).
What follows is clear
4 Kf5 g3 5 Kg4 5 Kg4 g2
6 g7+ Kxg7 7h=Q+ Kxh8
8 Kh3 g=B 9 Kg2 =
Olimat
My last moves were not correct.
Here is the right solution
1 Kc4 Nh2 2Kd5 Nf3 3 Ke6
(3 Ke4 fails after 3..Nh4 and
4 ..Kg7.)
3 ..g4 (3..Nh4 ??4 Kf6 g4
5 g7+ Kxh7 6 Kf7 is very bad for B).
4 Kf5 g3 5 Kg4 5 Kg4 g2
6 Kh3 (not 6 g7+ Kxg7 7h=Q+ Kxh8
8 Kh3 Nh4!)
6.. g=Q (if 6..g=B 7Kg2= if 6..Nh4
7Kh2 Kg7 8 Kg1=)
7 g7+ Kxg7 8 h=Q+ Kxh8 pat
Olimat
The N maneuver that black will attempt is e3-g4-h6, when the white king cannot approach the f file. For example,
1 Kc4 Ne3+
2 Kd4 Ng4
3 Ke5 Nh6
4 Kf6?? g4!
5 g7+ Kxh7 -+
After the first 3 moves, Black will attempt to play his K to g7 and N to f7. If white doesn’t keep his tempi correct, his K can be forced away from the defense of the g pawn by zugzwang, and black wins. For example…
4 Ke4? Nf7!
5 Kf5
(If 5 Kf3 or Kd5, 5 … Kg6 wins the g pawn and the game)
5 …. Kg6 -+ (zugzwang)
So white has to be able to play Ke4 in response to black’s Nf7 (or Kg7). Then when the other black piece moves, Kf5 with a draw. Thus:
4 Kd5 Kg7
5 Ke5 Nf7
6 Kf5! = because the kings shuffle back and forth (and if the N moves, Kxg5 =)
Or …
4 Kd5 Nf7
5 Ke4 Kg7
6 Kf5 = same result
Or …
4 Kd5 g4
5 Ke4 g3
6 Kf3 Nf5
7 Kg2 =
BTW, Olimat, in your line after 3 .. Nh4 4 Kf6, Nxg6 (instead of g4) draws.
Chris, 1 Kc4 Ne3+ draws easily:
2 Kd4 Nf5+
(2.. Ng4 3Ke4 Nh6 4Kf3 =)
3 Ke5 Nh6
(3..Nh4 4Kf6 g4?? 5 g7+ and W wins!)
4 Kf6 g4
5 Kg5 Kg7
(5..g3?? 6Kxh6 and W wins!)
6 Kh4=
Olimat