This was posted not long ago. It is one of the most interesting puzzles I have posted. It is White to move and win. Can you solve it without computer assistance?
n2Bqk2/5p1p/5KP1/p7/6Q1/8/8/8 w – – 0 0
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I am finding it extremely challenging without a diagram.
This one is really difficult!
I can’t even see it with my WEB-browser.
HELLO
http://localhost:58704/5adc20eb4adad397b36f515094641f72/image/4150760dc3d24687.jpg
WHO is Your Local Hoast ???
I think this should win:
1. Qc8 (aiming 2. Be7+), Nc7; 2. Be7+, Kg8; 3. gf7+ and wins.
Also:
1. Qc8, Kg8; 2. Bc7, Qc8 (Nc7; 3. gf7+ wins); 3. gf7+, Kh8 (Kf8; 4. Bd6++); 4. Be5, Qc5 (h6 or h5; 5. Kg6++; also 4….Qf8; 5. Ke6+ wins); 5. Ba1 and wins as Black cannot avoid mate.
maybe Qc8
1) .. qc8 (threatening Be7+)
2) Qe6+ Q8e6
3) fe gh
if 2) Nc7 then … Be7+
3) Kg8 gf+
!.Qc8 Nc7 2.B37+ Kg8 3.gxf7 Kh8 4.f8(Q)+ Qxf8 5.Qxf8#
I remember the key. Let others work it out.
Took some time but in the end I found it!
1.Qc8 Kg8 (only move)
2.Lc7!!
2…Qxc8
3.gxf+ Kh8
4.Le5! wining
The best try for black is:
4…Qc5 but after
5.Bb2 Nc7
Yes, white’s king is stalemated but black is in a zugzwang at the same time.
So, after:
6.Ba1 a4
7.Bb2 a3
8.Ba1 a2
9.Bb2 a1Q
10.Bxa1
The zugzwang allows the white king to get out of the a1-h8 diagonal and mate will soon be delivered.
1.Qc8 threatening Be7+ so 1… Kg8
2.h7+ Kh8 Not Kxh7 Qh3+,Qg4,Qg7#
3.Qxa8 Qe6+ 4.Kg5 with nothing for either side =
Qc8 seems to be it, threatening Be7+. Best reply probably is Kg8, which still should lose to gxh7.
qc8? BECAUSE black play King g8. maybewhite play queen a4
This is no win for white its remise!!!
this is no win for white,its remise!!!!!
1. Qc8 wins. Here are a few responses.
1. .., a4 or Nb6 or fxg3
2. Be7+, Kg8
3. Qxe8#
1. .., Qa4 or b5 or anywhere on the e file other than e6 loses similarly
1. .., Qc6+ or d7 loses to Qxc6 and Qxd7 respectively
1. .., Qe6+
2. Qxe6, fxe6
3. gxh7, Ke8
4. h8Q+, Kd7 and Black loses
1. .., Kg8
2. gxh7+, Kxh7
3. Qh3+, Kg8
4. Qg4+, Kf8 or h7 or h8
5. Qg7#
1. .., Nc7
2. Be7+, Kg8
3. gxh7+, Kxh7
4. Qh3+, Kg8
5. Qg4+, Kh7 or h8
6. Qg7#
After the obvious:
1. gxh7 Qxd8+
black shall have several checks and probably get control of the h pawn and win, without I can say it for shure. This line is unclear to me!
Another idea is:
1. Qc8(!)
and black shall have to deal with the the threat Be4+ -> Qxe8#, but how?
1. … Qe6+?
2. Qxe6 fxe7
3. gxh7 white wins.
1. … Nc7?
2. Be4+ Kg8
3. Qxe8+ Nxe8
4. gxf7+ white wins.
Enforced for black seems:
1. … Kg8
and what now?
2. gxh7+ Kh8 (not Kxh7 Qh3+)
3. Qg4 Qxd8+
is as unclear as the initial idea 1. gxf7….
Conclusion is that I must have missed something here…
Not finding a sensible continuation to 1. Qc8 Kg8, I should have to play:
1. gxh7 Qxd8+
2. Kf5
and then circle my king around the queen, hoping for an exchange of queens.
Keeping my queen steady on g4, I maintain the triple threat of Qc8, Qg8 and h8=Q. I can’t see how black comes out of all 3 threats, so I’m not afraid of loosing. But I’m afraid it looks like an eternal, and shurely white is supposed to win this…
1Qc8 and after exchange of queens
white gains a new queen.
1Qc8 and after exchange of queens
white gains a new queen.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Usually,I never consciously keep in mind the moves,once the puzzle has been solved,either by me or by others,unless the puzzle is extremely interesting,of course no doubt this puzzle is extremely interesting,to my remembrance this is the third time,its being posted and the precise combination had been given by others,of this blog.
I feel repetition of puzzle posting can be avoided.
[ Note: I never refer to any software for solving any of the puzzles.]
Okay,as of this puzzle is concerned,White wins the game.[ Variations exist ] – I had taken time to post this,because I had tried to see any other best possible combination.
Example
=======
1.Qc8 Kg8
2.Ba4 Q*Qc8
3.g*f+ Kf8
4.Bb4++ Mate [ Variations exist ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
1Qc8 nc7 2Be7+kg8 3Pxp+ kh1 mate
Perhaps I have a solution?
After looking at this for quite a long time, I like the idea:
1. Qc3 Kg8 (otherwise Be4+ wins)
2. gxh7+ Kh8 (Kxh7? Qh3+ wins)
3. Kg5!
with the idea Kh6! next and then Bf6# (if queen is still in 8th rank, or Bany# if it isn’t).
Here f6+ fails to Bf6+ and QxQ.
So I expect:
Q check, Kh6, Q check, my bishop goes between, with discovered mate!
Does black have any defence against this plan?
Three times, now. And Cortex is going to whack you over the head for forgetting to credit the composer. And, yes, this is an amazing puzzle, one I was unable to solve the first time it was posted.
Yes, I remember this one. Probably the best Zugzwang puzzle I’ve ever seen.
Lucymarie
Amazing. Anonymous (9 from top) found the solution. Rybka 2.2 was not able to find it.
Back by popular demand, here I am, and here is the source:
Mario Matous, Szachy, 1975, first honorable mention, version.
Is forgetting or mispelling a famous name really fair?
Fortunately, suspanlogar.globstop.cmo isn’t an existing name domain.
Yet.
An anonymous commenter wrote:
“Rybka 2.2 was not able to find it.”
Is this true? I am dumbfounded. While the key moves look unusual, I would have expected any of the modern programs running on today’s computers to find this in less than 10 seconds since it is a forced line to mate. What about other programs like Fritz?
The key is found damned fast by houdini, but this engine evaluates the position 0.00 (aka dead draw). More to come!
Depth 28, and still a 0.00
Cortex,
That is almost more amazing than the problem itself. If I may ask, what is the line it finds?