Originally posted by FireswordFeel free to pm me with your solution, and I can react to it. I promise to leave publication entirely up to you.
I think i have the solution, but i will hold it a bit so others can get a chance. In the meantime i will cross-check my suggestion.
Originally posted by Mephisto2Very good..
No tries? I may have two solutions:
a)
1.Kd2 (the more obvious one) dxc4 (dxe4? Rxe4 mate)
2.Ba5 (but also Bc7 leads to the same end) cxd3 (c3+? Bxc3 mate)
3.Bb6 Kc4
4.Rb1 Kd4
5.Rb4 mate
b)
1.Kc2 dxc4
2.Bb6 cxd3+ (c3? 3.Ba5 c4 4.Bb6 mate)
3.Kd2 Kc4
4.Rb1 Kd4
5.Rb4#
I was not aware of the second one.
:-)
Ok, i will give my solution to Mephisto´s puzzle, and then post my own puzzle:
1...Rxc3! (takes away a key defender of e4). Now white has several moves.
2.Bxc3 Bxe4+, and black will mate on h2.
2.gxh4 Rd2!!, white has no good moves. He needs to defend e4 and also move the queen without getting mated on h2.
2.Bxb7 Rxg3, and again white finds himself in trouble as Rg1+ followed by Nf2+ is threatened.
Those are just some variations, you can try finding some more, but the key here was to remove the knight which protected e4.
Now to my puzzle:
White: Ka5, a6, b5, d5, g6
Black: Ka7, Bd6, Ne5, Ne1, h2
White to move and win
Originally posted by FireswordThat is correct! It was actually played in the game Rothlevi - Rubinstein, Karlsbad 1907, and was for long considered as one of the most beautiful combinations in chess history. Not so much because of the first move, but of the fact that the many variations (of which the key ones are given by Firesword) had all to be calculated.
Ok, i will give my solution to Mephisto´s puzzle, and then post my own puzzle:
1...Rxc3! (takes away a key defender of e4). Now white has several moves.
2.Bxc3 Bxe4+, and black will mate on h2.
2.gxh4 Rd2!!, white has no good mov ...[text shortened]... , b5, d5, g6
Black: Ka7, Bd6, Ne5, Ne1, h2
White to move and win
Originally posted by FireswordI got this far, but it doesn't look like white has a win...
Ok, i will give my solution to Mephisto´s puzzle, and then post my own puzzle:
1...Rxc3! (takes away a key defender of e4). Now white has several moves.
2.Bxc3 Bxe4+, and black will mate on h2.
2.gxh4 Rd2!!, white has no good mov ...[text shortened]... , b5, d5, g6
Black: Ka7, Bd6, Ne5, Ne1, h2
White to move and win
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins) 3.Kb5 h1=Q 4.g8=Q+ Bb8 5.a7 Na3+ 6.Ka5 Qh2 7.axb8=Q+ Qxb8 8.Qe6 Nc4+ 9.Kb4
Originally posted by TimmyToiletSo far, I have nothing better. I also tried, in your line, 8.QxQ KxQ 9.Kb4 Nb1 and the knights will be able to control (or sac in one case) the 2 pawns.
I got this far, but it doesn't look like white has a win...
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins) 3.Kb5 h1=Q 4.g8=Q+ Bb8 5.a7 Na3+ 6.Ka5 Qh2 7.axb8=Q+ Qxb8 8.Qe6 Nc4+ 9.Kb4
What are we missing?
Originally posted by TimmyToiletIm at work at the moment so this is hard to do in the head.
I got this far, but it doesn't look like white has a win...
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins) 3.Kb5 h1=Q 4.g8=Q+ Bb8 5.a7 Na3+ 6.Ka5 Qh2 7.axb8=Q+ Qxb8 8.Qe6 Nc4+ 9.Kb4
Lets look at some things i can come up with here:
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins). Have you considered 4...Nc6+?
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ 3.Kb5 h1=Q 4.g8=Q+ Bb8 5.a7 Na3+ 6.Ka5 (i cant calculate it all in the head, but try looking on 6.Kc6)
Originally posted by FireswordYes, I looked at the first remark:"1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins). Have you considered 4...Nc6+?". White plays:
Im at work at the moment so this is hard to do in the head.
Lets look at some things i can come up with here:
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins). Have you considered 4...Nc6+?
1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ 3.Kb5 h1=Q ...[text shortened]... a5 (i cant calculate it all in the head, but try looking on 6.Kc6)
5.dxc6 Qh5+ 6.Qg5!! Qxg5 and now black has no checks after 7.Ka6. His best chance is 7. ... Bxa6 but then c7! is deadly).
On the mainline, despite your remark:"1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ 3.Kb5 h1=Q 4.g8=Q+ Bb8 5.a7 Na3+ 6.Ka5 (i cant calculate it all in the head, but try looking on 6.Kc6", I still don't see how white can win:
6.Kc6 Qh6+ 7.Kd7 (after 7.Qe6 Bf4 8.Kd7 Qxe6+ 9.dxe6 Nc4 looks good for black too) Qd6+ 8.Ke8 Bxa7 9.bxa7 Nec2 looks good for black (8.Qe6? Nb5!).
Originally posted by Mephisto2Ok i have some explaining to do. The puzzle i made isnt the original position, but theres a reason for that. Me and one of my chess friends saw this puzzle a few years ago, and thought it was very beautiful. In the original there was a pawn on h5, but we never found the reason why that pawn was there, so we always left it out when showing it to others.
Yes, I looked at the first remark:"1.b6+ Ka8 2.g7 Nc4+ (2...h8=Q+?? 3. g8=Q+! Bb8 4. a7 wins). Have you considered 4...Nc6+?". White plays:
5.dxc6 Qh5+ 6.Qg5!! Qxg5 and now black has no checks after 7.Ka6. His best chance is 7. ... Bx ...[text shortened]... Qd6+ 8.Ke8 Bxa7 9.bxa7 Nec2 looks good for black (8.Qe6? Nb5!).
But i guess now you guys have proved why there need to be a pawn on h5.
So Mephistho had the correct solution which is:
1.b6 + Ka8 2.g7 h1(Q) 3.g8(Q)+ Bb8 4. a7 Nc6+ 5.dxc6 Qh5+ 6.Qg5!! Qxg5+ 7.Ka6 Bxa7 8.c7 and 1-0
This is my number one study and it was made by Leopold Mitrofanov. Heres is a fact about it:
The jury of the Rustaveli tourney, which included Mikhail Tal, chose it from among 250 entries. The report said: "It doesn't look like any other, and is beyond the rest of the rest of the studies." Herbstmann, also a member of the jury, said: "Immediatly after the first preview, Mitrofanov's masterpiece created a tremendous impression by the intensity and novelty of the idea. The ranking of the other studies was designated by us beginning with the second place".
After all this describing, which just shows how fond i am of this study, i guess its Mephisto's turn to come with a puzzle.
Originally posted by FireswordIt was a very nice puzzel indeed. The beautiful queen sac on the 6th move was easier to find than it normally would, because the idea is the same as in the puzzel that TimmyToilet gave us (pages 14 to 16 of this thread).
Ok i have some explaining to do. The puzzle i made isnt the original position, but theres a reason for that. Me and one of my chess friends saw this puzzle a few years ago, and thought it was very beautiful. In the original there was a pawn on h5, but we never found the reason why that pawn was there, so we always left it out when showing it to others.
Bu ...[text shortened]... hich just shows how fond i am of this study, i guess its Mephisto's turn to come with a puzzle.
Doesn't anyone else have a puzzel? I hope so, but f not, I'll look for one in the coming days.
There's no one two or even three move mate that I can find. Does it involve sacrifice? Perhaps put black's king in check first with Nh5 moving to Nf4? That gives black's king 3 options, all pushing him away. If he chooses d4, he looks like he'll have a better chance protecting his pawns. The bishop would nevertheless be the second move after the initial check, I think.
Let's say this from the position:
White: Ka2, Be8, Nf7, Nh5
Black: Kd5, d2, e4, f3
White to move (and win???)
1.Nf4, Kd4 2.Ba4... (Kd4 seems like black's tactically best response because he could threaten Nf4 in one move if necessary, he stays off the white tile to avoid the white bishop, and this also keeps him as central as possible instead of moving to the sides of the board where checkmate is easier. This seems to only result in black winning a pawn promotion or the game resulting in draw.)
If the Nh5 check is overlooked and Ba4 is moved first, Nh5 has the possibility of moving Ng3 which will prevent the f3 pawn from promoting.
I still can't figure it out though. You sure white's king is in the right place? He never seems to come into play effectively enough at that distance to aid in forcing a checkmate, and I've been working almost exclusively with the knight from Nh5 possibilities and white's bishop; meanwhile Nf7 sits dormant, and the white king just stands there doing nothing.