This weeks puzzle (last week puzzle was the jig-saw)
J. Granda Zuniga - I Ibragimov, US Open, Los Angeles 2003
White to play and....?
A clue? OK.
trade down to a won ending
J. Granda Zuniga - I Ibragimov 2003.
FEN
5bk1/5qp1/6Q1/4r3/P1p1N3/7P/2B2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 43
[FEN "5bk1/5qp1/6Q1/4r3/P1p1N3/7P/2B2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 43"] 43. Qh7+ {This sets it all up wonderfully.} 43... Kxh7 44. Ng5+ Kg8 {Kh8 or Kh6 then Nf7+ and NxR White is a piece up.} 45. Bh7+ {Full credit to White for looking at all the checks past the Queen sac.} 45... Kh8 46. Nxf7+ Kxh7 47. Nxe5 {White wins the ending. We play on for a few moves.} 47... c3 48. a5 c2 49. Nd3 Bb4 {White does not play NxB. That would lose.} 50. a6 Bc5 {Again White does not play NxB. That would lose.} 51. Kf1 Kg6 52. Ke2 Kf5 53. Kd2 c1=Q+ 54. Kxc1 Ba7 55. Kd2 {Now it is an easy win.}
Private Eye April 2024
I never gave you a puzzle last time out so this time you are getting two!
This one I reckon is a wee bit easier and I am going to give you a huge clue.
Composed by J. Hasek in 1929
White to play and win. The clue is in this variation.
FEN
4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kc5 {This is not the solution this is a variation to give you ideas.} 1... f5 {If Black does not play this then 2.Kd6 forces a mate.} 2. Bb5+ Kd8 {3. Ra8+ Ke7 or 3.Kd6 then Rf6+ so the clue is to solve it is to prevent Rf6.}
FEN
4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "4kr2/R4p2/6p1/8/1K6/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Bf5 {The Bishop has to be taken. and Black can never get the f7 pawn to f5 for Rf6+} 1... gxf5 2. Kc5 {The usual prime tactic in Rook endings, the skewer wins the study.} 2... f6 {2...Kd8 3.Kd6 wins.} 3. Kd6 {The pretty part being 3...Rf7 blocks a flight square. 4.Ra8 mate.} 3... Rg8 4. Ke6 {And black is either checkmated or drops the Rook to a skewer.} 4... Kf8 5. Kxf6
About a month ago I was showing the kids I coach good things you can do
with Knights. Amongst the examples I demonstrated was the following game
from the Traxler or the Wilkes Barre variation of the Two Knights Defence.
I skipped though all the theory and variations and just headed for the instructive
position and the Knight mate. I only used the game because I like to show how these
positions came about and they are from actual games. Not positions I've made up.
A week later some of them played in an Allegro, they all tried the Traxler...and lost.
This is the game I showed the kids with the Knight mate.
J Cesena - J Dyke, San Francisco 1979 (do not show kids this game.)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 {The Traxler. Do not go into this unless you are drenched in its theory.} 5. Nxf7 {White usually plays 5.Bxf7+ it is deemed better and tamer than 5.Nxf7.} 5... Bxf2+ {At the moment the fashion is not to take this. But White can play 6.Kxf2.} 6. Kf1 {There is a lot of theory to memorise in both this move and 6.Kxf7.} 6... Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. exd5 Bg4 {It was around here the kids started to forget what do next.} 9. Be2 Bxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qxf2 O-O-O 12. c3 {All the kids games that got this far saw 12.d3 and Black lost the lot.} 12... Rf8 13. cxd4 Ng4 14. Qxf8+ Qxf8+ {Black has bought an expensive Queen. But White is undeveloped.} 15. Ke1 Qf2+ {The Queen and Knight are always a formidable attacking duo.} 16. Kd1 exd4 {Care is still needed White should start untangling with 17.b3} 17. Re1 {This natural move is a big blunder. Now Black wins by force.} 17... d3 {Can you see the threat.} 18. h3 {Some books give 18. Nc3 as being played here.} 18... Qf3+ 19. gxf3 Nf2 {Their wee eyes sparkled with delight. I had created a roomful of monsters}
A Red Hot Pawn game with the Traxler and the 6.Kf1 variation.
Grumms - mookid RHP 2014
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 {White's safest line is 5.Bxf7+ Kf8 6. Bb3 or 6. Bd5 but there is a lot of theory to both.} 5. Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 {6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ and another chunk of theory to memorise.} 6... Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. exd5 Bg4 {From here OTB Black has a good score.} 9. Be2 Bxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qxf2 O-O-O {Here Beliavksky give 12.b3! with the idea of 12...Ng4 13.Ba3.} 12. Ng6 {Pointless. You want Black to waste a move taking this Knight on h8.} 12... hxg6 13. Na3 {13.Nc3 looks better but it is looking dodgy for White.} 13... Ne4 14. Qe3 Rf8+ 15. Ke1 {15. Kg1 was better but Black still has all the winning chances.} 15... Qh4+ 16. g3 {Now 16...Nxg3 and it is all over.} 16... Qg4 {This is OK the win is not far off.} 17. d3 {17....Rf2 with Re2+ coming and it is 0-1.} 17... Nf2 {Threatening Qd1 mate. 18. Kd2 and Black still has work to do.} 18. Bd2 Nxh1 {18...Rf3 put the boot in but White had seen enough and resigned.}
Had a few days holiday touring the Scottish West Coast Islands.
Despite my relaxed nautical disposition I never strayed far from the lifeboat
and made it a point to mingle with those who looked like strong swimmers.
