Gelfand – Shirov (Odessa, 2007) – This puzzle was sent to me by Michael J. Thanks Michael! This is a good one!
White just played 41.Rf5. Now, it is Black to move. Can Black save this game?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Grandmaster tactic
seems lost, perhaps
Be7
is the best try.
1. … Qf4+
2. gxf4 (forced)
if 2. rxf4, fg mate
2. … bf2+
3. Qg3, bxq
4. kxq, a2-a1(Queen)
should win for black. now 5. rxf6+ kg7.
the black pawn on b6 is protected because of …qg1+
Wow — this is a fun one. I figured it out in only a few seconds, only to realize I’d only half-solved the problem, and that it had two levels. Really nice. I first wrote:
Ok, it’s almost mate. If only black can displace the white rook, then PxP is mate. Secondly, if the white rook weren’t attacking the queen, and pawn on g3 were missing, it would also be checkmate. This led me to immediately find the winning move: …Qf4+!
41 (Rf5) Qf4+
42 PxQ (if 42 RxQ PxP++ mate!)
42 … Bf2+
43 Qg3 BxQ+
44 KxB PxP
45 RxP+ K-any, and a1+Q next move!
Black has gained a queen for a rook and has a won game — and with the passed b-pawn can even sack the queen for the rook at an opportune time when the white king can’t catch the b-pawn.
So I wrote all that, and now I see that anon_3:06 got it as well, but beat me to the punch and posted first, while I’m previewing.
Or not!! I just figured out that we both got it all wrong. Actually, Qf4+ is correct, but better as the second move in the combination. For if we go back to square 1, or literally, square a1, if the white queen is deflected first, then the Bish check wouldn’t win the queen — it would be mate. Whew who!
Duh! I got the key queen sack in about 10 seconds, but it took me ten more minutes now to see that it was the follow-up move. So the pawn queens first:
41 (Rf5) a1=Q!!
42 QxQ Qf4+!!
43 PxQ Bf2++
Wow. So white can’t take the newly promoted queen at all to survive mate and now a whole queen down is toast, and mated quickly in most variations:
41 (Rf5) a1=Q!!
42 Qd3 Be3
43 Qd6 Qf3
44 Rxf6+ Qa1xR
45 QxQ+ (or 45 PxQ Bg5++)
45 … QxQ
46 PxQ Bg5++
or 41 (Rf5) (a1=Q)
42 Rxf6+ QxR
43 QxR+ QxQ
44 PxQ Be3!
45 g4 Bf2++ (or any other move and Bg5++)
Wow, that was way cool. In a real game I probably would have found Qf4+ and have been so thrilled with it that I would have played it without seeing that I could get a whole queen instead of queen for rook because the promoted pawn is immune from capture. Excellent puzzle.
what about
1 ..a1Q
2. rxf6+ kg7
3. qxa1
or
1 ..a1Q
2. rxf6+ qxf6
3. qxf6+ qxf6
4. gxf6
i suppose its also lost on the b-pawn
I fell to Be7, too. Of course that loses because of gxf6 (which is the only defense I see!?). 🙁
a1Q is a really nice move – did Shirov play it?
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1)…..B-d4
2)Rxf2-Bxc3
3)Rxh2-fxg5#
anon_9:34 said…
“1)…..B-d4
2)Rxf2-Bxc3
3)Rxh2-fxg5#”
Except instead of 2 Rxf2?? white can respond to Bd4 with Qc6!! — stopping the immediate fxg5 mate threat by pinning the pawn, and thus ruining the beautiful …Qf4+ sack, while threatening perpetual checks on the back rank starting with Qe8+, which black cannot stop.
anon_4:43 said:
“what about
1. … a1Q
2. rxf6+ kg7
3. qxa1″
Instead of …Kg7?? …Qxf6+!!
“or
1. …a1Q
2. rxf6+ qxf6
3. qxf6+ qxf6
4. gxf6
i suppose its also lost on the b-pawn”
No, it’s actually mate in two:
4 (gxf6) Be3!! is zugzwang of sorts as the king is trapped and there are only three possible pawn moves left, all of which allow a bishop mate:
5 e5 Bg5++ or
5 f7 Bg5++ or
5 g4 Bf2++
The precarious position of white’s king leaves it helpless after all white’s pieces have been traded off.
Jochen said…
“a1Q is a really nice move – did Shirov play it?”
Hey I just looked it up on chessgames.com. No, Shirov played the move I would have played in a real game without looking further: he played the queen sack …Qf4+, PxQ Bxf2+, Qg3 BxQ, KxQ a1=Q, and Gelfand resigned 10 moves later.
I always was a fan of Shirov and his way to play chess – perhaps I should be a fan of you now, Tom. 😉
But I have to correct you: Be3 isn’t zugzwang because even if white would not be forced to move black could mate him.
Btw for completeness to this problem another “wrong solution”:
next to Bd4 there is another “obvious” try: 1. -, Qd4.
I think the only (but good and effective) defense is 2. Rxf6+, Kg7 3. Qb3! (e.g. Qxe4+ 4. Kh5 probably with perpetual (Qh7-e4+ and back)).
Altogether a nice problem.
Jochen
Jochen said…
“I always was a fan of Shirov and his way to play chess – perhaps I should be a fan of you now, Tom. ;)”
Nah, I’m not even a master (yet) and tend to choke under time pressure, but give me a board and lots of free time and I’m a pretty good puzzle-solver, especially if I know there’s something to be found. Whereas these GM’s are geniuses — I get more fun out of pouring over their games than I do playing with other patzers.
“But I have to correct you: Be3 isn’t zugzwang because even if white would not be forced to move black could mate him.”
Yes that’s true. I guess I knew this when I said “a zugzwang of sorts” as you are right — in a true zugzwang you’d be ok if you could just pass your turn, and having to move is what sinks you; but here it is mate no matter what.
“Btw for completeness to this problem another ‘wrong solution’: next to Bd4 there is another ‘obvious’ try: 1. -, Qd4.
I think the only (but good and effective) defense is 2. Rxf6+, Kg7 3. Qb3! (e.g. Qxe4+ 4. Kh5 probably with perpetual (Qh7-e4+ and back)).”
Yes, though 3 Qf3! looks equally effective: 3 Qf3 a1=Q 4 Rf7+ Kg8 (else QxP+) 5 Rb7 and white gets a perpetual going back and forth from b7-b8 (black could play …Qg7 but after RxQ QxR, KxP, white has a better game, I think).
While we’re at it, in the name of completeness as well, white also has one more defense to 1…a1=Q that I missed, which is 2 Qb3! staying on the 3rd rank to block the bish at g3 while threatening Qg8+! with perpetual checks. But black can simply double his queens with Qaa2, protecting the diagonal and threatening the queen exchange, and there is no defense for white.
“Altogether a nice problem.
Jochen”
Yes, I really liked that one a lot as well.