White to move. How should White proceed?
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White to move. How should White proceed?
1.Nf6 seems to lead to a mate.
Nf6+! …
a)… Kh8
Rxh8+ Bxh8
Rxh8#
b)… Rxf6
Rd8+ Rf8
Rg7+ Kh8
Rxf8#
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1. Nf6+ RxN (1 ..Kh8 2. Rxh7+ Bxh7 3. Rxh7#) 2. Rd8+ Rf8 3. Rg7+ Kh8 4. Rxf8#.
GM Polgar…are you biased in favor of White when it comes to chess puzzles? LOL! Seriously…although these kind of chess puzzles are fun to solve, it’s NOT the correct way to improve chess ability! At least in my opinion.
The reason why is simple…chess puzzles…whether they’re hard or easy…trains the mind to look at solving chess problems as being solvable ONLY one particular way.
It’s nice to see chess puzzles because there is an answer to the problem…but this isn’t possible OTB during play. I believe the best way to improve tactical and strategic skills is to solve very difficult chess problems that DON’T have only one way of solving the problem.
Complex positions which allows the player to choose among different plans…and analyzing the various combinations leading to certain kinds of positions are better training. An example would be Mark Dvoretsky’s School of Chess Excellence books. These have “problems” that don’t have a single solution…but you have to choose the BEST continuation…not the ONLY continuation.
Yeah, teach to the teacher how to teach.
🙂
Honestly, some people just don’t have a clue, tut tut tut. I hope Susan don’t pay that much attention to posts like this and stop posting fun puzzles here.
Oops, I meant “I hope Susan doesn’t pay that much attention to posts like this and keep on posting fun puzzles here.”
Sorry, my English sometimes fails in this time of morning 😛
N-f6+ RxN
R-g7+ K-h1
R-c8+ R-f8
RXR+
You want to know what’s frustrating to me? I can’t seem to solve ANY of these puzzles. And this one was pretty simple. I look and look and then I have to click on the comments to find the answer. Some people are condemned to perpetual patzerdom, I guess.
jack, i feel the same way you do the first few minutes that i look at some really difficult position — I don’t have the foggiest, and i have a OTB USCF 2180 rating.
i usually look at each obvious move, fan out the possible variations. if i do not see the win i go to the next set of moves and variations.
Although, i am tempted to give up at some point and want to click the comment box, i never do so, regardless of how long it will take to find the best moves. I go back and again to run the moves in my mind.
Maybe a chess board set up will help you?
Jack — I’m not a very good player (ELO 1583 after first OTB tournament), but I feel it must be good practice to spot imbalances and tactics, even though I can spot correct first move in only about 1/3 of these puzzles. I do my best to calculate lines (usually can’t go beyond 3 or 4 moves in a complex position). DON’T GIVE UP! Over time I think we’ll both improve.
BTW, had a lesson w/ a strong GM a few years back, and he said he spends lots of time REPEATEDLY going over tactical positions in the hopes that he’ll be able to spot familiar tactical patterns under game conditions; said tactics are an essential weapon even for positional players — sooner or later you must spot a winning tactic to prevail in a game.
The main idea of this post is always check the checks.The way to think is that white down material and is mated in one or forced to exchange rooks(thereby losing all his remaining firepower) so there must be something happening with checks. Then you check the two checks on the board Rg7 and Nf6. Rg7 there is one check and then you quit. So Nf6+ Rxf6 (Kh8 Rxh7+ is mate in two, once you see this you begin to suspect you onto something) but okay Rd8+ one more check, Rf8 forced Now Rg7+(mates in two) or Rxf8+(this trades more stuff). This puzzle is not so hard since everything is happening with check. Learning to check checks quickly and accurately will help you alot Jack.
Hey thanks for the feedback folks! I will take your advice.
As usual people have missed black’s best response. Before playing 2. — Rf8 Black can play 2. — Be8 and extend the puzzle to mate in 5, not mate in 4.
“Yeah, teach to the teacher how to teach.
🙂 “
I have never seen a “teacher” who does not even bother to give answers to the questions she asks.
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I have never seen a “teacher” who does not even bother to give answers to the questions she asks.
>>
This is her blog and therefore Susan can post whatever she wants whether you like it or not. She is not meant to be yourm y or anyone’s trainer here.
When you hire a trainer and pay for the service THEN you can claim for the type of puzzles you would like to see and the answers for them.