White to move. How should white proceed?
This is one of the 20 puzzles the participants of the 2011 SP Girls’ Invitational are solving right now.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
SPGI Puzzle Solving Challenge
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Qh2
God, I love double checks! This was a nice puzzle! My first thought was 1.Qh2, but this is too slow:
1. Qh2 Rf2
Took me a while to find this reply for black, but it does foil my plan. Continuing:
2. Qh7
Here, 2.Qh8 won’t change much- the black king still gets away:
2. …..Kf7
3. g6 Ke8
4. Qg7 and I just don’t see a continuation here for white that will win. The hard part of this puzzle is seeing that you don’t need a rook behind the queen to mate black, but the queen does need to come to h2 with check for the timing to work out for white:
1. Rh8! Kh8
2. Qh2! Kg8
3. Qh7!!
Beautiful, a truly beautiful follow up sacrifice! Continuing:
3. ….. Kh7
4. Nf6
My favorite kind of move- the double check! Here, it is lethal:
4. ….. Kh8
5. Rh1#
White has a forced mate in 5.
1. Rh8+, KxRh8
2. Qh2+, Kg8
3. Qh7+, KxQh7
4. Nf6++, Kh8
5. Rh1#
1. Rh8+ Kxh8
2. Qh2+ Kg8
3. Qh7+ Kxh7
4. Nf6++ Kh8
5. Rh1#
This was easy. With so many of white’s forces training their guns on the black king, something was bound to give way – white just needed to find the right sequence of moves.
1. Rh8+ Kxh8
2. Qh2+ Kg8
3. Qh7+! Kxh7
4. Nf6+!! Kh8
5. Rh1#
Two sacrifices just to get the knight in the right place with tempo 🙂
1. Rh7, Nce7 (Kxh7 loses to 2. Nf6+ double check, Kh8 3. Rd1#)
Here considering some variations
1. …, Nxe5
2. Rdh1, Ng6(attacking with Nc3 won’t help)
3. Bxg6
1. …, Nf6
2. Nxf6+, Rxf6
3. gxf6, Rxf6
4. Qxf6, gxf6
5. Rg1+, Kf1
6. Bg6
1. …, Rf6
2. Nxf6+, Nxf6
3. gxf6, Rxf6
4. Qxf6, gxf6 and it continues as above
1. …, Re7
2. Rxg7+, Rxg7
3. Qxe6+, Rf7
4. g6
There are many other possibilities but White is ahead on all
1.Rh8+ Kxh8
2.Qh2+ Kg8
3.Qh7+ Kxh7
4.Nf6+ Kh8
5.Rh1# ..nice puzzle! took me a few minutes to figure it out eventually. lol
1.Rh8 Kh8 2.Qh2 Kg8 3.Qh7 Kh7 4.Nf6 Kh8 5.Rh1 1-0
Let’s sacrifice some material… Rh8+ – Kxh8, Qh2+ – Kg8, Qh7+ – Kxh7, Nf6+ – Kh8, Rh2# BAM; and the black king is going to meet its maker!
double sac
double check
mate
Max Lange
I’m only 1600+ but doesn’t
Rh8+ Kh8
Qh2+ Kg8
Qh7+ Kh7
Nf6+ Kh8
Rh1+
do the trick? The logical process for me was “(a) do nothing and get quickly mated so EVERY move must be forcing (b) wonderful things happen if you can get the K on h7 and the double check (Nf6+) so how do you get him there?” and the rest follows from there.
But basically you had to look for a sacrificial solution because one non-forcing move and you get mated and Susan wouldn’t post an ignominious mate!
1g6 wins
This one is very easy. All the moves are forced.
1 Rh8+ Kxh8
2 Qh2+ Kg8
3 Qh7+ Kxh7
4 Nf6+ Kh8
5 Rh1++
Hi Susan Polgar,
Why so ease puzzle(This Puzzle) for professional players,is it because they are all ladies – lol .
We men are always treated second to ladies every ever,too sad – lol.
Okay okay sweet ladies be cool – just for fun. [ Caution :Those who take this funny comment into their heart means that they are taking us(Men)into their heart – Now,hope that no one will take this comment to their heart : lol ]
Okay Okay,coming to the puzzle : White wins the game in ease.
Example
=======
1.Rh8+ K*Rh8
2.Qh2+ Kg8
3.Rh1 Nc3+
4.N*Nc3 B*Nc3
5.Qh8++ Mate
White wins the game – Slight variations exists still white wins the game with ease.
Susan,if possible give all the 20 puzzles in one shot,so solutions will be given for all the puzzles in one stretch,if that really be interesting to “Moving Wonders”( I mean ladies ).
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Why so ease puzzle(This Puzzle) for professional players,is it because they are all ladies – lol .
We men are always treated second to ladies every ever,too sad – lol.
Okay okay sweet ladies be cool – just for fun. [ Caution :Those who take this funny comment into their heart means that they are taking us(Men)into their heart – Now,hope that no one will take this comment to their heart : lol ]
Okay Okay,coming to the puzzle : White wins the game in ease.
Example
=======
1.Rh8+ K*Rh8
2.Qh2+ Kg8
3.Rh1 Nc3+
4.N*Nc3 B*Nc3
5.Qh8++ Mate
White wins the game – Slight variations exists still white wins the game with ease.
Susan,if possible give all the 20 puzzles in one shot,so solutions will be given for all the puzzles in one stretch,if that really be interesting to “Moving Wonders”( I mean ladies ).
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
1.Rh8+ Kxh8
2.Qh2+ Kg8
3.Qh7+ Kxh7
4.Nf6+ Kh8
5.Rh1#
Only moves, forced.