[$tar_boy]

Interesting thread!

Problem 5.
white can play Bc7 if rxc7 then re8 is a clear victory ....if black takes Qxc7 instead of rxc7 then re8 and promote the pawn to queen.

Problem 6.

pawn to c3 check! if kxc3 then Qa1! if kd3 then bf1 wins. if the king goes to d2 then Ra2! then it can be won by white.

if pawn to c3 is responded by Qxc3 then Qxb5 followed by Ra7 is a clean victory of white.




problem 6.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by $tar_boy

Problem 5.
white can play Bc7 if rxc7 then re8 is a clear victory ....if black takes Qxc7 instead of rxc7 then re8 and promote the pawn to queen.

Correct!!

The winning move is 1. Bc7! That makes the Queen move from d8 (thus making it possible to promote the pawn immediately), and also opens up the file for the Rook to play Re8. The two threats are way too much to handle and Black can't do anything.

1. Bc7!

If 1. ... Rxc7, then 2. Re8+ wins the Queen and the game.

If 1. ... Qxc7, then 2. d8=Q+ wins immediately, and so does 2. Re8+ followed by 3. d8=Q

In the actual game, Black tried 1. ... Nf4+, and after 2. Kf1, Black resigned!

BTW, this game was Fischer-Camillo, 1956: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008362

Problem 6.
pawn to c3 check! if kxc3 then Qa1! if kd3 then bf1 wins. if the king goes to d2 then Ra2! then it can be won by white.

if pawn to c3 is responded by Qxc3 then Qxb5 followed by Ra7 is a clean victory of white.

Correct again! However, this requires a bit more precise calculations to get all the variations right. And it requires calculating each variation till the end because any mistake even later on can be fatal.

This was a game Kasparov-Topalov, 1999. This is one of the Kasparov's greatest games, known as the "Kasparov's Immortal": https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1011478

To appreciate the beauty of this game, I highly recommend playing through the above game. Even before arriving at the position given in Problem 6, Kasaprov already had played two of the most sensational moves, known as his "double rook sacrifice". Those moves are 24. Rxd4 followed by 25. Re7+. Absolutely brilliant!!

Moves likes these, and games like these are the reason why Kasparov is my all time favorite player! Absolutely the best player!!

Anyways, coming to the position given in Problem 6, which was already after the above-mentioned masterstrokes of the double rook sac, both Kings are in open and vulnerable to attack. If hypothetically it was Black's turn, then Black could checkmate White with 1. ... Rd1+, 2. Kb2 Qc3 mate! However, it is White who has already calculated everything till the end, and it is White who has forced this position onto Black with his continuous attacking moves.

But for White to thwart's black counter-threat and continue his attack to the logical end, it still requires another brilliant move. 1. c3+!

However, it is not enough to just play 1.c3+. Black has multiple options, and White must calculate each of those lines to the end, to be sure the attack is still working.

The complete solution is given below. Instead of typing the moves here, I am copying my variation board from Fritz, since it is lot easier to enter moves and format the variations there.



I highly recommend all of you to play through the game (use the chessgames link shared earlier) and enjoy the beauty of the Kasparov's Immortal!

[Sutripta]

Problem 5 was easy, but I'm so so out of touch that calculating all possible lines through in problem 6 was too much.

I think I'll (un)gracefully retire and leave this thread to the big boys!

Regards
Sutripta

[Sutripta]

Just for interest.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/bl...renaline-sport

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Just for interest.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/bl...renaline-sport

Thanks for sharing this news.

Yes, this was a great event, and the games were very exciting!

Like everything else, this lockdown has affected chess world too. However, chess world has one advantage that the games can be played online too. With anti-cheating software now quite powerful in detecting any computer-aided cheating, online chess is getting more serious than ever before!

Thus, suddenly there is a boom in online tournaments, and this is a great news for chess fans.

Two more events I am looking forward to are happening online in next two weeks:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/fide...ns-cup-preview

https://lichess.org/blog/XqxUIxIAACE...rg-12---14-may

However, although online chess is exciting, these events are still blitz or rapid. The first of the above events has a time control of 25+10 (rapid), and the second event has 5+2 (blitz).

These fast time controls sure lead to a very exciting chess (and we all enjoy that), but none of these will come close to the beauty of the 7 hour classical games. I hope we get to see the 7 hour "over the board" games soon.

[Sutripta]

Carlsen and Anand came to Calcutta last year. Even attended an impromptu 'para' club. Unfortunately just at that time I had to be out of Calcutta. It would have been incredible seeing World Champions at play. Even if the T20 version!

PS. Might even have seen one of Carlsen's rare losses!

Regards
Sutripta

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Carlsen and Anand came to Calcutta last year. Even attended an impromptu 'para' club. Unfortunately just at that time I had to be out of Calcutta. It would have been incredible seeing World Champions at play. Even if the T20 version!

Yup, that was a great opportunity to watch this place.

I was lucky enough to watch Anand and Carlsen play in a World Championship match! In 2013 in Chennai, I watched two of the games in person. I watched Games 5 and 6, both were decisive in favor of Carlsen.

It was an experience that I will cherish forever - to watch Anand and Carlsen play in person, in front of you, and that too, in a World Championship match!

Anyways, coming back to the problems, I was discussing the position in Problem 6 with a friend of mine who is a master level chess player who plays in the European circuit. He showed me another beautiful position from one of Kasparov's games. This one is also one of the masterstrokes by Kasparov. The position is given below:

Problem 7: Black to play and win. Black is Garry Kasparov!

Problem 7. Black to play and win.

Hint: This is one of the masterstrokes of imagination and beauty in chess. Here, the important thing is to "see" the move rather than calculate all lines (which if of course important, and in real games you can's afford to miscalculate even a beautiful move!). However, for our discussion, let's focus on "seeing" the moves to make this easier for us :-)

[Sutripta]

^^^
I know I'm rusty (ie below novice level now!) but what is wrong with a straightforward (=no beauty) attack on the bishop on g2? Of course see to it that the Q does not pinned.
What am I missing?

Regards
Sutripta

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Problem 7: Black to play and win. Black is Garry Kasparov!

... Bf1
Kxf1 Ne3+
Ke1 Qh5+
Ke2. Qxh2

The g2 bishop is also going to go...

[Sutripta]

^^^
This is simple combinational play. Am sure AD is referring to something else.

Instead of Kxf1, Bg3. But really doesn't help.

Regards
Sutripta

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
I know I'm rusty (ie below novice level now!) but what is wrong with a straightforward (=no beauty) attack on the bishop on g2? Of course see to it that the Q does not pinned.
What am I missing?

You are right that attack on g2 is the straightforward idea. But the question is how. There was one trick in the position.

Let's say Black plays Ne3 or Nh4 (which are the most obvious moves attacking g2), then White can play Bxf4, pinning and winning the Black Queen! This is the key point of this puzzle.

So the question is how to attack g2, without allowing White any counterplay? And certainly without allowing Bxf4 which would win for White!

Originally Posted by blackwasp

... Bf1
Kxf1 Ne3+
Ke1 Qh5+
Ke2. Qxh2

The g2 bishop is also going to go...

Correct!!

The move that attacks g2 without allowing Bxf4 is none of the Knight moves. But this surprising Bishop move. Note that the Bishop can be taken. So this Bishop sacrifices itself in most spectacular way to gain attack on g2.

1. ... Bf1

2. Kxf1 (forced, there is no other choice)

2. ... Ne3+

This move (which was earlier not possible due to Bxf4 threat) is now possible because it comes with check! There is just no time for White to play Bxf4! This is the beauty of the first Bf1 move which drags the King to f1 square (by sacrificing itself) so that Ne3 comes with a check!!

3. Ke1

(if 3. Ke3 then Qxg2+ 4. Ke1 Qf1+ 5. Kd2 Qd1#)

3. ... Qh4+!

This is another important point. Black is not rushing into taking on g2 (which givens White enough counterplay), but instead, takes on h2 and kills any counterplay by White.

4. Ke2 Qxh2

Black resigned one move later.

This game was Gelfand-Kasparov, 1997. The full game can be viewed and played through here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1357062

[Sutripta]

^^^
Was expecting something more!

Regards
Sutripta

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
Was expecting something more!

Well, this was not meant to be a very difficult one. More difficult problems will come as we develop this thread :-)

Having said that, Bf1 is not an easy move to see "on the board". This seems easy in the analysis, but while you are playing the game, it is incredibly difficult to "see" Bf1. Most players would analyze a lot of knight moves. There are a lot of other tactics going on which could take time to calculate. Most people while watching the game (including many grandmasters I am sure, and including Boris Gelfand himself playing Black here, who was a world class player in his own right) did not see Bf1. It was one of those surprise moves to everyone including Boris Gelfand when Bf1 was actually played on the board. This game is famous for this surprise element, and not necessarily the long calculations that follow.

I choose this position because the calculations are simple, but it is critical to "see" the first move!

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Well, this was not meant to be a very difficult one. More difficult problems will come as we develop this thread :-)

Not talking of things like mate in 10 or something. I was expecting something which did not concentrate firepower on g2, yet strangled white.

Regards
Sutripta

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Two more events I am looking forward to are happening online in next two weeks:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/fide...ns-cup-preview

BTW, the above event has started now, and right now India-US match is going on. Very exciting! Check out the above link to follow the games.