Chess Problem #235
Ok, first cup of coffee and all, but I’m not seeing this yet.
1. Qd4 will create a major overload condition, covered by the knight and threatening 3 of Black’s pieces at once, while only vulnerable to 1. Does it work as a bluff, a “Oops I did something stupid, take advantage of it” feint?
1. qxd7, pg6
2. bxg4, kg7
3. kxh2Nah, I’m, letting Black play foolishly and he’s getting creamed.
I’ll have to think on this and get back to you. More coffee.Yes, yes, more coffee.
I don’t drink coffee myself, my wife does. I’ve tried it and it tastes like what it is: burnt beans. But I love the smell of coffee in the morning. If I were single I’d have to brew coffee each morning just for the smell. Fortunately I’ve been married for the last twenty-two years, and I did turn her on to brewing her coffee each morning. Previously she used instant coffee. What an abomination!
I don’t think this is it, but the best move I see is:
1. Qxd7 P-h4 Black tries to prevent mate and save the threatened knight.
2. Q-c8+ K-h7
3. Q-c2+At this point, whatever black does, he is going to lose and trade more material; which will remove pressure on the white king and leave white in a dominant position, so black likely resigns. The position is a good example of why, while it is a good idea to protect the king, walling him in completely is dangerous.
Posted by JW
03/02/2012 at 05:03 PM
JW -
1. Qxd7, Ph5
2. Re8+, Kh7
3. Be4+, Kh6
4. Rh8+, Kg5
5. Qxg4++Perhaps opening the escape hatch with the g7 pawn would change it a little, but I think the end will be the same.
Glad to see my “before coffee” idea was on the right track.
It depends on how smart black is...mate in two if he does not advance a pawn on g or h file to open an escape route.
1) Qxd7, ...... Blacks queen is overloaded, cannot protect c8 and e8 which are both mates
2) Re8# the black king is trapped behind a wall of pawnsIf black opens the escape route it gets tricky and white must always keep him in check. There are two mates for black
if white is careless once the Rook is advanced to e8 1) ..... Qxf3 2) ...... Rh1#
Under no circumstance can whites bishop be moved from f3 if blacks queen is still at f6 and whites queen is not able to defend f2, mate in one for black if that occurs 1) Bxg4, Qxf2#
1) Qxd7, ph5 any other pawn move by black I would take the knight with the queen in order to attack the black rook
2) Re8!, Kh7
3) Be4!, Kh6
4) Qd2!, Ne3
5) Qxe3! Qh5
6) Rh8#
Again the queen is overloaded, unable to defend the king from three attackersPosted by Al_in_Ottawa
03/02/2012 at 07:37 PM
Drew, you forgot the pawn at h5 is still there. If Qxg4!, then pxg4. If the white king does not take the rook Qxf2 mate for black.
I bought a chess set for the grand sum of $3.93 at walmart since I cannot remember where pieces are after three moves. It helps a lot.
Posted by Al_in_Ottawa
03/02/2012 at 07:50 PM
Hate to ruin it for you Drew but:
1. Qxd7 Rh1+
2. BxR Qxf2++ or 2. KxR QxB 3. Kg2 Qf2++Or better for white
1. Qxd7 Rh1+
2. Kg2 and there is a potential for perpetual check and I wouldn’t want to play white and try to escape to the center of the board via f1 and e2.I looked at this problem for too long a time and gave up on it. I turned it over to my chess problem solver and there is indeed a good move for white. But it was too good for me to find.
I notice my editing was bad again, the h pawn can clearly only reach h5
1. Qxd7, Ph5
2. Re8+, Kh7
3. Be4+loses the game for white after black plays
3. ........, Pg6white must now play
4. Qd4 in order to stop Qa1+ and Qxf2++, but still can’t stop:
4. ........, Rxf2
5. Qxf2, Qxf2+
6. Kh1 , Qh2++if black opens the escape hatch with anything but Ph5, white plays Qxg4; which hangs the rook. If black opens with Ph6, he drops the rook as well, because it has nowhere to go
Posted by JW
03/02/2012 at 08:14 PM
Wes, further to your line of attack by black
1) Qxd7, Rh1+
2) Kxh1, Qxf3+
3) Kg1, Qxf2+
4) Kh1, Qh2#Whoever gets the opposing king in check first and keeps him there wins, it seems. This is a much tougher problem than it first appeared to be.
Perhaps the first move should be Nd4 to protect the Bishop at F2?
Posted by Al_in_Ottawa
03/02/2012 at 08:37 PM
I fear that everybody is on the wrong track. 1. Qxd7 is not the correct first move. But I looked at it too. As Al pointed out, it is tougher than it first appears. The solution is much more subtle. Black ends up dropping the Rook on h2, and with it, the game. Solution will be posted in the morning along with the next problem. I think we’ll stick with overloading for a few problems.
After the hint, I like Q-c5. White simultaneously protects the f2 pawn, freeing his bishop to take the black knight, and threatens a mating combination with Q-c8+, Bxc8, R-e8++. White doesn’t care how many times black can protect his knight, because the loss of the knight hangs the rook. I imagine it goes something like:
1. Q-c5 , Q-d8
2. Bxg4 , Bxg4
3. Kxh2At this point, black is boxed in, outnumbered, and has almost no hope for a counterattack to save the day, so he likely resigns.
Posted by JW
03/03/2012 at 12:26 AM
I gotta quit giving hints like that. Yes, JW, 1. Qc5 is the correct first move. It does cover f2 and overloads Black’s bishop, which is unable to cover both c8 and e8. Well done JW. As I said, it was subtle.
