November 8, 2010

Today's challenge

Hello everyone!

Today I will post a few studies that I solved yesterday and found them interesting. They are from the book: "DE PION", by Hans Bohm and Yochanan Afek. It's a very nice book, with a lot of exercises. Some of them are so beautiful that I really enjoy my time solving them. Although...sometimes I get frustrated because I don't find the idea and than I get stuck. But when you see it, even after a long thought, the feeling you get is really great! So don't cheat with a machine! I won the book by solving the daily study by Yochanan Afek, in the previous edition of Corus Tournament in Wijk aan Zee. Looking forward to win another book this year:)

Here are the positions:

 
Black to move
White to move
White to move
White to move
GOOD LUCK!

6 comments:

  1. My take is that the first one is really a simple promotion game combo. I'am going to risk not even setting it up. 1. ... Rxb2 2. Nxb2 c3 3. Nd3 c4+ 4. Rxb6 cxd3 should win easy.
    I am disqualified from solving number 2, since it was shown to us by fm S. Barbeau during a class on chess studies organised by my club. Hence, I think that I am also disqualified for number 3 which is a variation on the same theme.
    Number 4 was really nice. I found the mating idea fairly quickly to my own surprise (took just a little time to figure out that the promotion must happen on move 2). With the black night arriving in the game at f3, I got confused as I didn't see the Zugzwang (for one or two evenings). Now it seems obvious! I think there is a famous quote, that once something has been discovered it seems obvious. I totally get it now. So 1. Nf7 + Kh7 2. e8=N (threatening mate on f6 or f8 depending on which knight moves as well as an immediate mate by Neg5: the ingredients of Zugzwang.) 2. ...e1=N+ 3. Kb3 a1=N= 4. Ka2 Nf3 (else mate on g5) 5. Kxa1 (here we have the astonishing situation that 3 white knights threaten mate on 3 different squares guarded b 3 black knights since the arrival of the f3 knight. If either moves, it is mate, hence the final 2 moves complete the solution after which one of three mates can happen) 5. ...a2 6. Kxa2.
    If I may do a couple of aesthetic comments.
    Number 1 was really easy and doesn't fully qualify as a study in my sense.
    I had not managed to solve number 2 in the class (with just about 10-15 minutes working as a pair, we didn't even come close) It's an amusing construction, but I find it a bit laborious. The same applied for number 3
    I very much liked number 4. I have faible for under-promotions and knight mates anyway.
    Looking ahead to Afek's study, it seams some white man should pass through e4 (e2-e4-e5 maybe later Re4) but I expected lots of false leads from this great modern study composer and can't seem at first sight to make much sense of the position. I might work on another one first (chess cafe's) to clear my mind. Sorry to be so verbose today! Thanks for the posts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What if, in the first position, after:
    1...Rb2 2. Nb2 c3 White goes 3.Rb5 instead of 3.Nd3?:)
    The fourth one is correct, I also liked it very much!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello,

    If the question is about3.Rxb6: Oops, I didn't look at it at all. Good news is I am lucky and 3..c4 does the trick (only got it moving the pieces after running out of alternatives). I guess this sort of laziness in mental calculation of variation explains my OTB level of only 2100. Thanks for the lesson! I might try using a timer to calculate for increasingly long periods without moving the pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  4. cheng1012
    mcm outlet, http://www.mcm.in.net/
    true religion jeans, http://www.truereligionjeansoutlet.com/
    nike huarache, http://www.nikeairhuarache.org.uk/
    nike trainers, http://www.niketrainers.me.uk/
    tory burch outlet, http://www.toryburchoutletonline.in.net/
    nike roshe, http://www.nikerosherunshoes.co.uk/
    canada goose outlet, http://www.canada-gooseoutlet.us.com/
    louis vuitton handbags, http://www.louisvuittonhandbagsoutlet.co.uk/
    north face jackets, http://www.thenorthfaces.in.net/
    pandora jewelry, http://www.pandora.eu.com/
    cheap nike shoes, http://www.cheap-nikeshoes.cc/
    lacoste polo shirts, http://www.lacostepoloshirts.cc/
    lululemon outlet, http://www.lululemonoutletstore.in.net/
    hermes bags, http://www.hermesbags.co.uk/
    cheap nhl jerseys, http://www.nhljerseys.us.com/
    beats by dr dre, http://www.beatsbydrdre-headphones.us.com/
    air jordan 4, http://www.airjordan4.org/
    air jordan 13, http://www.airjordan13s.com/
    nike mercurial, http://www.nikemercurial.org/
    cheap mlb jerseys, http://www.cheapmlbjerseys.us.com/
    kobe 9, http://www.kobe9elite.us.com/
    michael kors outlet, http://michaelkors.outletonlinestores.us.com/
    cyber monday deals, http://www.blackfridaydeals.us.com/
    air max 90, http://www.airmax90.us.com/
    ray ban sunglasses, http://www.ray-bansunglasses.eu.com/
    beats headphones, http://www.beats-headphones.in.net/

    ReplyDelete