Happy Birthday, Chess Today - Plus a Puzzle
The email daily Chess Today turned 10 on Monday and still seems to be going strong, which is an achievement for founder Alexander Baburin and an ongoing boon for the chess community. Each day it presents one or more puzzles, a news roundup, the occasional book review and (most of the time) a deeply annotated game.
A puzzle given in the 10th anniversary issue featured this position, from an old (1962) game Roos-Ferry. (Generally the puzzles are of newer vintage, but apparently nothing jumped out from the day's action.)
It's White to move and win, and as White's advantage is overwhelming there really isn't a shortage of right answers. Still, see if you can find the fastest way (or ways), and I'll return to this in a second post later today.
Reader Comments (9)
1. Nh6+ Kh8 (1. ... Kh7 2. Qxb2) 2. Qg8+ Rxg8 3. Nf7+ Kh7 4. Ng5+ Kh8 5. Rh6+ Bxh6 6. Rh7#
That's one solution - the one chosen in the game, in fact. The second is even nicer, though, IMO, and has two aesthetic advantages. First, it's quicker (unless Black makes spite moves, in which case it has the same length) and second, there are no inelegant lines like 1.Nh6+ Kh7 2.Qxb2. Good job, and no computer use, please!
1. Rh6, threatening 2. Rh8+ BxR 3. Nh6++
Black can move the R on f8 but then 2. Rh8+ BxR 3. Nh6+ Kf8 4. Qf7++
If black moves the B then 2. Ng5+ leads to mate after blocks on the queen's diagonal.
Hmm, are we allowed to post our answers? I see an alternate solution, but I think the spiteful line in that one makes it even less elegant than the game solution. Maybe if the King was on h2 it would look better to me.
1. Rh6, threatening 2. Rh8+ BxR 3. Nh6++
If 1. ...BxR 2. Ng5+ Kh8 3. Rh7++
Black can move the R on f8 but then 2. Rh8+ BxR 3. Nh6+ Kf8 4. Qf7++
If black moves the B then 2. Ng5+ leads to mate after blocks on the queen's diagonal.
Correction to the 1. Rh6 BxR line... 2. NxB+ Kh8 3. QxQ+ Bg7 4. QxB++ is the correct finish.
1.Rh6! (threatens 2.Rh8+ Bh8: 3.Nh6 mate, also after 1.-Qb3: or 1.-Qf6) 1.-B anywhere 2.Ng5+ Qb3: 3.Rg6+ Bg7 4.Rgg7:+ Kh8 5.Rh7+ Kg8 6.Tdg7# Hmm, but did black make any spite moves? And he might actually even survive one move longer if he inserts 1.-Qb1+ !? 2.Kh2!? Something wrong with my solution, or is there a third one?
1. Rh6!! Qxb3 2. Rh8+ Bxh8 3. Nh6#
Oh, right, 1. Rh6.