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Posted by ganstaman kttstudios.com 5/04/2008 08:11:43 Play online chess	Subject: Puzzle 283 Message: Ok, the puzzle on the homepage at the time of me writing this (search for puzzle number 283 here: gameknot.com ) White to move, mate in 4. I won't spoil the solution given, as it is brilliant seeming to me. But how can black spoil white's plan of Qh4-(h or e)7-b7#? I can see black delaying the journey by 1 move, so it would be mate in 4. What did I miss, if anything?
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/04/2008 08:21:53 Play online chess	I think the answer is Message: 1. Qh4 Rh1!
Posted by sf115 kttstudios.com 5/04/2008 08:35:09 Play online chess	Message: If 1. Qh4 Rh1 white either: 2. Qxh1 a1=Q 3. Qh7 Qxa6+ 4. bxa6 b1=Q 5. Qb7++ which is a move slower than the actual solution. OR 2. continue with the original plan with 2. Qe7 Rh8+ 3. Nd8 Rh7 (3...Rxd8 also slows down whites mate) 4. Qb7+ Rxb7 5. axb7++ which is also in 5 moves. So there is only a mate in 5, which is slower than the actual solution ——— Interview with Magnus Carlsen — The world's best chess player on modelling for G-Star Raw, psychological ploys, and why he's not big on Christmas. Q: Hello Magnus ... MC: Hello Small Talk. Q: How does it feel to be back for the London Chess Classic? MC: It feels good. Last year's tournament was really enjoyable and very successful for me too. Q: The Russian world champion Mikhail Botvinnik used to get training partners to deliberately blow smoke in his face to prepare for opponents who may try to unsettle him. Is there anything you do to prepare for psychological tricks or gamesmanship? MC: Thankfully, one cannot smoke at the board now so I don't have to worry about that. I try to focus on the game rather than ...
Posted by ganstaman kttstudios.com 5/04/2008 09:50:31 Play online chess	Message: Ah, that seems to do it. Thanks. ——— McShane Retains Lead at London Classic; Anand Beats Carlsen — Luke McShane, who won his first two games, did not win in Round 3 of the London Chess Classic on Friday. But he managed to draw against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the former world chess champion, and thus remained in the lead. After three of the four games in each of the first two rounds ended decisively, Friday was relatively quiet, with three games ending in draws. The exception was a win by Viswanathan Anand of India, the world chess champion, over Magnus Carlsen of Norway. It was the second loss for Carlsen, who actually had an advantage early in the game before making two bad moves that allowed Anand to shatter his kingside pawns and then infiltrate with his queen and rook. Carlsen could ...
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 03:53:48 Play online chess	Message: There is an alternate solution that is not accounted for by this puzzle. This kind of thing irritates me. It turns out that my first choice was in fact correct, but the puzzle said I made a mistake. Once you know the solution, it is easy to see that my alternate path works because mine is based on the same principles that are used in the given one. It's still mate in four, but why are alternate solutions unaccounted for? I thought that problem was fixed long ago. ——— Surprising Leader at London Chess Classic — The torrid pace continued at the London Chess Classic on Thursday as three of the four games again ended decisively. Luke McShane of England, who had pulled off a big upset by beating Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Round 1, won again in Round 2, beating Nigel Short, another Englishman. It was Short’s second loss. Carlsen bounced back by upending Michael Adams, one of the four English chess players. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, who had managed to draw a long game against the world chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India in Round 1, had Black for the second game in a row. It was also his 23rd birthday. His opponent, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the former world chess champion, ended up ...
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:22:15 Play online chess	That problem was fixed long ago Message: Lighttotheright, I think you're wrong here though - puzzle 283 has only one solution (for mate in four). ——— Exciting and Surprising Start to the London Chess Classic — If every round of the London Chess Classic is like the first round, then it is going to be a very exciting tournament. The chess tournament began Wednesday and three of the four games ended decisively. The most stunning result was the victory of the English grandmaster Luke McShane over Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Carlsen played some speculative moves and was punished brilliantly by McShane. The other two wins were also quite exciting. Michael Adams, one of the four English chess players, checkmated his countryman David Howell in 27 moves with a scintillating attack, while Vladimir Kramnik of Russia overwhelmed Nigel Short, the other English player, with a central pawn break that eventually led to ...
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:33:40 Play online chess	Message: The alternate 1. Nd8 works and is confirmed. It is mate in four just like the given solution. ——— Women’s World Chess Championship Begins With Some Upsets — The first round of the Women’s World Chess Championship, which is being held in Hatay, Turkey, ended Monday, and a few of the higher-ranked chess players are already on their way home. The biggest upset was the victory of Betul Cemre Yildiz of Turkey over Pia Cramling of Sweden. Cramling was a semifinalist at the 2008 championship and is ranked No. 9 in the world among women. The manner in which she lost was also surprising as she simply used up all her time in the second game of her match before she could make her 40th move in a completely equal and uncomplicated position. Other upset victims included Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia, who lost tie-breaker games Monday to ...
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:38:41 Play online chess	Message: Heinzkat -- I'm not wrong. 1. Nd8 does work. The problem is that no computer can solve this particular problem from four moves out. The computer checking the solutions is wrong. Once you input the solution, the computer suddenly sees the solution at 2 or 3 moves out depending upon the program that you use. This particular puzzle is an anti-computer one.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:47:30 Play online chess	Lighttotheright! Message: This is the interesting part of the puzzle, which is not covered in puzzle #283, since the puzzle application didn't support underpromotions of the opposite side back then. After 1. Nd8? [if I may boldly give it a ?] c2 2. Qc1 b1=B! Black is stalemated and there can be no mate in four. After 1. Nb4 however, 1. ... c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Nd3! exd3 4. Qh1, it IS mate in four :-)
Posted by chessnovice kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:48:12 Play online chess	... Message: Sometimes puzzle makers don't have solutions entered entirely. Human error is prone to omissions. If you find an alternate solution, you're able to enter it. Nothing to necessarily get irritated about, I think.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:55:26 Play online chess	Also... Message: Remember GameKnot does no checking of the puzzle at all - the puzzle application merely checks if all variations end in checkmate. If so, the puzzle is 'approved' 'correct' (twice '', ah well) an can be put up for others to solve. As you can see on the puzzle page, a lot of the puzzles still have some hiatuses then. If you think 1. Nd8 mates in four too, 'prove it'! You can do so by browsing to puzzle #283, hover over 'Options' in the right corner and click 'Alt. solution...'. This will give you the option to prove there is another way to play, that results in mate in at most the same number of moves as the original author. If all variations are correct, you can save the puzzle too, and the puzzle has been 'improved'.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 04:58:36 Play online chess	Message: 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Nd5 Qb2 (or any move) 4. Nc7# It is forced checkmate. There is no stalemate with my solution. The alternate is confirmed, and not seen by computer at four moves out.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:00:17 Play online chess	Message: 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Nd5 Bb2 (or any move) 4. Nc7# Sorry I made a slight error in copying the line. This is correct.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:01:19 Play online chess	2. ... b1=B! Message: Not 2. ... b1=Q. Please re-evaluate your assessments. :-) (note that I hadn't noticed the b1=B solution either. A nice brilliancy by Ado Kraemer)
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:02:30 Play online chess	Lighttotheright Message: 3. ... Bb2 is not possible in the intended line! It's 2. ... b1=B, not 2. ... bxc1=B.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:03:18 Play online chess	Message: I did it again. 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Ne6 Bb2 (or any move) 4. Nc7# Those knight moves can get confusing. I think this is correct now.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:06:00 Play online chess	Message: Heinskat look at the position. The key to the solutiion is the knight path. The Queen sac is to block any defence by black. The solution is very simple. 1. Nb4 and 1. Nd8 both work.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:06:23 Play online chess	Note that in your line... Message: 3. ... Bb2 is illegal. In fact, after 3. Ne6, all Black's moves are illegal - it is stalemate!
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:09:59 Play online chess	OK... with a diagram then... Message: After 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Ne6 It is Black to move. Do you see any legal ones? Interesting how Ado Kraemer can still keep us busy with his brilliant problems, 36 years after he died.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:14:36 Play online chess	Message: OK heinzkat. You threw me for a loop with b1. I was thinking about the c1 square. But even with b1=B, it is still checkmate in four. 1. Nd8 b1=b 2. Qxc3 and my solution still works.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:21:11 Play online chess	Well... Message: 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B is the line that makes mate in four impossible. 1. Nd8 b1=B like you give in this last post, perfectly mates in four - but there's a difference. Carefully check the notations right from the beginning of this thread, I think I haven't messed up any of them...
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:21:54 Play online chess	Message: OK...It is still not stalemate. But it would be a mate in 5 instead. 1. Nd8 c2 2. Qc1 b1=B 3. Qxc2 and it is not stalemate. ...but it does take an extra turn to get the knight to c7.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:24:17 Play online chess	Message: Sorry for some of the copy mistakes. My copy function on my computer is not working. I have to reboot my whole computer to correct the problem.
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:24:20 Play online chess	Exactly... Message: And therefore, 1. Nd8 is an incorrect try. Mate in five is possible in many ways - there is only one correct starting move to mate in four.
Posted by lighttotheright kttstudios.com 5/05/2008 05:58:50 Play online chess	Message: Well, it looked correct to me at the time. And my computer was not cooperating with me either!
Posted by chessnovice kttstudios.com 5/06/2008 13:55:37 Play online chess	... Message: b1=B is pretty clever! Indeed, prolongs the Nd8 line by one move. I wouldn't worry about not considering that though, since I doubt that very many people really would.
Posted by bogg kttstudios.com 5/06/2008 15:13:15 Play online chess	In case anyone else has the ... Message: same problem that I had. The reason that 2. ... b1=B doesn't cook 1.Nb4 and does cook 1. Nd4 and 1. Nd8 is because after 1.Nd4 White has 3. Nd3 ed: 4. Qh1++. Took me a while to see the tree within the forest. CTC
Posted by heinzkat kttstudios.com 5/07/2008 01:30:09 Play online chess	chessnovice Message: Obviously the composer did consider it :) bogg: indeed, see my post above too, 5/05/2008 04:47:30
Posted by chessnovice kttstudios.com 5/07/2008 01:44:28 Play online chess	hienzkat Message: True. But if you can't trust the composer, who can you trust?
Posted by bogg kttstudios.com 5/07/2008 06:35:06 Play online chess	heinzkat Message: Missed that post. Would have saved me some time had I noticed it. CTC