Puzzles, Positions, and...

[Narz]

When I saw you'd replied with a spoiler my pride got triggered & I resolved I must solve it... and I figured it out.

Spoiler hint :

you have to find a way to force the original position to repeat but this time with black to move

 

[Yeekim]

As there seems to be no way for the black to force white rook from a-file (without it checking the black king) or to force white King from 2nd rank, I think the second one is a draw...

 

[Sashie VII]

Funny how positions with just a few pieces can be so confusing sometimes But that's the beauty of the endgame.

 

[Sashie VII]

As there seems to be no way for the black to force white rook from a-file (without it checking the black king) or to force white King from 2nd rank, I think the second one is a draw...

Indeed it is a draw. 1.Ra4 h4 2.Ra5 Kf6 3.Kh2

 

[Sashie VII]

White to move. Can either White or Black win this position?

Spoiler :

The answer is..

Spoiler :

White wins.1. f7 h2 2. f8=Q h1=Q 3. Qa8+ Kg1 4. Qa1+ Kg2 5. Qb2+ Kf1 6. Qc1+ Kg2 7. Qd2+ Kf1 8. Qd1+ Kg2 9. Qe2+ Kg1 10. Kg3 mate is inevitable.

Edit: Answer corrected, thanks to Narz. I forgot Qa8+ Kg1

 

[Narz]

Spoiler :

Yes, white can win.

1. f7 h2
2. f8=Q h1=Q
3. Qf3+ Kg1 (if Kh2 then Qg3#)
4. Qe3+

now if

4. ... Kg2
5. Qe2+ Kg1
6. Kg3 and mate is inevitable

and if...

4. ... Kf1
5. Qd3+ Kf2 (Kg2 is similar and Ke1 leads to a shewer of the queen with Qb1+)
6. Qd2+ Kf1
7. Kg3 and once again black is powerless to prevent loss of his queen with mate to follow

Fun one, thanks Sash. I did not see all that in my head before moving the pieces (from the original position) but probably would have found it in an actual game since there were only so many variations to calculate.

edit : Sash, there is an issue with your answer, 3. Qa1+ is not possible with the king of g2.

 

[Sashie VII]

White to move is a pawn down. Can White save the game?
Answer:

Spoiler :

1.g5! creates an unstoppable passed pawn. Well done if you saw this quickly

White to move. Find the best move.

Answer:

Spoiler :

1. Ba3! wins a rook. Why?

EDIT: With 1. Ba3! White threatens mate in 4: 1. ... Ba3! 2. RxR Qh6+! 3. KxQ Bf8+ 4. Kg5 h4+ 5. Kg4 Be2 mate.

 

[Yeekim]

The first one was solvable in about 5 seconds.
But the second solution I just can't see.

How the hell does this move win material?

 

[Sashie VII]

How the hell does this move win material?

Spoiler :

Because the rook is pinned to an important square.

 

[Yeekim]

Sorry, but what in God's name are you talking about?

EDIT: Ok, I guess I see it now...

 

[DaveShack]

Don't have a board available right now, but...

On that last one, Black can just reply Rxb1, so maybe that's not the intended solution.

 

[Sashie VII]

I've updated the double puzzle post with an answer for the 2nd one.

 

[col]

I spent a while looking at Bf8+ then Qh6+ before the other way round!

 

[Sashie VII]

White to move. Find the best move under the circumstances.

Answer:

Spoiler :

1. Rb1! BxR 2. Qxd6 and the tables are turned.

 

[Narz]

Spoiler :

I guessed right but black still seems to have a fair amount of pressure unless there's a forced way for white to win the rook &/or bishop while protecting against the backrank threat.

 

[Sashie VII]

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

I guessed right but black still seems to have a fair amount of pressure unless there's a forced way for white to win the rook &/or bishop while protecting against the backrank threat.

It might continue 2. ... Re8 3. Kg1 and then Black has to constantly consider f8 and the potential forks. The pawn will soon be gone, and then White breathes a lot easier

 

[Narz]

Yeah, I saw that but I always get a bit nervous (often overly so) when I've got an advanced pawn coming down on me & back rank threats. I blame all the speed chess I played when I was first starting out where my opponents would often sack material for advanced pawns they knew would make me nervous & play overly defensively. I lost a lot of games like that, though had they been slow games (let alone correspondence) I would have have little to worry about in most of 'em.

 

[Sashie VII]

Find the best continuation for Black.

Spoiler :

1. ... Ng3+ 2. hxg3 Qh6+ Qh5 3. Qxh5#

 

[peter grimes]

I actually got it for once!

 

[Narz]

A classic & very satisfying theme.