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Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44
First of all a problem to demonstrate how even a secure back rank can be ‘put to the sword’.
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I.Sokolov-De Firmian
Reykjavik
1998
Black to play and checkmate in 5 moves
Solution:
39...Qxc5+!!
39...Rxf1+, aiming for a
"Philidor’s Legacy", fails after 40 Rxf1 Qxc5+ 41 Kh1 Nf2+ 42 Rxf2 as
White’s bishop covers the c1 square.
40 Bd4
Or 40 Kh1 Nf2+ 41 Kg1 Nd1+
42 Kh1 (42 Bd4 Rxf1#; 42 Rxc5 Rxf1#) 42...Rxf1#.
40...Qxd4+ 41 Kh1 Nf2+ 42 Kg1 Nd1+ 43
Qxd4
White is also mated after 43 Kh1 Rxf1#.
43...Rxf1#.
Next a world-class player demonstrates how
in the ending the power of two rooks can outweigh a queen.
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Shirov-Anand
Linares
1998
Anand states that "The endgame is won for Black". Nevertheless, it demands a tedious manoeuvring and gradual improvement of the position of Black's rooks in order to be able to exploit the numerous White pawn weaknesses and win.
33 Qb1
Threatens Qb8+ and Qb1+,
indirectly defends e5 and c3 and goes for the pawn on a7.
33...Rd8 34 Qb7 Rxc3 35 Qxa7 Rcc8 36 a4
Ra8 37 Qc7 Rdc8
37...Rd4?! 38 Qc6 Rdxa4 39 e6 fxe6 40 Qxe6+ Kh8 is
going to require a lot of work for Black to win.
38 Qb7 Re8 39 Qc6 Rac8 40 Qd7 Rcd8 41 Qc7
Rd5 42 a5 Rdxe5 43 a6 R5e7 44 Qc6 Rf8!
Now the doubling of the rooks on
the a-file can no longer be prevented, the a-pawn falls, after which, the
kingside pawns will be wiped out.
45 Kh3
45 Qc5 Rd7 followed by
...Ra8 or ...Ra7.
45...Ra7 46 g4 Rfa8 47 Kh4 Rxa6 48 Qb7
Ra5 49 Qc6 Rf8 50 Qb6 Rg5 51 Qb3 Kh8 52 Qb4 Re8 53 Qa4 Rd8 54 Qe4 f5 55 gxf5
Rf8 0-1
Notes by Hecht.
Here we have an interesting problem!
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White to play and mate in three moves but you cannot give me a solution!! The reason for this is Black must have moved (whether this involved a capture or not) either one of his rooks or his king last move. If he had moved his queen's rook then the solution would be:
1 Qg5 Kd8 (1...Kf8 2 Qxe7+ Kg8 3 Qf7#) 2 Qd5+ Kc8 (2...Ke8 3 Qxa8#) 3.Qxa8#.
However if he had moved his king’s rook last move then the solution would be:
1 Qd4 Rg8 2 Qd7+ Kf8 3 Qxe7#.
Finally if Black had moved his king on his last turn then both 1 Qg5 or 1 Qd4 are correct solutions!
Finally a joke problem - White to play and mate in one!
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The solution is 1 g7-g8=... a black knight!! Apparently some time ago the rule regarding promotion read ‘A pawn, on reaching the far side of the board, may be converted into any piece’ - meaning a queen, rook, bishop or knight but no mention (probably the possibility hadn’t occurred to them) of which colour that piece should be!
