Test Your Chess Skill

[♫anna♫]

White to play and win material. Can anyone spot White's move that wins a piece?

[Emerald]

Just wondering does the rook jump over the Knight and take that piece, Anna? I am trying to learn lol

[♫anna♫]

Apr 26, 2015 23:48:54 GMT Emerald said:

Just wondering does the rook jump over the Knight and take that piece, Anna? I am trying to learn lol

No Emerald only knights can jump over other pieces and land on a square not occupied by a pawn or piece of it's own color.

This is a difficult puzzle to solve. Only Big Lin or blc might solve it.

[kronks]

I'd probably go queen to d7, but if I was playing against Skitler I'd probably resign!!

[Big Lin]

I'm surprised to hear you say that, Kronks. I've played both you and Skitler and I'd say you were definitely the better player of the two!

[kronks]

Apr 28, 2015 19:59:48 GMT Big Lin said:

I'm surprised to hear you say that, Kronks. I've played both you and Skitler and I'd say you were definitely the better player of the two!

Well maybe a bit better, we have a had a lot of close games though.

The current one looks to be a draw, I don't think I can win, but I think I can
keep him in perpetual check, making a draw.

If I don't I think he will win.

Anyhow I would not resign really

Anyway I think I might get a pawn from D7 which is not much and it is still
pretty complicated.

I used to have a chess program, but it is on my old PC I think.

I have just downloaded  a new one, Arena chess, the controls and stuff are complicated
I tried playing game but it was in 5 minute mode and I ran out of time, I was behind anyway,
but it is clearly pretty good, better than Skitler I'd say.

If you put it in tournament mode it takes for ever, but you can interrupt it I think.

If I can figure out how to do it I will try and play that position against it, but I need to
learn how to do it.

[♫anna♫]

Apr 28, 2015 5:58:32 GMT kronks said:

I'd probably go queen to d7, but if I was playing against Skitler I'd probably resign!!

Why play Queen to d2? Exploit the position of the Black Bishop.

[♫anna♫]

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

[Scottish Lassie]

Oct 13, 2015 23:54:19 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

Hi Anna, I have forgotten the moves that each piece can make, so although I would like to play, I can't. Is that Pawns or Bishops on the board?

[kronks]

Apr 28, 2015 5:58:32 GMT kronks said:

I'd probably go queen to d7, but if I was playing against Skitler I'd probably resign!!

Yes d7 not d2 attacks a pawn which is not protected and not easy to defend, I could not see anything really
decisive though, but that looked the best move to me.

[kronks]

Oct 14, 2015 8:30:29 GMT Scottish Lassie said:

Oct 13, 2015 23:54:19 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

Hi Anna, I have forgotten the moves that each piece can make, so although I would like to play, I can't. Is that Pawns or Bishops on the board?

Those are pawns they can move one square forward (or two for their very first move) and they can take a piece one diagonally in a forwards direction.

[kronks]

Oct 13, 2015 23:54:19 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

Well he can move to b2 and force the black kind back (or black moves his pawn forward until one can betaken and passed)
then when the black king is back a space he can move the king to the side say c3 so he can move pawn tob4 whilst still protected and repeat the process. Or until black does the sensible thing and resigns
But not all players are as sensible as that!!

[Big Lin]

I'd just sacrifice my queen-side pawn, race my king over to the far side of the board, knock of the Black pawns and queen my own two kingside pawns.

But I'm sure that's the wrong answer!

[♫anna♫]

Oct 14, 2015 13:42:43 GMT Big Lin said:

I'd just sacrifice my queen-side pawn, race my king over to the far side of the board, knock of the Black pawns and queen my own two kingside pawns.

But I'm sure that's the wrong answer!

Would you immediately move your king away from the pawn it's protecting and go after the black pawns Big Lin ?

[blc]

I'd move the white Queen from D3 to C2.

[Big Lin]

Yes, because I can move my king over to the kingside quickly at the expense of a pawn and capture the two Black pawns without counterplay and then queen my own pawn.

I'm sure that's the wrong answer but that's what I'd do in an actual game!

[Big Lin]

BLC, you and I must be looking at different games!

[blc]

Oct 14, 2015 19:57:57 GMT Big Lin said:

BLC, you and I must be looking at different games!

I'm replying to the first post of the thread. Maybe something changed since there were other images posted.

[♫anna♫]

Oct 14, 2015 19:56:04 GMT blc said:

I'd move the white Queen from D3 to C2.

You got the right idea blc . It was a long time ago when I posted this position and at first glance it appears that either bringing the Queen or Rook to the c file wins, but Black I believe has a saving resource against either the rook or queen move. I actually forget and I'll have to try and dig up my notes or solve it myself.

[♫anna♫]

If anyone doesn't understand the algebraic notation that blc uses to describe chess moves I hope this image makes it understandable.

[blc]

Oct 15, 2015 4:57:48 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

Oct 14, 2015 19:56:04 GMT blc said:

I'd move the white Queen from D3 to C2.

You got the right idea blc . It was a long time ago when I posted this position and at first glance it appears that either bringing the Queen or Rook to the c file wins, but Black I believe has a saving resource against either the rook or queen move. I actually forget and I'll have to try and dig up my notes or solve it myself.

If I take the Queen to C2, then depending on what black does, my rook would be free to take the black bishop.

[♫anna♫]

Oct 15, 2015 7:34:09 GMT blc said:

Oct 15, 2015 4:57:48 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

You got the right idea blc . It was a long time ago when I posted this position and at first glance it appears that either bringing the Queen or Rook to the c file wins, but Black I believe has a saving resource against either the rook or queen move. I actually forget and I'll have to try and dig up my notes or solve it myself.

If I take the Queen to C2, then depending on what black does, my rook would be free to take the black bishop.

You're right blc . Attempting to win the Bishop with Rook f1 to c1 only runs into Black's saving response Rook c8 to d8 attacking White's Queen and saving the Bishop.

[♫anna♫]

Oct 14, 2015 8:30:29 GMT Scottish Lassie said:

Oct 13, 2015 23:54:19 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

Hi Anna, I have forgotten the moves that each piece can make, so although I would like to play, I can't. Is that Pawns or Bishops on the board?

This is a chess endgame Scottish Lassie with only pawns and of course the Black + White Kings.

[blc]

Oct 15, 2015 18:33:34 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

Oct 15, 2015 7:34:09 GMT blc said:

If I take the Queen to C2, then depending on what black does, my rook would be free to take the black bishop.

You're right blc . Attempting to win the Bishop with Rook f1 to c1 only runs into Black's saving response Rook c8 to d8 attacking White's Queen and saving the Bishop.

Not THAT rook.

[♫anna♫]

Oct 14, 2015 10:17:59 GMT kronks said:

Oct 13, 2015 23:54:19 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

White can win easily, but you have to do an Alice in Wonderland type dance to keep the Black king away from neutralising the White pawns.

kronks Big Lin mikemarshall blc

Well he can move to b2 and force the black kind back (or black moves his pawn forward until one can betaken and passed)
then when the black king is back a space he can move the king to the side say c3 so he can move pawn tob4 whilst still protected and repeat the process. Or until black does the sensible thing and resigns
But not all players are as sensible as that!!

Correct kronks ! The first move and only winning move is King to b2. Black has to retreat a square probably to b5 maintaing the "opposition" and making it impossible to queen the b pawn. White goes to c3 which is called triangulation. Black plays King to and c5 only then does the White King go after the Black pawns winning since Black must make an extra move to capture the b pawn.
Big Lin