Chess Basics, Letter 2 (9/23/1996, rev. 12/28/1996) ########################## Solutions for tasks from letter 1 ================================================================== Task 1: White: Kh1,Bd1,Nf1 (3) / Black: Kf5,Qd3,Bd4 (3) / White to move can reach a draw! Find out the move sequence! --------------------------------- Answer: 1. 1.Bc2 Qxc2 2.Ne3+ Bxc3 (STALEMATE = draw). The move sequence is forced, if black loses the queen, it's a draw, too. TB asked about STALEMATE: >Thanks for the hint on task one. Now for a question. Can you define all >the >things that must be present on the board in order to have a stalemate? I am >not completely sure of everything that must be present. With these rules in >hand I will again venture to the board and see if I can figure it out. HT It's as simple as that: If a party to move has no possibility to do so, but the K is _not_ in check, it's a STALEMATE. (There's no matter, how many pieces are on the board. Set up on your board the following, with white to move in any case: a) White: Kh1, Black: Kf3, Rg2 >> stalemate b) add white pawn on a4 >> no stalemate c) add black knight on a5 >> stalemate d) add white knight on h6 >> no stalemate e) add black queen on h8 >> stalemate ... ... you see, there are 'infinite' different possibilities for a stalemate. --------------------------------- Task 2: White: Kb8,Qg8,Rc2,Rd2,Bc4,Nd3,Nf5,Pa6,b2,b7,f4 (11) Black: Kh1,Qa4,Rh8,Ba5,Na8,Nb5,Pe7 (7) / White to move (puzzle from S. Lloyd): Find mate in 1 move! --------------------------------- Answer: 1. bxa8=Q++ (or, more moderate, 1.bxa8=B++) (BTW we learn from this about PAWN PROMOTION or - UNDERPROMOTION: For your pawn you can choose every piece, independant from the number of pieces remained on the board. You can have more than 1 queen, more than 2 rooks, etc.) --------------------------------- (from messages about task 2:) XX: >I don't see a one move mate. I see two ways to force mate with one >move, Rc1+ and Rd1+. Do they count? HT: This is in no case a mate in 1. Always it's possible, to put a black piece in between: Be1, Qd1, Qe4 XX: >> Answer: 1.Bd5++ Is this better? HT: Sorry, when the wB leaves the square c4, the bQ can reach square e4 (Did you simply use the diagram, to find the move? Set up your pieces on a real board (!): then you should realize, that _each_ attempt to mate in one by any of the white figures Q, R, B, N can be met by a black answer! If you have tried this out - which possibility remains?) Your last chance ;-) XX: OK, I found it, but only by trying every move! 1. bxa8=Q++ OPENING: SOME ADVICE HOW TO OPEN A GAME ======================================================================= (rough overview ... most of this you may know from books. If you have questions please ask: things will be illustrated later again and again in annotations, try to follow these advices, our motto is learning by doing) To get a good position during/ after the opening, you shall try - to get influence in the center of the board - to place your pieces active (in letter 3: a diagram to illustrate this will follow). 'BTW' you must try, to keep the game at least even, regarding the - time ('tempo') [don't waste a tempo] - material [Value of pieces, approx.: Queen = 9Pawns, r=4.5p, b=n=3p, but the 'real' value of a piece depends on the position] and - room. And you have to take into account the plans/threats from your opponent. A good advice is, to develop pieces in the following order (if your opponent 'allows', to do so): - 1 or 2 pawn moves, which 'makes sence', ie. allows light pieces to go on a good square. - knights, directed to the center, and bishops, directed to the center or opponent 'week points' - castelling as soon as possible - rooks, to get (half)open line(s) under control - queen ... and if you did this well, you can attack ;-) Especially, in the opening you should *NOT*: *1* come out with your queen too soon! (minor pieces can be develloped by attacking the Q, and you lose 1 (or more) tempo. [So: never try the 'Scholars Mate': If your opponent knows it and reacts right, you have a disadvantage; if not you would win otherways, too] *2* move a develloped piece a second time *3* push (a lot of) pawns senceless forward. *4* place your pieces too defencive (B > c4 or b5 instead of > e2, (if possible)) Enclosed two games, which typicly illustrates week play, with some annotations. In Example 1 White played against rules *2*, *4* and Black against *3*, in example 2 Black played against rule *1*: XMPL 1: Game AC - JH Ruy Lopez [C60] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Bd3 d5 5.Qe2 d4 6.Bc4 f6 7.c3 g6 8.O-O a6 9.h3 b5 10.Bb3 Bh6 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Qd3 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Nc6 14.Bd5 Nd4 15.Qd3 c6 16.Bb3 f5 17.Bd1 O-O 18.b4 a5 19.Bb3+ Be6 20.Bxe6 Nxe6 21.Qxd8 Nxd8 22.Bb2 Bg7 23.Bc3 Nb7 24.bxa5 Nxa5 25.d3 Nb7 26.Re1 Rf7 27.Nd2 Nc5 28.Nf3 fxe4 29.dxe4 Re7 30.Bb4 Reb7 31.Bxc5 Black resigned (1-0) Remarks: Develop a piece on a good square (3.Bb5!) and don't move it twice (4.Bd3??). Move 4. is especially bad, because it does not simply waste a 'tempo', it also blocks your d-pawn. This p must go forward, to get influence in the center, and to develop the Bc1. And then White moved this B again >c4 ... and again, at least 14.Bd5, instead of developing the pieces on the queens-side (Ra1,Nb1,Bc1). Black made the big mistake to push forward all his pawns. Very bad was 21.- Nxd8 and then the N crept along the rim >b7 >a5> b7, to simply exchange a pawn on a5, instead of 21.- Rfxd8. Instead of 28.- fxe4 Black could win the pawn d3 - and furtheron the game. Instead of this, he threw away a piece and lost. XMPL 2: RD - NN, (Center Counter Defence [B01]) 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qe6+? (best here: Qa5) - 4. Be2 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qg6 6. 0-0 Nf6 7. d4 e6? Nh4 8. Black resigns F) NEW TASKS ======================================================================= Between participants in CBasics I found already large differences in strength! To have a challenge for all, we now have tasks with different difficulties ( marked as: [*]= simple, [**]= medium, [***]= more difficult). When playing a game, no-one tells you: 'watch out for ... !'. You must recognize this by yourself. In these and future tasks we will learn about typical 'tricks' and mechanisms and about typical mate patterns. To know them, will enable you to recognize similar/analog situations in other positions. But I will not tell you beforehand, what's going on in the particular tasks (same situation, as in the real game :) You have to study these things, at least when the solution is out in the next letter - and then _the position on the board_ will tell you 'watch out for ...!'. You can't believe this? Well, the diagram for task 4 I had shown to 2 club players, both rating about 1600. 'A' found the solution after 2 seconds ('at once'), 'B' after 3 minutes. The difference was: 'A' saw the mate pattern within the position - and then the move sequence is self-evident. 'B' 'calculated' move sequences to get it. ------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ 8 | - + k + - + - + | 7 | + - + R + - + - | 6 | - + K + - + - + | 5 | + - + - + - + - | 4 | - + - + - + - + | 3 | + - + - + - + - | 2 | - + - + - + - + | 1 | + - + - + - + - | White to move +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 3 [*]: W.: Kc6,Rd7 ; B.: Kc8 White to move: Find mate in 3 moves in the above diagram! Answer: 1. ... --------------------------------- +-----------------+ 8 | - + - + - + - + | Black to move 7 | + - + a k - + a | 6 | a + - + a + - + | 5 | + r + - + - + - | 4 | - + - r A + - + | 3 | A - + - + - + - | 2 | - A - R R + A A | 1 | + - + - + - + K | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 4 [**]: W.: Kh1,Rd2,Re2,Pa3,b2,e4,g2,h2 (8) B.: Ke7,Rb5,Rd4,Pa6,d7,e6,h7 (7) Game Michaltschischin - Polajzer, Moskau 1993, Black to move. Find White's weakness and then you will see Black's winning move! Answer: Black's move is 1.- ... --------------------------------- +-----------------+ 8 | - r b + r + k + | Black to move 7 | + - q - a a + a | 6 | a + - a - + a B | 5 | + - a A n - + - | 4 | - a A + - Q - + | 3 | + A + B + - + - | 2 | A + - + - A A A | 1 | + - R - R - K - | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 5 [***]: W.: Kg1,Qf4,Rc1,Re1,Bd3,Bh6,Pa2,b3,c4,d5,f2,g2,h2 (13) B.: Kg8,Qc7,Rb8,Re8,Bc8,Ne5,Pa6,b4,c5,d6,e7,f7,g6,h7 (14) Game Kersten - Ulrich, Black to move. To win a piece here, with a 'triple-fork', seems to be good. But ... Find out, why 1.- Nxd3?? is a fault! Answer: White's answer is 2. ... --------------------------------- +-----------------+ 8 | - r - + - + k + | 7 | + - + - + - a a | 6 | - + - + - + - + | 5 | + - + - + - N - | 4 | - + - + - Q - + | 3 | + - + - + - + - | 2 | - q - + - + A A | 1 | + - + - + - + K | White to move +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 6 [***]: W.: Kh1,Qf4,Ng5,Pg2,h2 (5) B.: Kg8,Qb2,Rb8,Pg7,h7 (5) Find out the move sequence for White to win! Answer: 1. ... ---------------------------------