Puzzle of the week #158

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 15:54

Achile's heel (3)

Level
3-Bishop
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #158"][Date "2011.04.03"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1rbq2kr/p1ppb1pp/1pn5/3NP1N1/6Q1/8/PPP2PPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1"]
This past Saturday I watched on TV the soccer game Vancouver - Kansas City 3-3 from MLS. The game was very entertaining and with lots of drama: 3 of the goals (2 for Vancouver and 1 for KC) were scored in injury time and Vancouver came back from 0-3 to tie the game. One of the important lessons from this game is also applicable to chess and goes like this: opportunities appear if you play well; all it takes is to make sure you use them in your favour.
In this game White has attacked early and went up a pawn; however Black needs only one opportunity to get his deadly Bishops out in the open and regain the initiative. Your tasks:
a) Formulate a plan for White who moves now
b) Use the plan to come up with the best line for White

Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #159.

Puzzle #157 solution:
Game between unknown players, Yugoslavia 1949. This was a quick and simple puzzle, asking for a quick and simple answer. Alex did it the best:
a) It is obvious White has the advantage. I did some analysing and here are the results:
white has pinned the Black Queen; if it moves, then it's checkmate [1... Q anywhere 2.Rxg7+ Kh8 3.Rh7+ Kg8 4.Qg7#]
white has a material advantage: two pawns
white's King looks safer because:
- White pieces are aiming strait towards the Black King
- Nothing really is attacking the White King directly
white's pawn chain is very strong (if there wasn't for the d4-pawn, Black had a chance to do smothered mate)
b) Here is the most probable result: 0-1
I'll show you why. Black really doesn't have much to do.

[Event "Puzzle #157"][Date "2011.03.27"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/pQRq2pk/4p2p/3r1p2/3P4/4P3/PP3PPP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]1...Rc5!! {It won't give up the smothered mate chance} 2.dxc5 (2.Rxc5 Qxb7 {Black wins}) 2...Qd1#

Correct solutions:
Ziyao, Leo, Harmony, Daniel, James, Derrick, Philip, Alex - 20 points
Leroy - 10 points
Eric - 2 points

Standings:
Ziyao - 199 points
Harmony - 193 points
James - 165 points
Alex - 151 points
Philip - 149 points
Leo - 140 points
Leroy - 96 points
Jeffrey - 95 points
Derrick - 93 points
Daniel - 50 points
Frank - 36 points
Kevin - 34 point
Danny - 19 points
Karl - 13 points
Eric - 2 points