Overloading
Level
5-Queen
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #317"][Date "2017.05.02"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "2r1k3/p3nrR1/1p1p4/2p1p1p1/2P1B3/2PP1P2/P5K1/7R w - - 0 1"]
Black is up a pawn in this complex endgame and is ready to give it back (the g5-pawn is free to take) in exchange for activating Rc8. It is white to move. Your tasks:
a) Analyse the position, decide and explain if white should take the g5-pawn or not
b) Play the best line you can think of for white
c) Which black piece is overloaded?
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next time together with puzzle #318.
Puzzle #316 solution:
Game Burn – Cohn, Breslau 1912. Most complete answer was by Coco:
a) The white pieces in good positions include:
- Ne5; it is on an outpost and attacks the f7 weak spot, which is currently defended by no piece other than the lone king
- Rf1; it aims at the black castle on a semi-open file, and can support white attackers and bring itself into the attack if needed
- Qe2; the white queen is very powerful and is currently able to get into the attack
- Bc2; on the second longest diagonal, it is active and directly aiming at h7, a deadly threat if white decides to follow up with the h7-sacrifice and the f6-knight is rid of
- Bg5 is also ready to help with a kingside attack, and it can exchange itself for the e6-knight, a pesky defender, anytime. However, it is currently under attack
- Rd1; it supports the d4-passed pawn in the center, and is on a semi-open file. It is able to bring itself into the attack later on when Rf1 moves
b) The black pieces in good positions include:
- Nf6; it is doing a great job for a minor piece, blocking off the more aggressive squares white can put his queen on: h5 and g4. It also directly stops anything to do with h7, and it blocks the white rook from taking advantage on f7 and the f-file right away
- Ne6; it chases away an attacker, and it is defensive. It protects the g7-pawn and can block checks
- Bb7, attacking white's castle. However, it cannot do much due to the lack of other attackers and the defended castle
- the advanced pawn chain on the queenside (a6-b5-c4), which is not easily broken down, and limits the movement of white's bishop/queen on the queenside. It also allows black to gain some space
c) White should sacrifice the knight on f7, use the resulting pin on the f-file, and also open up black's kingside castle. White has enough attackers, and black doesn't have that many defenders on the kingside
[Event "Puzzle #316"][Date "2017.04.24"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r3r1k1/1bq1bppp/p3nn2/1p2N1B1/2pP4/2N1P3/PPB1Q1PP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1"]1. Nxf7 Kxf7 2. Qh5+ Kg8 (2... Kf8 3. Bxh7 (3. Qxh7 {Deryk} 3... Nxg5 4. Qh8+ Kf7 5. Qh5+ Kg8 6. Qxg5 b4)) (2... g6 3. Qxh7+ Ng7 4. Qxg6+ {Cody, Coco} (4. d5 Bxd5 5. Qxg6+ Ke6 6. Rxd5 {Benjamin})) 3. Bxf6 Bxf6 4. Qxh7+ Kf8 5. Bg6 Red8 6. d5 Qe5 (6... Ng5 7. Rxf6+ {Jalen}) 7. Rxf6+ Qxf6 8. Rf1 {Game line}
Correct solutions:
Coco - 18 points
Cody, Jalen - 16 points
Benjamin - 13 points
Deryk - 11 points
Uros, Yakov - 5 points
Bradley - 19 points for #315
Standings:
Jalen - 190 points
Coco - 179 points
Cody - 177 points
Bradley - 162 points
Deryk - 102 points
Benjamin - 97 points
Uros - 63 points
Dheera - 39 points
Yakov - 34 points
a) Analyse the position, decide and explain if white should take the g5-pawn or not
b) Play the best line you can think of for white
c) Which black piece is overloaded?
Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next time together with puzzle #318.
Puzzle #316 solution:
Game Burn – Cohn, Breslau 1912. Most complete answer was by Coco:
a) The white pieces in good positions include:
- Ne5; it is on an outpost and attacks the f7 weak spot, which is currently defended by no piece other than the lone king
- Rf1; it aims at the black castle on a semi-open file, and can support white attackers and bring itself into the attack if needed
- Qe2; the white queen is very powerful and is currently able to get into the attack
- Bc2; on the second longest diagonal, it is active and directly aiming at h7, a deadly threat if white decides to follow up with the h7-sacrifice and the f6-knight is rid of
- Bg5 is also ready to help with a kingside attack, and it can exchange itself for the e6-knight, a pesky defender, anytime. However, it is currently under attack
- Rd1; it supports the d4-passed pawn in the center, and is on a semi-open file. It is able to bring itself into the attack later on when Rf1 moves
b) The black pieces in good positions include:
- Nf6; it is doing a great job for a minor piece, blocking off the more aggressive squares white can put his queen on: h5 and g4. It also directly stops anything to do with h7, and it blocks the white rook from taking advantage on f7 and the f-file right away
- Ne6; it chases away an attacker, and it is defensive. It protects the g7-pawn and can block checks
- Bb7, attacking white's castle. However, it cannot do much due to the lack of other attackers and the defended castle
- the advanced pawn chain on the queenside (a6-b5-c4), which is not easily broken down, and limits the movement of white's bishop/queen on the queenside. It also allows black to gain some space
c) White should sacrifice the knight on f7, use the resulting pin on the f-file, and also open up black's kingside castle. White has enough attackers, and black doesn't have that many defenders on the kingside
[Event "Puzzle #316"][Date "2017.04.24"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r3r1k1/1bq1bppp/p3nn2/1p2N1B1/2pP4/2N1P3/PPB1Q1PP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1"]1. Nxf7 Kxf7 2. Qh5+ Kg8 (2... Kf8 3. Bxh7 (3. Qxh7 {Deryk} 3... Nxg5 4. Qh8+ Kf7 5. Qh5+ Kg8 6. Qxg5 b4)) (2... g6 3. Qxh7+ Ng7 4. Qxg6+ {Cody, Coco} (4. d5 Bxd5 5. Qxg6+ Ke6 6. Rxd5 {Benjamin})) 3. Bxf6 Bxf6 4. Qxh7+ Kf8 5. Bg6 Red8 6. d5 Qe5 (6... Ng5 7. Rxf6+ {Jalen}) 7. Rxf6+ Qxf6 8. Rf1 {Game line}
Correct solutions:
Coco - 18 points
Cody, Jalen - 16 points
Benjamin - 13 points
Deryk - 11 points
Uros, Yakov - 5 points
Bradley - 19 points for #315
Standings:
Jalen - 190 points
Coco - 179 points
Cody - 177 points
Bradley - 162 points
Deryk - 102 points
Benjamin - 97 points
Uros - 63 points
Dheera - 39 points
Yakov - 34 points