Puzzle of the week #92

Submitted by oldadmin on Fri, 10/23/2009 - 07:18

Double Rooks and pawns endgame

Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #92"][Date "2009.10.23"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "8/8/5P1k/8/2K5/pr2r3/4R3/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
Analysing your games is one of the most important ways of improving and becoming a better player. The reason for it is very simple: it teaches you how to look at a position from both sides and understand how each side's plans were put into action. Solving a puzzle is like analysing your games. You look for the material balance (who has more pieces), King safety, where the pieces as positioned, weak and strong points and then based on it you look for different ways to reach the required result. Strong players are those analysing every one of their games and solving puzzles regularly. Today we have a Rooks and pawns endgame to solve, originated from way back in 1924. This type of endgame is the foundation of chess together with the King and pawns one. All you need to do is to:
1. Analyse the position (see explanation above) - 10 points
2. White to move and win - 10 points

Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #93.

Puzzle #91 solution:
This time we had a long forced variation going all the way to mate. What I was interested to see was what you planned for and how your line followed the logic behind your plan. Also the moves needed to be as normal as possible, or in other words something you would do in your games. This means that even if a mate in 11 is possible, that had more to do with the solution being perfect. Karl's analysis goes like this:
a) Material: Black is up three pawns, but has a pawn that is about to promote, so that is worth a Rook (5 points). So altogether, Black is up 6 points in advantage!
King safety: White definitely has a safer king. I can tell because there are 5 pieces attacking the black king and a few more waiting to rush in on the attack when the time is right. On the other hand, the White King is only attacked by 3 pieces and is hiding behind a Queen and a Bishop.
White's positives: 1. Attacking on the kingside 2. Has a Knight in the center 3. Is focusing most of its pieces attacking the Black King 4. Has a Rook supporting an advancing pawn.
White's negatives: 1. Is being destroyed on the queenside 2. Is down in material.
Black's positives: 1. Is attacking on the queenside 2. Is up in material 3. Is about to promote a pawn
Black's negatives: 1. Is being under attack on the Kingside 2. Bishop is blocked 3. Has double blocked pawns.
Conclusion: Considering the positives and negatives White is actually ahead. Black's force is stronger, but White's force is better. White has to seize this opportunity to attack or else Black will promote, attack and most likely win.
b) See solution:

[Event "Puzzle #91"][Date "2009.10.16"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r1b2r2/1p1pNpkp/3pn1p1/2pN3P/2PnP3/q3QP2/p3BKP1/1R5R w - - 0 1"]1.Qh6+ Kxh6 (1...Kh8 2.Qxh7+ Kxh7 3.hxg6+ Kg7 4.Rh7#) 2.hxg6+ Kg5 3.Rh5+ Kxh5 4.f4+ Nxe2 (4...Kh4 5.Rh1+ Qh3 6.Rxh3#) (4...Kh6 5.Rh1+ Kg7 6.Rxh7#) 5.Nf6+ Kh6 6.Rh1+ Kg7 7.Ne8+ Rxe8 8.Rxh7+ Kf6 9.Rxf7#

Correct solutions:
Rick, Karl - 25 points
Andy Q, Owen, Jeffrey - 20 points
Alex, Katerina, Nathaniel - 10 points
Humphrey - 2 points
Jeffrey - 2 points (from puzzle #90)

Standings:
Karl - 123 points
Rick - 115 points
Owen - 99 points
Andy Q - 95 points
Jeffrey - 65 points
Humphrey - 26 points
Katerina - 22 points
James - 19 points
Alex, Nathaniel - 20 points
Wilson - 2 points