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06-18-2015 , 05:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by wlrs
you lazy bastards
Spoiler:
1.b4+ Kxb4 2.Nxd5+ Kc5 3.Nb6
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06-18-2015 , 06:00 PM
Cool
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06-18-2015 , 07:17 PM
Spoiler:
1.b4+ Kxb4 2.Nxd5+ Kc5 3. Nb6!

But maybe i am missing a sideline... What is the purpose of the pawn on a2?
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06-18-2015 , 07:27 PM
Spoiler:
I found it, without the pawn black would have 1...Qxb4!! 2. Nd3+ Kc4 3. Nxb4 Bxe4+! 4. Nxe4 Kxb4 5. Nc3 Ka3 and there is no win even with an extra piece. That position is amazing, deserves a study of its own. Probably has been in a few.
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07-29-2015 , 09:41 AM
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07-30-2015 , 03:17 AM
Wlrs, be proud in knowing that you are the reason I was late for work today. Woke up, checked 2+2 and, naturally, had to solve this before getting out of bed

I really like this one for some reason. It is honestly not that hard if you'd use process of elimination, but maybe I like it because in my morning groggy state I went the other way to figure it out.

Spoiler:
1. Qe6 cxd6 2. Qc8+ Kd5 3. Qxf5+ Kc6 4. Qc8+ Kd5 5. Qe8


So 1. Qe6 + Qc8 idea came literally within a couple seconds, it's quite obvious for anyone who solves etudes that it has to be the way to go. Then of course I quickly checked Qc4+ to see there is nothing there and saw that I can take on f5 with check, but quickly dismissed it at first, leaving it for later since it didn't seem etud-y enough

Then I noticed a quite typical motive, that would black be forced to take on f3, Qe6+Qc8+Qa8 would win a queen. The important thing here is that had I thought of Qb7, which still wins a queen, instead of Qa8, I would have likely taken much much longer to solve it. In a real game Qa8 and Qb7 are equivalent ideas, but in problem solving Qa8 is just somehow much more picturesque, hence it's logical to go for that idea instead of Qb7.

So when I spotted the skewer, I tried to find a way to force black to take on f3, but I quickly realized that it's impossible to do anything without playing Qe6 and Qc8+, otherwise black just has too many options. So I was sitting at the position after 1. Qe6 exd6 2. Qc8+ Kd5 and was a bit stumped, since checks don't do anything, and it seems that with queens on the board silent moves wouldn't work. Only then did I start checking Qxf5 more carefully, since I noticed that black is forced to go back to c6, after which we can repeat and have the same position without the pawn on f5, since Kd4 Qe4#.

So now I was sitting at a position after 1. Qe6 exd6 2. Qc8+ Kd5 3. Qxf5+ Kc6 4. Qc8+ Kd5. I realized that somehow all these motives have to come together. Wait, did I say Kd4 Qe4 is mate? Well, with the K on d5 Qe4 is also mate! Ding ding ding ding! 5. Qe8! Such an unexpected motive IMO. All the escape routes for the king are cuttoff and Qe4 mate is threatened. And if black plays Qxf3, the skewer motive comes back into play. Qe1+ is impossible because the queen covers it. Wait, maybe Qg6? No, Qe8 covers that square, too

Just a brilliant and rather original idea by the composer I think, that's where it's value comes from. Good stuff, thank you for posting!
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07-30-2015 , 05:24 AM
The thought of you solving that etude in bed shall stay with me forever
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