Daily Puzzle Analysis for Friday 5.8.26
It’s time for a Friday Puzzle!
Legend:
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Observations in Yellow
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Strategies in Purple
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Responses (Unforced, Anticipated or Actual) in Orange
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Fails (Potential or Actual) in Red
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Successes (Potential or Actual) in Green
On setting up the board, we observe:
* We are equal on Rooks., and both sides’ Rooks are connected on our respective back ranks.
* We are equal on Bishops.
* We are down a kNight.
* We both have Queens.
* We are down 2 Pawns.
* The f file is awfully cluttered.
* Black has triple coverage of e5.
* Our f Rook is under threat of capture to a remote Bishop.
* Our light Bishop is under threat of capture.
* We have an immediate checking opportunity with Bfc5+, but it’s a Bishop sac.
* We have an immediate checking opportunity with Qf5+.
* We have an immediate capture opportunity with Qxh7, and while it’s just a pawn it seems positionally advantageous.
* We have an immediate capture opportunity with Bxe8, which wins a Rook but at the cost of our light Bishop.
* We have an immediate capture opportunity with Rcxc3, winning one of Black’s kNights, and threatening the other.
* Black’s King has only 2 escape squares but there isn’t necessarily a current King Trap.
* It is our turn to move.
* The puzzle’s title is “Don’t Try This At Home”.
* It is Friday.
The above observations inform potential strategies:
As usual for a Friday, there is a lot to look at here. A number of opening plays could have potential. Let’s explore them and see how they play out.
Opening with Qxh7 removes the threat to our Bishop, and seems positionally advantageous at the outset, but with Black’s Bishop covering h8, we cannot Qh8+ without losing our Queen.
Opening with Qf5+ forces either Bgf6, Kg8 or Ke7.
-----If Bgf6, we can Qxf6, winning Black’s Bishop and forcing Kg8.
----------We can follow with Qf7+ forcing Kh8.
----------------We can next Qxh7+, forcing Kf8.
--------------------We can then finish with Qf7#.
-----If Ke7, we can Qf7#.
-----If Kg8, we could Qf7+ forcing Kh8, but now we have no follow up check as Black’s Bishop blocks us from the h file.
-----If Kg8, we could alternately Bgxh7+, forcing Kh8, but again we have no follow up check.
The Kg8 response option makes the Qf5+ opening a no go.
Ok, those were our immediate Queen moves. What about our Bishops?
Opening with Bfc5+ is a forcing move, but Black has myriad response options, including Kg8, N6e7, Ree7, bxc5, and Qxc5+. With so many response options available, I’m going to skip this for now and come back to it if needed.
It would be nice however to get that dark Bishop off of the f file, as doing so would clear the way for a discovered attack with our f Rook on Black’s King.
What about our other Bishop? There are two capture opportunities there…
Opening with Bgxe8 wins one of Black’s Rooks, and almost certainly prompts either Kxe8 or Rxe8.
-----If Kxe8, we can follow with Qe6+, forcing Kf8. But here we are out of checking opportunities, with no supporting piece to aid our Queen in a mating attack. This is a no go.
Opening with Bxh7 removes the threat to our light Bishop, and prevents Black’s King from escaping to g8. This is not a forcing move, however, so Black can respond with anything they choose. What do they have that is effective though? At first glance, they could play Bxf1, winning one of our Rooks, and threatening our Queen. The instinct would be to recapture with either Rxf1 or Qxf1, especially as Black’s Queen targets our now hanging c Rook. But we could instead press our attack with Qf5+. Interesting let’s see how that plays out.
-----If Bxf1, we Qf5+, and now Black has only two options, Bgf6 or Ke7.
----------If Bgf6, we can Qxf6#.
----------If Ke7 however we’ve lost the ability to continue checking as Qxe5+fails to Nxe5, and our pawn occupies g5, and we’ve lost our ability to checkmate as our light Bishop no longer covers f7. This puts us on the defensive, and is a no go.
Alright, what about our Rooks? Our f Rook is trapped behind our kNight and Bishop on the f file, but if those can move it’s a discovered attack on Black’s King. Our c Rook has an immediate capture opportunity, and it’s free.
Opening with Rcxc3 wins us one of Black’s kNights, and threatens the other. We are still down 2 pawns, but now even on minor pieces, that’s not a puzzle solution, but it’s also not nothing. Black now has a choice to make. They can either move or cover their remaining kNight, move their e Rook to prevent it’s capture, or capture our f Rook.
-----If Bxf1, we can Qf5+, forcing Bgf6, Kg8, or Ke7.
----------If Bgf6, we Qxf6+, forcing Kg8, and as described above we then Qf7+ forcing Kh8, then Qxh7#.
----------If Ke7, we Qf7#.
----------If Kg8, we can Rxc6, winning Black’s 2nd kNight for free, and enabling us to press our attack with a second support piece. We are now up 2 kNights for a Rook, and have narrowed our opponent’s material advantage down to 1 point. Still not a puzzle solution.
----------If Kg8, we can alternately Bxe8, winning one of Black’s Rooks, and almost certainly prompting Rxe8.
---------------We can now Rxc6, winning Black’s 2nd kNight. We still end up down 1 point of material however, so still not a puzzle solution.
----------If Kg8, we could alternately Bxh7+, forcing Kh8.
---------------We can follow with g6, trapping Black’s King and freeing our Queen to move from protecting our Bishop. Black can now save either their kNight or their light Bishop, but not both, so if they move one, we can capture the other. But this only brings us to exact material equivalence. Still not a puzzle solution. This too looks like a no go.
Alright, what if we try to clear the f file with our intent to be starting our attack with the discovered check from our Rook?
The most certain way to do this would be to sac our kNight or dark Bishop. Only one of these openings is a forcing move, however, so let’s return to examining that option and our opponent’s many potential responses to it.
We know that opening with Bc5+, forking Black’s King and Queen, could be met in a variety of ways. In some of those ways our Bishop is sacrificed, but Black has other options. One other option would be Kg8.
-----If Kg8, we can Qxh7+, forcing a return to Kf8.
----------We can now Nxe5+ revealing our f Rook, which forces either Bgf6 to block or Baxf1, which I find more likely.
---------------If Baxf1, we can Rxf1+, restoring the threat and forcing Bf6 to block.
--------------------We can now Rxf6#. Holy guacamole – that works!
Oh but wait – I missed something, if Kg8 and we Qxh7, that’s not check, that’s checkmate.
I’ll impose strikethrough on my oversight above to indicate it was incorrect. There is no return to Kf8 as our dark Bishop is still covering that square.
Ok, next let’s explore the blocking options to Bc5+ that also don’t involve capturing our Bishop.
Opening with Bc5+…
-----If Ne7, we can still Nxe5+, forcing either Kg8, Baxf1 or Bgf6.
----------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
----------If Baxf1, we Rxf1+, forcing Kg8, or Bgf6.
---------------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
---------------If Bgf6, we Rxf6+, forcing Kg8 or Kg7.
--------------------In either scenario we Qxh7#.
-----If Re7, we can still Nxe5+, forcing either Bgf6, Baxf1, or Kg8.
----------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
----------If Bgf6, we Rxf6+, forcing Kg8 or Kg7.
---------------In either scenario, we Qxh7#.
----------If Baxf1, we Rxf1+, forcing Kg8 or Bgf6.
---------------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
---------------If Bgf6 we Rxf6 forcing Kg8 or Kg7.
--------------------In either scenario, we Qxh7#.
Ok, now let’s explore what happens if our Bishop sacrifice offer is accepted.
Opening with Bc5+…
-----If bxc5, we can still Nxe5+, forcing Ke7, Kg8, Baxf1, or Bgf6 to block.
----------If Ke7, we can then Rf7+ or Nxc6+, either of which force Kd6. But now our kNight is unprotected in either scenario. Ok that’s a no go.
-----If bxc5, we could alternately Nd4+, forcing Ke7, Kg8, Baxf1, or Bgf6 to block.
----------If Ke7, we can Qe6# - there it is.
----------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
----------If Baxf1, we Rxf1+ forcing Ke7, Kg8, or Bgf6.
---------------If Ke7, we Qe6#.
---------------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
---------------If Bgf6, we Rxf6 forcing Ke7, Kg7, or Kg8.
--------------------If Ke7, we Qe6+.
--------------------If Kg7 or Kg8, we Qxh7#. Golden.
Ok, one more potential response option to consider…
Opening with Bc5+…
-----If Qxc5+, we can still Nd4+, rather brilliantly blocking check with a hanging piece while delivering a discovered check of our own that prevents that pieces capture. That’s pretty epic. In fact it’s so epic that it makes me question if Nd4 isn’t always our 2nd move. Above I had examined Nxe5 in some scenarios, and in some scenarios it seemed to work, until I examined the successful Bishop sacrifice scenarios where Nd4 was the required move. Perhaps I miscalculated above? Nd4 puts our kNight under threat of capture, and leaves it hanging, but also importantly covers e6, which allows us to Qe6# in scenarios where the King runs in that direction. Nd4 appears to be the superior play. Ok enough thinking – back to the line, this forces Ke7, Kg8, Baxf1, or Bgf6.
----------If Ke7, we Qe6#.
----------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
----------If Baxf1, we Rxf1+, forcing Ke7, Kg8, or Bgf6.
---------------If Ke7, we Qe6#.
---------------If Kg8, we Qxh7#.
---------------If Bgf6, we Rxf6+, forcing Kg8, Kg7, or Ke7.
--------------------If Kg8 or Kg7, we Qxh7#.
--------------------If Ke7, we Qxh7#.
----------If Bgf6, we Rxf6+, forcing Kg8, Kg7, or Ke7.
---------------In any of these scenarios, we Qxh7#. We’ve got them!
Ok, it’s a plan – but how could it fail?
I’m out of solving time for today, but I think I’ve covered all of the possible response options to our opening forcing move. All of them lead to checkmate. This plan cannot fail.
Ok, so is there a BETTER PLAN?
There is no better plan than checkmate. Let’s do this.
Confident in my plan, I set the board aside and engage with the puzzle online.
Bc5+ is correct, and Black chooses to Qxc5. Awesome! I was hoping this is the line to be chosen. Now it’s absolutely certain that Nd4 is move 2.
Nd4 is correct, and Black chooses to Baxf1, which might have been pretty intimidating had I not thought this through.
Rxf1+ is correct, and Black chooses to Ke7.
Qe6# is correct, and the PUZZLE IS SOLVED!!!
A fantastic Friday puzzle from @JohanVA. Excellent composition my friend! 
I was thinking about your puzzle composition guidance when the issue of Nd4 vs Nxe5 occurred to me, and even though I’ve never heard your voice in real life, I could almost hear you saying “Puzzles only have one best move at each stage”. So cool to solve a puzzle composed by a master composer and to have the guidance that master composer gave to you ringing in your ears during the solve! Best. Friday. Puzzle. Ever.
BTW – in my mind’s ear Johan your voice sounds like that of JoergSprave (a youtuber who builds interesting things and has a love for slingshots in particular). Not sure if that’s at all accurate, but that’s what I hear when I read what you type
Have an awesome day everyone!
