Daily Puzzle Analysis for Monday 4.6.26

It’s Time for a Monday puzzle! 

Legend: (Color Version)

• Observations in Yellow

• Strategies in Purple

• Responses (Unforced, Anticipated or Actual) in Orange

• Fails (Potential or Actual) in Red

• Successes (Potential or Actual) in Green

On setting up the board, we observe:

* We are up a Rook.

* There are no Bishops.

* There are no kNights.

* We are down a Queen.

* There are no Pawns.

* We have an immediate checking opportunity with Ke2+, a discovered attack from our h Rook.

* We have an immediate capture opportunity with Rxf3, resolving the Rook standoff on the f file.

* With Black’s King trapped on our back rank by our f Rook, there is a King Trap.

* We face mate on Black’s next move with Qxf2#, unless we can prevent it.

* It is our turn to move.

* The puzzle’s title is “Early and Often?”

* It is Monday.

The above observations inform potential strategies:

Opening with Ke2+ forces Black’s King to move, as there is no available blocking or capture option, and allows us to add a layer of attack coverage to Black’s Rook on f3, and to retain our single layer of defense coverage of our f Rook, which is attacked by Black’s Queen and Rook. This forces either Kc2, or Kb2 as our King prevents Kd2 and our h Rook prevents Kb1.
-----If Kc2, we can Kxf3+, both revealing a 2nd discovered attack on Black’s King, this time from our f Rook, and winning Black’s Rook, thereby shifting the material balance in our favor. This forces Kd3, Kc3, Kb3, or Qxf2, as our h Rook prevents escape to our back rank.
----------If Kd3, we can Rhd1+, forcing Kc3 or Kc4.
---------------If Kc3, we can Rdc3+, skewering Black’s King against their Queen. When Black’s King moves, regardless of where, we can Rcxc5 winning Black’s Queen, and emerging up at least a Rook, with just enough material to force eventual mate.
---------------If Kc4, we can Rdc3+, again skewering, and winning Black’s Queen.
----------If Kc3, we can Rhc1+, again skewering, and winning Black’s Queen.----------If Qxf2, we can Kxf2, winning Black’s Queen.
----------If Kb3, we can Rhb1+, forcing Black’s King either to the a or c file.
---------------If the c file, we can Rbc1+, again skewering, and winning Black’s Queen.
---------------If the a file, specifically if Ka3, we will not be able to press check without losing tempo. This is a real problem. In fact, I’d say it makes the entire sequence a no go. Interesting!!!

So now what? Opening with Ke2+ wins us a Rook and material advantage (barely), but it does not win us the game. There is no other way for us to reveal the discovered attack on our back rank. So what if we open by resolving the Rook standoff?

Opening with Rfxf3 wins Black’s Rook, but looses us tempo. Black now has a variety of checking options, however none of them appear capable of forking our King against one of our Rooks, nor of skewering our King against one of our Rooks. She could skewer one of our Rooks against the other on the long light diagonal, however connecting our Rooks would prevent capture, and that being not a forcing move allows us to regain tempo and reveal our discovered attack on the back rank. She can keep checking us, perpetually though. So that seems a no go as well. 

So what else is there? 

Opening with Rfc2+ fails to Qxc2 and we’re cooked. That’s a no go.

Our King cannot move to the d file. Opening with Kf1 similarly fails to Qxf2#. 

Opening with our h Rook fails to Qxf2#. That’s a no go. - Unless… Rhh2 adds a layer of protection to our f Rook, preventing Qxf2+. But that still allows for Qb4+, and perpetual check thereafter as we’ve lost our one shot at tempo…

Opening with Rfa2 both prevents Qxf2# and threatens Ke2# on our next play. But again, we’ve lost tempo and Black’s Queen can steal it by checking. That’s a no go. 

What on earth can we do here? Oh! Wait a minute! We MIGHT retain castling rights. If we castle Kingside that’s checkmate! Well the answer to this question cannot come from the board, it can only come from the puzzle online. I set the board aside and move to the computer, and click once on my King, showing available move options. Sure enough – YES! We can castle Kingside. Brilliant.

Ok, it’s a plan – but how could it fail?

Well today is a single move checkmate. If the puzzle allows castling, this plan can’t fail.

Ok, but is there a BETTER PLAN?

Not today, there was a good looking plan with Ke2, but Black’s King had a way out of mate, and our material gain of 1 point was inconsequential without either capturing Black’s Queen as well, delivering mate, or both.

Fairly confident in my plan, I set the board aside and engage with the puzzle online.

O-O# is correct, and the PUZZLE IS SOLVED!

A Mighty Monday puzzle from a mystery puzzler. That was pretty devious!
I guess this answers the question of whether or not castling is allowed in puzzles once and for all.
Have a great day everyone.