Ree5 and if dxe5 Rf2?
Calculation Training
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Oct 3, 2019
0
#163
PawnstormPossie wrote:
I think anyone below a master level (min) wouldn't be able to calculate everything just in their head. There are so many unforced moves it's not very practical to solve it outright before making your first move.
If anyone gets this correct in 15 minutes, I think it's either luck, very good endgame and calculation skills, or both.
I'm the 96%
+1 I too did not find the correct solution the first time I encountered this puzzle, but I liked it enough that I decided to post this one here. As you just noted, a lot of the alternatives are unforcing; not all of calculation ability is forcing (like King hunts and mating nets typically are), so I thought this was a good puzzle to mix it up a bit.
Oct 6, 2019
0
#164
AnthonyAtanasov wrote:
Ree5 and if dxe5 Rf2?
By the way, I typically post a "solution" diagram after about a week from posting. I won't do so this time though, because I don't want to steal thunder from the original forum I took this puzzle from. This is the correct solution though (Ree5! then if ...dxe5 Rf2 to trap the Queen!). Usually the puzzles have many sidelines to address, but in this endgame: there is less forcing options to discuss.
p.s. In a day or so, I might post another puzzle for calculation training 
fgsjd wrote:
fgsjd wrote: in those 2 weeks I trained like this probably 8-10 hours.
in those 2 weeks I trained like this probably 8-10 hours.
Oct 9, 2019
0
#166
It has been a while, so I'll now post the 6th Official Puzzle of this forum White to move and draw!
I want to mix up the kinds of calculation puzzles we face on this forum and I've wanted a good endgame study for a while now. This one called my attention. Frederick Lazard, L'Italia, Scacchistica 1946. This endgame study is a cool example of top engines like Stockfish incorrectly evaluating the position; Stockfish (incorrectly) believes Black is clearly winning (likely due to the material imbalance), but White can create a stalemate fortress that can't be broken.
Ne2+
Ah, I think I know this one from Chessnetwork's cool chess puzzle series 
kingsonicthehedgehog wrote:
Ne2+
Incorrect, black plays Kf2, and escapes.
Oct 9, 2019
0
#170
AnthonyAtanasov wrote:
Ah, I think I know this one from Chessnetwork's cool chess puzzle series
Nice! That is not where I first saw this puzzle, but I wouldn't be surprised: as it is apparently a famous study
kabob?
Black's king is trapped already, so, how to close the mating net is the question. Kf2 is the only path to full safety, so, that has to be closed off first. That means DSB.
Bb5 Qa1+ loses so, that's out. Let's try Be1...knight must be moved first, 2 checks to give.
Ne2+ allows Kf2 and escape, so that's out.
Ne4+ dxe4 Be1# is checkmate. So Ne4 is a forcing line and a freebie move...black cannot capture and must move Kh4 (knight covers the critical f2). Be1+ is then blocked by g3, and black can escape through the hole in the pawn structure...so, the line from there either prevents escape through the pawn structure (via knight almost assuredly), or prevents g3 (by a preemptive g3, or via Ng3).
btickler wrote:
Black's king is trapped already, so, how to close the mating net is the question. Kf2 is the only path to full safety, so, that has to be closed off first. That means DSB.
Bb5 Qa1+ loses so, that's out. Let's try Be1...knight must be moved first, 2 checks to give.
Ne2+ allows Kf2 and escape, so that's out.
Ne4+ dxe4 Be1# is checkmate. So Ne4 is a forcing line and a freebie move...black cannot capture and must move Kh4 (knight covers the critical f2). Be1+ is then blocked by g3, and black can escape through the hole in the pawn structure...so, the line from there either prevents escape through the pawn structure (via knight almost assuredly), or prevents g3 (by a preemptive g3, or via Ng3).
So far so good.
Oct 9, 2019
0
#174
AnthonyAtanasov wrote:
btickler wrote:
Black's king is trapped already, so, how to close the mating net is the question. Kf2 is the only path to full safety, so, that has to be closed off first. That means DSB.
Bb5 Qa1+ loses so, that's out. Let's try Be1...knight must be moved first, 2 checks to give.
Ne2+ allows Kf2 and escape, so that's out.
Ne4+ dxe4 Be1# is checkmate. So Ne4 is a forcing line and a freebie move...black cannot capture and must move Kh4 (knight covers the critical f2). Be1+ is then blocked by g3, and black can escape through the hole in the pawn structure...so, the line from there either prevents escape through the pawn structure (via knight almost assuredly), or prevents g3 (by a preemptive g3, or via Ng3).
So far so good.
Agreed; so far so good I like how you call the first move a "freebie." I also found the correct first move, but I like your explanation on how this is the only reasonable looking move.
I have only looked at it a bit more, but I think I've eliminated g3, so either:
Ne4+ Kh4 Be1+ g3 Nf5 (?)
or
Ne4+ Kh4 Ng3 fxg3 (?)
Those are the two lines I'm still looking at. Also, I had been looking for a forced win 
, missed the white to draw part, so if it's not solved by someone else tomorrow, it should be easier to find.
Edit: Never mind, I think I already have/had it:
Ne4+ Kh4 (avoids Be1# line) Ng3 fxg3 (avoids Nf5# line) Bb6
Once the bishop is on the a7 to g1 diagonal, it's a draw as long as black does not move the bishop off the diagonal. The c and d pawns cannot advance without being captured by the DSB with impunity, and black's queen cannot ever capture the bishop without ending the move on the same diagonal, which stalemates white due to covering g1.
If the c and d pawns were in pretty much any other configuration, white would be sunk, so this does seem like a composed position, because it seems too perfectly situated to have occurred OTB .
Correct
Oct 17, 2019
0
#177
I didn't get a lot of member participation from puzzle number 6, but it has been about a week and @btickler gave some nice analysis. I'll paraphrase the "solution" to the 6th Official Puzzle here.
Oct 18, 2019
0
#178
I'll now post the 7th Official Puzzle. White to move. Is there anything in Qh5+ or does White have a better move? Furthermore, calculate out the position and see if you can find the game moves or even an improvement!
Franklin Knowles v L. Dore, 11/8/1892 Boston Press Club, Casual Game, 1-0
DaddyReza wrote:
Lol one of the engine user from this thread @pawnstormpossie got banned.
Lol, it is funny that he always say engines are useless but he use engines.
Just a side note. I am a heavy engine user for analysis. Use engines for analysis, you will improve a lot. Use engine for assistant during the game, you will get banned.
Re4 Kg3