Me and the duck losing at chess (it was The Duck’s Fault!)
Last week we set the task place 18 Queens (nine of each colour)
on a chessboard without any of the Queens attacking each other.
That is the solution but some lad over at chessgames.com let’s call him ‘Smart Alec.’
has found a way to place10 White Queen and 9 Black Queens on the chessboard.
So my 18 Queens problem is cooked. It is now a 19 Queens problem.
I was looking for something else and I encountered a few ‘Everlasting Pins’ that had
been misplayed because the player did not seem to realise just how good the pin was.
nonkel - bohemia51 RHP 2017 (White to play)
White played 57.Qf3 and won 20 odd moves later. 57.Kg3 Kg8 is Black’s only move then Qxg6.
Robert Matheson - ZorroTheFox RHP 2008 (White to play)
White played 41.Rxg6 but look at the position. 41.f3 when Black runs out
of pawn moves then they have to move the King leaving the Rook to it’s fate.
Faith was restored in Sudarodimus - iddelz RHP 2010
[FEN "8/6pk/6r1/6P1/P3QP1p/q6P/4R1K1/8 w - - 0 48"]
48. Re3 {White uses the everlasting pin to pick up the g6 Rook in an instructive way.} 48... Qb2+ 49. Kf3 Qh2 50. Kg4 Qf2 51. Kh5 {White uses their King to apply the pin pressure. Black resigned.}
Also a few days ago I was watching Anand v Aronian draw live game, it went
to a Double Rook Ending. ‘These are always drawn’ came an online comment.
I made a mental note to check the Red Hot Pawn DataBase. It did not disappoint.
jumblemaster13 - alexsprod RHP 2013
[FEN "8/2r5/R3Pk2/1K2b1p1/8/8/4R3/3r4 w - - 0 60"]
60. e7+ {This discovered check should draw.} 60... Kxe7 61. Rxe5+ Kd7 {Who would not simply take the g-pawn here.} 62. Rxg5 {But it is a mistake. Ra6-g6 was the draw.} 62... Rb1+ 63. Ka5 Ra1+ {The White King has stay protecting the a6 Rook.} 64. Kb6 Rc6+ 65. Kb7 Rcxa6 {It 's not over yet, there is one last trick.} 66. Rg7+ {I'd love to report that here Black played Kd6 and White won a Rook back with Rg6+} 66... Ke8 {But alas no. Black steps towards the Rook and it's 0-1.} 67. Rg8+ Kf7
Next. Black is winning, White is winning, Black is winning, It’s a draw....White wins.
von Bilin - filipecosteira RHP 2017
[FEN "r1n1k3/1R1R4/P4K2/8/8/7r/6p1/8 w - - 0 48"]
48. Rg7 {Now Rxa6+ is good for Black.} 48... Kf8 {OOPS!. Rbf7+ and Rg8 is checkmate.} 49. Rxg2 {White missed it...and now...} 49... Rxa6+ {....Black is better.} 50. Kg5 Nd6 51. Rb8+ {Now Kg7 and Black has some serious winning chances,} 51... Ne8 {Now it's a draw.} 52. Rf2+ Ke7 53. Re2+ {King to d6,d7 or f7 and it's a draw.} 53... Kf8 {Now it's mate in two.} 54. Rbxe8+ Kf7 55. R2e7# {Checkmate.}
That is what I am here for...to educate and pre-warn my readers.
I mentioned Greco when I did my History of Chess and recently I flicked
through Greco’s games and came across a five move game winning a piece.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. h3 {This is a waster to lose a move.} 3... Nf6 4. c3 {A trap that has been set on Red Hot Pawn 256 times.} 4... Nxe4 {And this pawn has been taken 117 times.} 5. Qa4+ {Picking up the piece on e4. All this was known and shown in 1621.}
Between 2006 and 2019 user Atomick has set this trap 59 times.
So far 25 victims have taken the e4 pawn and lost their Knight to 5.Qa4+
The Babson task was a chess problem task set with the following conditions.
White makes a move that forces checkmate in the stipulated number of moves.
Black's defences must include the promotion of a pawn, to a Knight, a Bishop,
a Rook, or a Queen. White then must promote a pawn to the same piece that Black
has just promoted too and must force checkmate in the stipulated number of moves.
It looks as if Joseph Babson ( 1852-1929) had set an impossible task but
in 1982 one Leonid Yarosh (1957-) published in Shakhmaty v SSSR this.
It is mate in 4. the first move is 1.a7. We will go through all four promotions.
First the Queen Promotions.
[FEN "Bq1B1K2/3PpN2/P3Pp2/P1p2P2/2Pk1b1R/1p6/pN1P1P2/QR6 w - - 0 1"]
1. a7 {Black is now trying to stop White from mating in three moves.} 1... axb1=Q {Black promoted to a Queen so White must take a Queen.} 2. axb8=Q {The threat is 3.Qxf4+ and mate next move.} 2... Qxb2 {Frees d3 for the Black King.} 3. Qxb3 {The threats is now 4.Rxf4 mate.} 3... Qc3 4. Qaxc3 {Checkmate.}
Now the Rook Promotions.
[FEN "Bq1B1K2/3PpN2/P3Pp2/P1p2P2/2Pk1b1R/1p6/pN1P1P2/QR6 w - - 0 1"]
1. a7 axb1=R {White must now take a Rook.} 2. axb8=R Rxb2 {Gives the Black King a flight square on d3.} 3. Rxb3 {Threatening 4.Rxf4 mate.} 3... Kxc4 {Only move.} 4. Qa4 {Checkmate.}
Now the Bishop Promotions
[FEN "Bq1B1K2/3PpN2/P3Pp2/P1p2P2/2Pk1b1R/1p6/pN1P1P2/QR6 w - - 0 1"]
1. a7 axb1=B {White must also promote to a Bishop.} 2. axb8=B {Threatening 3.Rxf4+ Be4 4.Rxe4 mate.} 2... Be4 {3.Rxf4 would be stalemate.} 3. Bxf4 {Now it does not matter where the e4 Bishop goes the next move is double checkmate.} 3... Bxa8 4. Be3
Finally the Knight Promotions
[FEN "Bq1B1K2/3PpN2/P3Pp2/P1p2P2/2Pk1b1R/1p6/pN1P1P2/QR6 w - - 0 1"]
1. a7 axb1=N {White must promote to a Knight.} 2. axb8=N {The threat is Nc6 mate.} 2... Nxd2 {frees c3 for the Black King.} 3. Qc1 Ne4 {If the Knight goes anywhere else then Rxf4 is checkmate.} 4. Nc6 {Checkmate.}
Find games from 2019 where a Queen takes a Queen and a Queen mates next move.
Then a Rook takes a Rook and a Rook mates next move then a Bishop, then a Knight
and finally a game where a pawn takes a pawn and pawn gives mate on the next move.
stephen001 - Adrianaecarde RHP .2019 (the Queen takes Queen and Queen mate task)
[FEN "rn1b1rk1/1ppb4/p2p1p1p/q2N2P1/2P1P3/3PB1Q1/PP4P1/R4RK1 w - - 0 20"]
20. gxh6+ Kf7 21. Qg7+ Ke8 22. Qg6+ Rf7 23. h7 Bf5 {Black is in a right pickle, I cannot find nothing to save the game.} 24. h8=Q+ Kd7 25. Qxf7+ Kc6 26. Qxd8 b5 {Now the Queen takes Queen and Queen mates stipulation.} 27. Qdxc7+ Qxc7 28. Qxc7
chessal - tcamerlengo 2019 (the Rook takes Rook and Rook mate task)
[FEN "2r3k1/2r2pbp/p4pp1/1pnB4/4P1P1/5N1P/PP6/1KR1R3 w - - 0 29"]
29. Rcd1 Na4 30. Rd2 Bh6 31. Rde2 {OOPS! White had to play Rdd1.} 31... Rc1+ 32. Rxc1 {Rook takes Rook and Rook mates stipulation.} 32... Rxc1
chessH - texasnurse RHP 2019 (the Bishop takes Bishop and Bishop mate task)
[FEN "r3nrk1/pppq4/1n1bb3/3pBppQ/3P4/2NB4/PPP2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 16"]
16. Qxg5+ Kf7 17. Be2 Bxe5 {The Bishop tales Bishop and a Bishop mates stipulation.} 18. Bh5
NoFriendsPete - Knights Watch RHP 2019 (the Knight takes Knight and Knight mate task)
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/ppp2ppp/2n5/3Np2n/4P3/3P1N2/PPP1B1PP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 9"]
9. O-O Bc5+ 10. Kh1 O-O 11. Nxe5 {White is expecting Nxe5 and Bxh5.} 11... Qh4 12. Nxc6 {The Knight takes Knight and Knight mates stipulation.} 12... Ng3
Finally the Texas Nurse make a welcome return this time as a winner.
stephen001 - texasnurse RHP 2019 (the pawn takes pawn and pawn mate task))
[FEN "8/7p/2R2pk1/2Np2p1/1p4KP/1P3P2/P5r1/4n3 w - - 0 37"]
37. Kh3 h5 38. Nd3 {White is hoping for gxh4 and Nf4+} 38... g4+ 39. fxg4 {The pawn takes pawn and pawn mates stipulation.} 39... hxg4
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 182221 
