a tactic

White to play and win a piece.


(from ChessTempo)

I found the right move because nothing else seemed to do anything and I knew there was a tactic on the board. I think the fact that many people did it this way is the reason why the problem has such a low rating (1439 and I think problems start from 1500 there). Do you also think it's very difficult? It don't think I'll be able to deliberately steer the game into such a position in a million years. I hope I'm ever going to be able to at least spot such tactics when they're on the board... Now, after analyzing it for like an hour I'm not sure I've covered everything.

I usually spot 1439 problems on CT quite quickly but this one seems hard indeed. 1. Rac1 bxa4 2. Rxc6 Qb7 comes to mind with all sorts of discovered attacks and threats but after that I couldn't see the immediate piece pick-up (took a short look).

Edit: of course 3. Rcxe6 after that. Had only been looking at Rexe6, the double attack and whatever names they all have are killing. Nice problem!

Originally posted by davaniel
I usually spot 1439 problems on CT quite quickly but this one seems hard indeed. 1. Rac1 bxa4 2. Rxc6 Qb7 comes to mind with all sorts of discovered attacks and threats but after that I couldn't see the immediate piece pick-up (took a short look).

Edit: of course 3. Rcxe6 after that. Had only been looking at Rexe6, the double attack and whatever names they all have are killing. Nice problem!

Right, but in the CT mainline the bxa4 isn't played. My main problem is that the black queen can move all over the place and each move has to be analyzed separately.

PS: OK, I'm sure I've gone through all the possibilities now. This is nice:



PPS: Oh, for heaven's sake. He can take with a bishop. Didn't see that.