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How long does it take you to solve this?

How long does it take you to solve this?

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White to move.

If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.

2 edits
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Originally posted by Chesswick
[fen]2rk2n1/3p1pNp/3B3b/pp1NP3/q6p/P2P1Q1R/KP2n3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]

White to move.

If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.
1.Qf6+!! Nxf6 2.Be7# I think

I just stared at it for a while, took me between 30 seconds and a minute to see the serious mate threat and the black kings very limited escape squares (0), after that the queen sac was easy to find. I think it was just a matter of finding what kind of tactic it was (mating) and then using the combinational skills that I have...

I'm really not sure.

BTW: It took me between one and two minutes to solve.

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Originally posted by cmsMaster
1.Qf6+!! Nxf6 2.Be7# I think

I just stared at it for a while, took me between 30 seconds and a minute to see the serious mate threat and the black kings very limited escape squares (0), after that the queen sac was easy to find. I think it was just a matter of finding what kind of tactic it was (mating) and then using the combinational skills that I have...

I'm really not sure.
Correct. The only other line, 1. Qf6+ Ne7 2. Qxe7# is pretty silly.

There's a little more to the position that I was wondering if people noticed. I'll let a few more reply before I point it out. What prompted me to post this position was that I noticed the position itself before the actual tactical possibility.

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If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.[/b]
I just looked at all possible checks first, then it became easy.

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Originally posted by Chesswick
Correct. The only other line, 1. Qf6+ Ne7 2. Qxe7# is pretty silly.

There's a little more to the position that I was wondering if people noticed. I'll let a few more reply before I point it out. What prompted me to post this position was that I noticed the position itself before the actual tactical possibility.
Hm, the only other thing I noticed is that white has a couple of pretty good options...although I didn't really analyze them, so they might just appear to be good.

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Originally posted by Chesswick
Correct. The only other line, 1. Qf6+ Ne7 2. Qxe7# is pretty silly.

There's a little more to the position that I was wondering if people noticed. I'll let a few more reply before I point it out. What prompted me to post this position was that I noticed the position itself before the actual tactical possibility.
probably it's the knight fork you're talking about. then it seems black can save the day with ...Nc3+. if white takes, black mates using both the rook and the queen before the knight may capture one of them, (I may be wrong) and if the king escapes to a1, black can save his material by ...Qc2 perhaps?

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Originally posted by Chesswick
[fen]2rk2n1/3p1pNp/3B3b/pp1NP3/q6p/P2P1Q1R/KP2n3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]

White to move.

If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.
1 minute - just look for the most forcing move.

2 edits
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Originally posted by diskamyl
probably it's the knight fork you're talking about. then it seems black can save the day with ...Nc3+. if white takes, black mates using both the rook and the queen before the knight may capture one of them, (I may be wrong) and if the king escapes to a1, black can save his material by ...Qc2 perhaps?
I don't see a strong continuation for black after Ka1.

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Originally posted by cmsMaster
I don't see a strong continuation for black after Ka1.
at least he has some time to move the rook too, avoiding loss of of material because if Nxc8 then there's ...Qc1 mate.

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Originally posted by Chesswick
If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.
took me 5 seconds. I've seen it before; I simply recognized the position as a whole.

Black to move is a fun puzzle too.

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Ok, well, I'm quite sure this will be anticlimactic to many of you, but schakuhr already hinted at it, so...

I too had seen almost this exact position (at least the same arrangement of mating material, king position, etc.). It's from Anderssen - Kieseritzky, London 1851, the so-called "Immortal Game." The actual position isn't of course, but as I said, the mate is nearly so.

I was just surprised that the memory of the actual game took precedence over the position itself.

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Pretty easy but if Black advances his b-pawn he has a chance (obviously without Qf6+).

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Originally posted by Chesswick
[fen]2rk2n1/3p1pNp/3B3b/pp1NP3/q6p/P2P1Q1R/KP2n3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]

White to move.

If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.
Q6+ Nxf6 Be7#

5 secs, and it took so long only because I thought it would be a hard one. these kind of elementary mates should be recognized instantly. the king is boxed, and just waiting for the final blow.

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Originally posted by Chesswick
[fen]2rk2n1/3p1pNp/3B3b/pp1NP3/q6p/P2P1Q1R/KP2n3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]

White to move.

If/when you solve it, please specify what it was in the position that you recognized.
Time: 15 seconds. This position illustrates the concept of the overworked piece. The solution is: 1. Qf6+ Nxf6 2. Be7#. When examining the position, one notices that the two Knights and the Bishop could mate if the Bishop could go to e7 -- except the Black Knight guards that square. Since the Black Knight is also responsible for guarding the f6 square to prevent the White Queen from delivering mate at f6, it is overworked. The Queen checks at f6 forcing Black to recapture with the Knight that was responsible for defending against the mate on e7.

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Originally posted by wormwood
Q6+ Nxf6 Be7#

5 secs, and it took so long only because I thought it would be a hard one. these kind of elementary mates should be recognized instantly. the king is boxed, and just waiting for the final blow.
Sorry to disappoint. 🙂 I agree it's simple, but I was curious whether or not people identified with the position from the Immortal Game or not.