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Rather tricky pawn/Zugzwang calculation

Rather tricky pawn/Zugzwang calculation

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Greetings players and fellow patzers πŸ™‚

Recently finished another game with user @Shaun12 which once again contained valuable lessons,
the main one being the difficult task of pawn move calculations.

The first critical moment was reached here, Black to move:

  • 8
  • a
  • 7
  • b
  • 6
  • c
  • 5
  • d
  • 4
  • e
  • 3
  • f
  • 2
  • g
  • 1
  • h

Black played 26...d6-d5
  • 8
  • a
  • 7
  • b
  • 6
  • c
  • 5
  • d
  • 4
  • e
  • 3
  • f
  • 2
  • g
  • 1
  • h


Naturally White can play Bxe5 and would be able to hold onto the pawn after BxN,
however Black can sac a piece to get a far advanced pawn.

The length of calculation required to work this out,
to determine whether the sac was sound and ultimately who is winning
is unfortunately beyond my current level πŸ™

It turns out my opponent had also miscalculated!

Here's the full game with notes

  • 8
  • a
  • 7
  • b
  • 6
  • c
  • 5
  • d
  • 4
  • e
  • 3
  • f
  • 2
  • g
  • 1
  • h
1.e4e5
2.Ng1f3Nb8c6
3.Bf1c4Bf8e7
4.O-Od6
5.c3Bc8g4
6.d3Nc6a5
7.Bc4b5c6
8.Bb5a4b5
9.Ba4c2c5
10.b4Na5c6
11.h3Bg4xf3
12.Qd1xf3cxb4
13.cxb4Nc6d4
14.Qf3d1Ra8c8
15.Nb1a3Qd8c7
16.Bc2b3Nd4xb3
17.Qd1xb3Qc7c3
18.Ra1b1a6
19.Bc1e3Qc3xb3
20.Rb1xb3Ng8f6
21.Rf1c1Rc8xc1
22.Be3xc1Ke8d7
23.Bc1d2Rh8c8
24.Rb3c3Rc8xc3
25.Bd2xc3Kd7c6
26.Na3c2d5
27.Bc3xe5dxe4
28.Be5xf6exd3
29.Bf6xe7dxc2
30.Be7g5Kc6d5
31.Bg5c1Kd5c4
32.a3Kc4b3
33.Kg1f1Kb3a2
34.Kf1e2Ka2b1
35.Ke2d2h6
36.g3g6
37.h4h5
38.f3f6
39.g4f5
40.gxh5gxh5
41.f4

0


      I did see one neat little mate, see next post πŸ™‚


      Here's the mate, of course only after Ka1 is played

      • 8
      • a
      • 7
      • b
      • 6
      • c
      • 5
      • d
      • 4
      • e
      • 3
      • f
      • 2
      • g
      • 1
      • h
      1.Ka1Kxc2
      2.Ka2Bb2
      3.a5bxa5
      4.b4a4
      5.b3Kc3
      6.Kb1a6
      7.Ka2a7
      8.Kb1a8=Q
      9.Ka2a5
      10.Kb1a6
      11.Ka2a7
      12.Kb1Qh1
      13.Ka2a8=Q

      +2


      I was lucky to even win this one though... how many of you could have calculated a Black win after move 26?

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      Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
      Greetings players and fellow patzers πŸ™‚

      Recently finished another game with user @Shaun12 which once again contained valuable lessons,
      the main one being the difficult task of pawn move calculations.

      The first critical moment was reached here, Black to move:
      [fen]8/4bppp/p1kp1n2/1p2p3/1P2P3/2BP3P/P1N2PP1/6K1[/fen]
      Black played 26...d6-d5
      [f ...[text shortened]... gxh5 gxh5 41. f4 {Black resigned} 1-0[/pgn]

      I did see one neat little mate, see next post πŸ™‚
      Interesting game and notes. Thanks for posting.

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      .26. ...d5 wasn't so good. It wss ca. equal position and Black should keep manouvering and it should end draw.
      White could defend with 27. f3 but 27 Bxe5 is better and you should have continued 28. dxe4 and if he takes Nxe4 you take Bxg7 and have good edge.

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      Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
      Greetings players and fellow patzers πŸ™‚

      Recently finished another game with user @Shaun12 which once again contained valuable lessons,
      the main one being the difficult task of pawn move calculations.

      The first critical moment was reached here, Black to move:
      [fen]8/4bppp/p1kp1n2/1p2p3/1P2P3/2BP3P/P1N2PP1/6K1[/fen]
      Black played 26...d6-d5
      [f ...[text shortened]... gxh5 gxh5 41. f4 {Black resigned} 1-0[/pgn]

      I did see one neat little mate, see next post πŸ™‚
      I played it out from move 26 against an engine. The interesting move is 31. Bc1. The bishop belongs on d2 because from there it covers c3 and the pawn on b4, this leaves the pawn on a2 where it covers b3. So 31. Kf1 and 31. Bd2 are equally good. The net result is that black can't get his king in and the zugzwang problems don't exist.

      2 edits
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      Yes, I agree. Once the B covers c1, I would have played 31. Kf1 and 32. Bd2. If 32. ... c1(Q) then of course 33. BxQ, Kxb4, and White has a clear plan for the rest of the game. White a-pawn and bishop hold off the Black a- and b-pawns, sac the bishop if necessary, while the White K mops up the other side of the board.

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      Yes πŸ™‚ This was the hard part, from move 26 I think me and my opponent had looked at Bc1,
      I honestly didn't even consider Bd2 which would have been more accurate.

      Stages of learning, it's all milestones.
      I've hit my new ceiling of 1900(ish)
      The day I am able to master these kind of longer calculations will be the day that I will break 2000 πŸ˜€

      Perhaps many years from now when I'm retired and have more time!

      1 edit
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      Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
      Yes πŸ™‚ This was the hard part, from move 26 I think me and my opponent had looked at Bc1,
      I honestly didn't even consider Bd2 which would have been more accurate.

      Stages of learning, it's all milestones.
      I've hit my new ceiling of 1900(ish)
      The day I am able to master these kind of longer calculations will be the day that I will break 2000 πŸ˜€

      [hidden]Perhaps many years from now when I'm retired and have more time![/hidden]
      Yeah, you and me both. 2000 seems to be the next big hurdle. I got me a couple of books which came highly recommended: "Chess Strategy in Action" by John Watson is next on my must-read-before-I-can't-remember-how-the-pieces-move-anymore list. One thing I'm sure of: calculating longer and longer variations isn't what's going to get us over that next hump; it's positional judgment we have to refine. Yes, I know, some players, even quite strong ones, say there is no such thing as positional chess. They're wrong. I find, in my 'advanced middle age' that I calculate variations much less than in my youth, and I play much better chess now than I did 40 years ago; I can see this when I play over games I wrote down played as a youth.

      I'm 62, due to retire in a few ... and I just know there isn't going to be any more time then than there is now for such silly obsessions as chess.

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      Old git πŸ™‚

      I know exactly what I need in order to improve my game: More OTB experience.

      I plan to one day join a chess club somewhere local to me,
      where I get to play competitive matches on a regular basis.

      The only thing holding me back of late is my work schedule... unless I can find a good club that plays only on Sundays?
      Up to now, I've been led to believe that club nights around here are all midweek, which I just can't commit to πŸ™

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