Tactics

Tactics and some blindfold puzzles

~ etobicokechessclub ~ Leave a comment

The answers to all puzzles will be at the end of the post.

White to move and win in 7 moves.  This puzzle is a 2741 rated puzzle with a 3.8% pass rate.

For those of you who are brave enough, I challenge you (when you think you have the solution for the puzzle) to look at the different lines that I have provided (in the answers) and try to visualize them in your head to see either why white is winning or losing.  This is a tougher blindfold exercise than the puzzles below.

 

Here are some easy blindfold puzzles to improve your visualization

  1.  With a knight on b1, how many moves will it take to get to f6?
  2.  With a bishop on a3, would the move Bg8 be legal?
  3.  With a knight on b1, could the knight make it to f3 within 3 moves?
  4. Find the fastest checkmate: Black: Kg8 White: Kg1, Qb7, Bb2 (White to move)
  5.  Find the fastest checkmate: Black: Kc2 White: Ke2, Qa3, Nd1 (White to move)
  6.  How many moves would it take for a knight to go from b2 to e6?

 

 

 

Answers to blindfolded puzzles:

  1. 3 moves (Nb1, Nc3, Nd5 or Ne4, Nf6)
  2. No, a3 is a dark square and g8 is a light square.  (A bishop can never change the colour square that it is on)
  3. Yes, in 2 moves (Nb1, Nd2, Nf3)
  4. Qg7#
  5. Qb2#
  6. 3 moves (Nb2, Nd3, Nc5, Ne6)

 

Answer to Tactics Puzzle:

The correct solution is Rg6, Qf8, Qf6, Rc8, Nh3, fxg6, Ng5+, Kg8, Qxg6+, Qg7, Qxe6+, Kh8, Qxc8+ and white is winning.

Here are some sample lines if you are stumped about a certain sequence.

  1. Rg6, fxg6, hxg6+, Kg8, Nxe6, Qd7, Qxh6, Qxe6, Qh7+, Kf8, g7+, Ke7, g8=Q+, Qf7, and either queen taking on f7 will be mate.
  2. Rg6, fxg6, hxg6+, Kg8, Nxe6, Qd7, Qxh6, Qxe6, Qh7+, Kf8, g7+, Ke8, g8=Q+, Qxg8, Qxg8 and white is winning.
  3. Rg6, fxg6, hxg6+, Kh8, Nxe6, Qd7, Qxh6+, Kg8 (or Qh7 and Qxh7#), Qf8#
  4. Rg6, Qf8, Qf6, fxg6, Qxf8 is winning for white
  5. Rg6, Qf8, Qf6, Rc8, Nh3, fxg6, Qxg6+ (this is a mistake), Kh8, Ng5, Qg7, Nxe6, Qxg6+, hxg6 and black is winning here
  6. Rg6, Qf8, Qf6, Rc8, Nh3, fxg6, hxg6+, Kg8, Qxe6+, Kg7, Qxd5, Qf5 and black is winning here

Thanks for your time

-Riley Khan