Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Christmas puzzles - answers to remainder

Here are the answers to puzzles 6 to 10:

#6

White to play and win.   1. Bxc3+   Kxc3   2. h7   a1Q   3. h8B+! (not Q+ as 3... Kd2!, 4. Qxa1 would be stalemate).









#7
White to play and draw.   This position looks pretty dire for White, but 1. f5! saves the game.   After the obvious 1... a3, White plays 2. fxg6!   a2,   3. Kg4   a1Q, 4. Kh5! and suddenly Black cannot prevent g4, creating stalemate.   Other first move options for Black (gxf5 or Kd7) also fail.







#8
White to play and mate in 4.   This was a tough one, but Ian found the answer: 1. c8B!   The remaining Black moves are forced:   1... b3,   2. Bg4   b2,   3. Bd1!   Kxb1,   4. Bb3#.








#9
White to play and mate in 3.   Another under-promotion is needed here:   1. Qa3   Kb1,   2. c8B   Kc2,   3. Bf5#.









#10
White to play and mate in 3.   A very difficult puzzle to solve without the use of a computer.   It certainly stumped Ian Wallis (although Chris Davison got it right).   1. Rh7 (no immediate threat).   But now there's a mate in 2 (or 1), regardless of what Black plays.   Try it - you may need to use your computer!





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