Puzzles Evening (Part 2)
Here’s the second set of two from our puzzles evening. The answers are included below, but in white. If you highlight the relevant area with your mouse, you’ll be able to see the answers.
Puzzle #3: White to move
Highlight below for the answer
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| 1. | Rxh6+ | Kxh6 |
| 2. | Qf4+ | g5 (actually Qg5 is best, but loses the queen to Qh2+) |
| 3. | Qh1+ | Kg6 |
| 4. | Qh5+ | Kf6 |
| 5. | Qf7#+ |
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Puzzle #4: White to move
Highlight below for the answer
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The black rook is ideally placed on the e-file. King moves lose to rook checks on the eighth rank. It turns out that e2 is the best square for the rook, and that any other square allows white to initiate a winning strategy for either Re3 or Re1
| 1. | Rh7 | Re3 |
| 2. | Rd7+ | Ke8 (if Kc8 then Ra7 followed by Ra8#) |
| 3. | Ra7 | Kf8 |
| 4. | Rf7+ | Ke8 |
| 5. | Rf4 | Kd8 (if Rd3 then Rg4, while if Re2 then Bc6+) |
| 6. | Be4 | Ke8 |
| 7. | Bc6+ | Kd8 |
| 8. | Rf8 | Re8 |
| 9. | Rxe8# |
| 1. | Rh7 | Re1 |
| 2. | Ra7 | Rc1 |
| 3. | Rf7 | Re1 (the rook arrives on f7 with gain of time) |
| 4. | Bf3 | Ke8 |
| 5. | Rf4 | Kd8 |
| 6. | Ra4 | Rc1 |
| 7. | Bg4 | Ke8 |
| 8. | Be6 | Rd1+ |
| 9. | Bd5 | Kf8 |
| 10. | Rg4 | with Rg8# to follow |
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