Magnificent Puzzles (2)

Submitted by Phobetor on Sat, 01/24/2009 at 5:06am.

There are many places where you can find simple tactical puzzles (for example Chess.com's Tactics Trainer or Daily Puzzle) or more complicated puzzles with highly unlikely positions, where the key move is a totally unexpected move. There are only few places however where you'll find puzzles which are complicated but yet simple. Puzzles with few pieces on the board, but with a very elegant solution. In the Magnificent Puzzles I'll try to entertain you with such puzzles.

Below is the second puzzle, which was composed by R. Becker in 1988. White seems to be winning a rook easily, but is it that easy? White to play and win!

» posted in Phobetor's Blog

| 2306 reads | 14 comments

Comments:

by h777 - 15 days ago
Vancouver Canada

Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 7290

pawn for rook!

by aieplm - 45 days ago
manila Philippines

Member Since: Jun 2009
Member Points: 148

nice

by Emad - 5 months ago
Cairo Egypt

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 46

very good

by kid_of_chess - 5 months ago
Ottawa,Ontario Canada

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5556

cool!

by joeubatz - 8 months ago
New Jersey United States

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 54

nice puzzle...makes you have to see all of black's king moves if 1.Rh7? !!:-)

by rumi99 - 8 months ago
Khulna Bangladesh

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 100

Easy and tactfull

by luis3141 - 9 months ago
Argentina

Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 93

Lol, sorry, i wasnt expecific enought, i meant anywhere on the "a file", except a6 or a7, b7-c7 draw too. i guess it was easier to say: "if it was black to move, its a draw". Someone not familiar with the Philidor position (with the opponents rook on the 6th rank) may not be aware of this.

by Phobetor - 9 months ago
Eindhoven Netherlands

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 1202

Actually, luis, if it were on b6, d6, f6, g6, h8, h7, h5, h4, h3, h2, h1, d5, d4, d3, e3, f3, f4, or f5, it would also be a win for white :P

by uritbon - 9 months ago
tel aviv Israel

Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 1000

by luis3141 - 9 months ago
Argentina

Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 93

Nice, useful puzzle, but... what the hell was blacks rook doing there!!, hahahaha any other square other than a7 or a6 draws.

by Phobetor - 9 months ago
Eindhoven Netherlands

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 1202

Yes Bob1, 1. Rh7 Ke6! and white does not win anymore. I added the variation to the Move List, but in case people are too lazy to click Move List, they can check your post ;)

I like how with so few pieces, in a position that looks so common, there is such an elegant solution. White sacrifices the pawn two times, and there are three different ways for black to lose his rook! And all that with just two kings, two rooks and a pawn! :)