Thursday, April 13, 2006

 

Plenty to Work On

I started Step 5 of TCT - it's challenging. I haven't focused on pawn breakthrough tactics for awhile and it shows. I really worked on those heavily over a year ago... something else to review I guess. I also worked a little in the old 1001 checkmate book and ran into a wall on #399. Thud. I just don't have an instinct for that type of position. Solving longer mate problems seems like its own thing, as my work on 2 and 3 move mates does not seem to help much for mate in 6 or 7.

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White to Move

This happened in a blitz game where I was White. If you forget about the huge winning advantage and just focus on what's the strongest way to finish this one off, you probably will see what I missed. With the subtlety of a bulldozer I pushed with e6, simply clearing the way for the White King to go munch on the Black Kingside pawns. I suppose there was time-pressure in that move. The point is that I missed the beautiful move Kc6. Kc6 immobilizes Black's King and leaves Black's dark-squared Bishop with no good moves. Black can push the h pawn, but so can White, square for square. If Black tries to push his g or f pawn, White can capture it with impunity because the Black Bishop is stuck preventing Bb6 followed by b5#. Nice, eh?
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TCT Results

Circle 1Circle 2Circle 3Circle 4Circle 5Circle 6Circle 7
Step 197%99%99%100%r
Step 293%96%95%97%96%99%100%
Step 393%97%97%96%96%98%99%
Step 480%86%90%92%89%
Step 574%77%83%87%89%*


Comments:
Congratulations with finishing step 4.
The problem I saw within seconds. Must have something to do with that I did step 5 seven times long ago. I didn't recognize the position, though. So now I can call it "intuition":)
 
Perhaps I didn't preface this correctly- this happened in a blitz game.
 
Kc6 restricts Cheap wow goldBlack's Double and instead gives off Black's dark-squared Bishop without excellent moves. Black color could press h third hand, nevertheless therefore can Buy rs goldWhite-colored, square intended for square.
 
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