|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 12:46:19 GMT
I already solved that one, and I remembered the key move. Qh4, with the ideas Qf2, Q:h3#, Bg2+, etc. Anyway, whenever I see this exercise I think about Rc2, then I notice Qc8+.
BTW, I told you you could easily make it to 2100. You're almost there!
Edit: Anyway, when you know the motives -- you have to make it work. It becomes just a matter of technique, and by searching, trying, you improve technique. Here, you are forced to "go behind refutation" -- search one more move (after Q:e5); then, also proceed by elimination: it's not the rook, not the bishops, only the queen can overload the defenders of the first rank, e.g. Above all, never give up!
I have much more problems with much easier exercises when I don't see the ideas, and there are no hints. At least, I know there's something, so I keep searching. Lately, I use Lucas again because there are no time limitations.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 19, 2022 13:07:41 GMT
Hey, I didn't give up! It was the computer who gave up on me and played the move  If given more choices, I guess I would've ended trying the Queen, but Qxe5 was immediately discouraging. Congrats on solving this one when it came along, do you remember if it took you long? Finally, yes, I'll make 2100 today or tomorrow, but I think this is little more than a progress bar, indicating you're advancing trough the lessons, without really taking into account how well you're actually assimilating what you see. |
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 13:22:51 GMT
Hey, I didn't give up! It was the computer who gave up on me and played the move If given more choices, I guess I would've ended trying the Queen, but Qxe5 was immediately discouraging. Congrats on solving this one when it came along, do you remember if it took you long? Finally, yes, I'll make 2100 today or tomorrow, but I think this is little more than a progress bar, indicating you're advancing trough the lessons, without really taking into account how well you're actually assimilating what you see. In general, I don't believe that a player ranked 2300 (a fresh FIdE master) would see this in a game. So, I find it's even more than a progress bar, and I also think that one makes progress just by repetition: absorbing the patterns and developing technique. I remember when move ordering was a big problem for me -- today I routinely correct the move order after a first unsuccessful try. I also routinely proceed by elimination when I can't "see" the combination immediately, or start from ply two or three when needed.
Yes, it took me long, and for the same reason. I saw the idea Qh4, but then, there was Q:e5. So, I thought about Rc2, but there was Qc8+/Qh3. Then only, I decided to go behind the obvious refutations, and that's when I saw Qf2, a motive I already had several times. The time limit is about 12 mn in the old program, and I knew the type of ideas I should search for. |
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 13:43:42 GMT
Meanwhile, I killed myself with a problem by Uwe Auerswald, which had several solutions. There seemed to be a mate, but the only thing I could find was how to take a rook using mate threats. So I went for it, but LucasChess refused to play my move. I needed half an hour to find the other solution on a real board, moving the pieces. The same rook, much more complicated solution.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 19, 2022 16:49:32 GMT
Can't you post the FEN?
|
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 17:52:30 GMT
I don't know how, but I can give you the position from memory: White: Kc1, Rc3, Rd4, Be6, Nb5, Pa2, b2, f2, g2, h2; Black: Ke8, Rh8, Rb7, Bf8, Nd6, Pa7, b6, e7, g7, h6. The solution I found is pretty straightforward. The author proposed something much more... elegant. He played this game with white, and if he saw his solution over the board I'll eat my hat.
[ChessTag]{4kb1r/pr2p1p1/1p1nB2p/1N6/3R4/2R5/PP3PPP/2K5}[/ChessTag] |
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 19, 2022 19:50:40 GMT
Is that it?
|
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 20:17:22 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 19, 2022 20:45:42 GMT
I assume it's white to move, but I don't see more than winning the exchange. Maybe tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 19, 2022 21:18:18 GMT
I assume it's white to move, but I don't see more than winning the exchange. Maybe tomorrow. It's white to move, and just go with the most straightforward variation -- exchange a piece, go for a check, attack a piece, etc. -- it is easy to see, nothing special about it -- you'll end with a rook+, then there is also a mate but I did not see it when I calculated (saw only the piece+). The other solution is ranked with just one star! (4 is the max), and is really confusing since there is a much simpler one. |
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 20, 2022 11:40:40 GMT
Following that path forces black to surrender the b7 Rook. I didn't see there was a mate in 8 otherwise. Without seeing all that, I doubt I'd gone that route unassisted. This route on the other hand, is what I was looking for, a very nice mate in 6:
[ChessTag]{4kb1r/pr2p1p1/1p1nB2p/1N6/3R4/2R5/PP3PPP/2K5}{4kb1r/pr2p1p1/1p1nB2p/1N6/2R5/2R5/PP3PPP/2K5}{4kb1r/pr2p1p1/1p2B2p/1N6/2n5/2R5/PP3PPP/2K5}{4kb1r/pr2p1p1/1p2B2p/1N6/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{1r2kb1r/p3p1p1/1p2B2p/1N6/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{1r2kb1r/p1N1p1p1/1p2B2p/8/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{1r1k1b1r/p1N1p1p1/1p2B2p/8/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{1r1k1b1r/p3p1p1/Np2B2p/8/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{r2k1b1r/p3p1p1/Np2B2p/8/2R5/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{r2k1b1r/p3p1p1/Np2B2p/8/3R4/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{r3kb1r/p3p1p1/Np2B2p/8/3R4/8/PP3PPP/2K5}{r3kb1r/p1N1p1p1/1p2B2p/8/3R4/8/PP3PPP/2K5}[/ChessTag]
|
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 20, 2022 14:12:13 GMT
Following that path forces black to surrender the b7 Rook. I didn't see there was a mate in 8 otherwise. Without seeing all that, I doubt I'd gone that route unassisted. This route on the other hand, is what I was looking for, a very nice mate in 6: It's a beautiful solution indeed. I did not see it. My first try was to take the Knight with my rook, then I tried the prosaic 1.Nd6, and when I saw Rf4 I had a solution. But the program refused to play the first move. So, I checked it on my magnetic little board, it was OK. Then I cheated a bit: tried all the possible first moves -- Rdc4 worked, and tried to solve the problem OTB. Not a mate on the eight rank... then I finally saw the idea with Nc7, and after that, found Na6. |
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 20, 2022 16:34:24 GMT
Yes, there were a lot of moving parts on this one, a true combination problem. And that guy says he solved it under time pressure? How much Elo does he have? On an unrelated note, I got past 2100 while not yet trough half of the 2nd theme (of 17). Obviously, if 2400 is the limit, I can expect a very flat curve from here on out. |
|
|
|
Post by matejst on Jul 20, 2022 17:37:53 GMT
Congrats, Ozy! No, I don't think the curve will be flat. Just remain focused.
I (re)started doing endgame exercises today. I cheat here: instead of first doing the "Theory part", I play first the position against an engine, then I solve it in the program. I tried every single wrong solution so far. I felt tired at the end (did 14 exercises), but in the last exercises (all pawn endgames), I was less prone to make errors and I saw winning maneuvers much faster.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Jul 20, 2022 17:48:18 GMT
That IS cheating. But since you're cheating yourself...  |
|
