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From	Message
sccadams 11-Feb-11, 21:40	I'd like the Club to weigh in on this position please. Last year, someone posted a thread on the GK forums about defensive chess puzzles. Included was this position: A puzzle by Genrikh Kasparyan: White to play and draw. Nobody posted the solution, though I did make the following post: "My intuition says the correct move for white is 1. Bf4 where after 1... Bxa2 2. Bxd6 Bb3 3. Bxa3 definitely draws for white. However, if black plays 1... Bxf4 2. Rxa3 Bc2, I'm not sure how white would draw here." Nobody replied, so I thought I'd repost here to see what you guys think about it. Feel free to tell me I'm an idiot if need be, but I'd really like to know if I was on the right track.
coopershawk 12-Feb-11, 08:42	fen notation Here is the fen notation for Chuck's puzzle if you want to set up a practice board. 8/7k/3b1K1B/8/p7/p7/R7/1b6 w - - My first instinct is to set up a mating threat which requires black's attention defensively and prevents him from advancing the pawns or using the bishops to his advantage. I will work on it.
coopershawk 14-Feb-11, 21:18	solution? I have not found it. Anyone else? Shall I ask Shredder 12 for help, or do you want to work on it more?
blueshrimper 14-Feb-11, 21:29	Another 24 hours please Sorry, only just noticed this. I'm not great at puzzles but I'd like to have a go. Any chance of holding off for another day and I will have a look at it this evening.
coopershawk 15-Feb-11, 07:22	I am in no hurry. Take all the time you want. And of course there is no assurance that the computer will solve it correctly. OT - Did anyone watch "Jeopardy" on 2/14? It is a TV trivia quiz show. This week, two humans - past champions at the game- are playing against a bank of IBM computers with special software. For the next couple of days it will be an interesting demonstration of both the strengths and limitations of computers.
blueshrimper 15-Feb-11, 12:30	Can't do it In order for it to be a draw, it seems to me that this must involve an exchange of dark Bishops and the elimination of the Black pawns in return for the Rook. This much seems obvious but having spent more time on this than I care to admit, I don't see how it can be achieved. So, okay then, over to the computer and lets see what it will make of the situation. Talking of computers, do you know the story of the first chess computer?
sccadams 15-Feb-11, 17:45	Ok, I think I've got it I believe my instinct was correct. After 1. Bf4 Bxf4 2. Rxa3 Bc2 3. Rh3+, the position is drawn for white because he can either keep kicking at the bishops with his rook or threaten mate. If 3...Bh6, then 4. Rh2 Bb3 5. Rh3 Bd1 seems like a draw; black can't advance his pawn and loses the immobilized DSB if he moves his king. But say black chooses 3...Kg8 then the game continues something like 4. Rh4 Be3 5. Rg4+ Kf8 6. Rc4, where white forks blacks LSB and c8. This then draws. Of course, black could play 3...Kh8, but then black can choose between perpetual check, or if 4 Rh4+ Bh7, it looks very similar to the above paragraph. Note that after Rh4, black's DSB can't move to f2, d2, c1, or c5 without allowing a fork or skewer of the bishops, thus drawing the game, and on any other move allows white to fork the LSB and c8. Of course, black could abandon the a4 pawn after 2. Rxa3, but that draws as well. If black declines the proffered bishop, then 1. Bf4 Bf8 2. Ra1 a2 3. Be5 still draws, as does 1. Bf4 Bf8 2. Ra1 Bd3 3. Be5. What do you guys say? Agree or disagree?
coopershawk 16-Feb-11, 20:53	I say Your solution is too complex to analyze quickly, and I have a case going to trial tomorrow, so I will look at the puzzle again over the weekend. For now I am off-line until Friday evening.
caveman1960 18-Feb-11, 20:08	sccadams I agree. A nice piece of analyses.4.Rh4 was the hard move to find.
gcah2006 11-Jul-11, 13:35	Sorry to revive a reasonably old thread, but I fancy weighing in my opinion... I agree that after 1. Bf4 Bxa2 the game is a definite draw. I would like to know how you propose that white plays after 1. Bf4 Bxf4 2. Rxa3 Bc2 3. Rh3+ Bh6. I see you recommended the line 4. Rh2 Bb3 5. Rh3 Bd1, but I don't think this is white's best option. I would suggest 4...Bd3 5. Rh3 Bb5... I think the bishop can get to the key square of d7, which prevent the rook holding the pin and stopping the advancement of the pawn. I'm not saying that it will definitely give black a win, but it forces the rook to release the pin on the DSB. I'll let you have another look at the game!

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