Liu Wenzhe vs Jan Hein Donner - 28 May 2012

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Aug-14-11
sevenseaman: Crafty puts up a scintillating fight but it is essentially a losing battle for the machine this time.
Anything faster than this?

14. Qh4 Bh3 15. Rxh3 Qa6+ 16. c3 Qxc3+ 17. bxc3 f5 18. Qh7+ Kf7 19. Qxg6+ Kxg6 20. Bh5+ Kh7 21. Bf7+ Bh6 22. g6+ Kh8 22. Rxg6+ Kg7 23. Rh7#

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Got it on the second attempt. Would love to know if a faster solution has been found.

Aug-14-11
Patriot: Time limit: 10 minutes with chess clock.

The first move I considered was 14.Qh4 but after 14...f5 15.Qh7+ Kf7 I missed 16.Qxg6+!!. I wanted to clog up f6 to prevent the 14...f5 defense starting with 14.Nf6+ but now I see this is defensable. 10 minutes wasn't enough for me to solve this.

Aug-14-11
sevenseaman: There is a typo in my Crafty sol. Move 23. has been numbered move 22. (repeated). It should be 23. and move 23. is actually move 24.
Don't you think 5 to 10 minutes for Fri through Sun puzzles is a bit harsh and unrealistic? The strait jacket may be actually causing you loss of progress.
I suggest a bulk 30 minutes for all three and reallocate time saved on any to the next. Then you can measure your progress in total time saved.

Aug-14-11
Patriot: I usually allow no more than 10 minutes on Saturday's and sometimes allow 20 minutes for Sunday's. I can't allow a lot of time throughout the week since I'm at work and I like to solve a puzzle before getting the day started just to get my brain going for the day.
Time is decided before seeing the puzzle and I will use every bit of it to do the best I can. I think it helps to give more time to develop better visualization and practice a good thought process. But I also like to limit the time a bit to try to develop a candidate move list faster and get a better feel for the mistakes I tend to make. When you allow yourself unlimited time or a long time, you stand a better chance of solving the puzzle but the analytical mistakes you make along the way can be masked by the time you allowed.

Aug-14-11alachabre: After a bit of thought, an idea springs to mind for the obvious action that must take place on the h file. A Black reply of Qa5+ is always lurking, but does not appear playable because 1) it is easily parried, and 2) it takes the queen away from the defense of the K side without compensation. But the move must be considered if and when a loss of time could cost the attack.
14. Qh2 [Qh4]

14. ... f6 [f5]

15. Qh7+ Kf7
16. Rh6, this is the position that seems forced at first blush, and that I want to investigate.
16. ... Rh8, and this seems to take the sting out of everything. Without posting huge variations, I am going to run out of pieces and time before a killing shot can be delivered. So I need a better move somewhere.
16. Bh5 gxh5
17. Qxh5+ Kg8
18. Qh7+ Kf7
19. g6#

16. ... Bxd5
17. Bxg6+ Ke7
18. gxf7+ Rxf7
19. exd5 Ne5, and White's advantage appears clear, but not decisive.
17. Qxg6+ Ke7
18. exd5 Ne5
19. Qf5 Qd7
20. gxf6 Rxf6, once again, Black seems to hold the position.
16. Qxg6+, might as well take a look at this, I think I see a follow-up with the strong bishop move to h5.
16. ... Kxg6
17. Bh5+ Kh7
18. Bf7+ Bh6
19. Rxh6+ Kg7, going nowhere...

19. g6+ Kg7
20. Bxh6+ Kh8
21. g7+ Kh7
22. g7xf8=N+ Kh8
23. Ng6+ Kh7
24. Bf8+ Bh3
25. Rxh3#

22. g8=Q# is just as effective, but not as kinky. (Post-analysis, Ruffian finds Nxe6 mates one move quicker. Ruffian also finds that my 21. g7+ is much inferior to 21. Bxf8+. I guess I had my heart set on an underpromotion!)
So is this variation any good? Everything after Kxg6 is forced, and it appears to make no difference if the pawn is on f6 or f5 (from move 14), so Black must refuse the sacrifice. Ok, wait, there is an option...
19. g6+ Kh8
20. Rxh6+ Kg7
21. Rh7#

So on to refusing the sac:

16. ... Kg8
17. Qh7+ Kf7
18. Bh5#

I plowed through the variations with both Qh4 and f5 (as laid out as alternatives at the beginning of all this), and it makes no difference. After 14. Qh2, it's mate in eight, and don't be late.

Aug-14-11
chrisowen: I is Liu Wenzhe in the artery
Shoot me battery gone flattery
Ever greenery tree saccary
Da linery white dynasty
Star trickery sho armoury
Bank bishops Hein yell oh see

Ar you canny in the combatry
Refreshing blacks modesty

In moth it gas prophecy
Willow shade by twenty

Parking lot popular square ICT
Leaf under wind lace queen set he.

Aug-14-11
DrMAL: A computer (with a bit more time to compute than the Crafty Endgame thing) reveals 14.Qh4!! or 14.Qh2!! is a forced mate in 10 (or less) after either 14...Bh3 or 14...Qa5).
I did not see this it is (extremely) far from obvious, and I sincerely doubt anyone on here did. I would have played 14.Nf3 probably winning. Brilliant move and great game by Liu!

Aug-14-11
reti: This is a beautiful combination.

Aug-14-11
David2009: Liu Wenzhe vs J H Donner, 1978 postscript: Crafty puts up a scintillating fight but it is essentially a losing battle for the machine this time. Anything faster than this? 14.Qh4 Bh3 15.Rxh3 Qa5+ 16.c3 Qxc3+ 17.bxc3 f5 18.Qh7+ Kf7 19.Qxg6+ Kxg6 20.Bh5+ Kh7 21.Bf7+ Bh6 22.g6+ Kh8 23.Rxh6+ Kg7 24.Rh7#> Congratulations- your win with 16.c3! was eight moves faster than mine: 14...Bh3 15.Qxh3 Qa5+ 16.b4!? Qxb4+ 17.Nxb4 f5 18.Qh7+ Kf7 19.Qxg6+ Ke7 20.Nd5+ Kd8 21.Rb1 Rb8 22.Rh7 b6 23.Rxg7 Rc8 24.Bh5 Nf6 25.Nxf6 Ne5 26.Qh7 Rc7 27.Rxc7 Rf7 28.Rxf7 Nxf7 29.Qxf7 Kc8 30.Nd5 Kb8 31.Qc7+ Ka8 32.Qc8#. In the final position, Pawns are level but Black suffers from the trifling material disadvantage of Q, one R, both B and both N. Sort of finish that takes me back me to my very early chess experiences (both losing and winning).
16.b4!? is the move I would instinctively make OTB playing safe (winning the Queen just in case the combination has a flaw). Confession time - first time around after 15...Qa5+ I played 16.Bd2? which wins on material - but the Q sacrifice no longer works (White's Bishop is pinned!).

Aug-14-11bachbeet: Relentless checking until the eventual mate. Really nice game!

Aug-14-11dimiss: if today's puzzle is too hard for you, you might want to try with easier ones:

click for larger view

Blak to move

Difficulty: 3/5
Source: http://tinyurl.com/3z9bshn

Aug-14-11tacticalmonster: very easy Sunday puzzle. I only spent 5 mins on it.
At first I was looking at Nf6+ with the idea of blocking the f-pawn advance but I realize BK at f7 is " stalemated " anyway.
14 Qh4 f6 (or f5) 15 Qh7+ Kf7 16 Qxg6+ Kxg6 17 Bh5+ Kh7 18 Bf7+ Bh6 19 g6+ Kg7 (19...Kh8 20 Rxh6+ Kg7 21 Rh7#) 20 Bxh6+ Kh8 21 Bxf8#

Aug-14-11WhiteRook48: um...
1...f1=B 2 Bf2 Nf3 3 any move Bg2#

Aug-14-11
sevenseaman:
You are harsh on yourself. First time anyone could play those moves you went for. Now forewarned against Crafty I exactly knew what pieces are needed in the mating net later and kept them dry and handy.

Aug-14-11
sevenseaman: < DrMAL: A computer (with a bit more time to compute than the Crafty Endgame thing) reveals 14.Qh4!! or 14.Qh2!! is a forced mate in 10 (or less) after either 14...Bh3 or 14...Qa5).
I did not see this it is (extremely) far from obvious, and I sincerely doubt anyone on here did. I would have played 14.Nf3 probably winning. Brilliant move and great game by Liu!>
Thats too much of a blanket statement. Looking at the puzzle first time, Q check at h7 was the first thing I saw in a flash. Fortunately in this case that is all I needed to. How to get there was merely the mechanics of the combination. The chips just kept falling into place.
And I'd rate myself close to the humble 1000 or lower and do not use any cyber analysis at all. At times I fail to reach a solution, some days laughably simple and obvious in hindsight. Feeling awkwardly pedestrian is also a pleasure, of sorts.
I believe most solvers here are doing an honest day's work. How else would they attain any sense of fulfillment?

Aug-14-11
Patriot: NO WAY! You are much stronger than that! I personally know players around 1000 and they would never calculate the way you do. Judging from your analysis I would say you are AT LEAST 1700 USCF.

Aug-14-11
sevenseaman: I should feel flattered but I am a realist.
Rating a chess aficionado on the basis of his puzzle solutions posted from the comfort of his own drawing room could be dicey.
OTB is a different cup of tea and I am sure you'll realise the error of your ways some day.

Aug-14-11
CHESSTTCAMPS: In this opening position, white is down a pawn and has three undeveloped pieces, but controls that all important open h-file. The vulnerable castled black king is already close to being entombed. It is quickly seen that after 14.Qh2, the only way to avoid 15.Qh7# for black to play f6 or f5. The candidate 14.Nf6+ (?), an attempt to hold down the f7 escape hatch, is worth investigating, but after 14...Nxf6 (Bxf6?? 15.Qh2 wins immediately) 15.gf Bxf6 16.Qh2 Re8 the king escapes via f8.
So the forcing approach of direct threats is best:

14.Qh2! essentially limits black to two serious defensive tries which are virtually identical:
A) 14... f5 (or f6) 15.Qh7+ Kf7 16.Qxg6+!! (a familiar h-file attack tactic) Kxg6 17.Bh5+ Kh7 18.Bf7+ Bh6 19.g6+! (the key find for me) Kg7 (Kh8 20.Rxh6+ Kg7 21.Rh7#) 20.Bh6+ Kh8 21.Bxf8+ (mate in the case of 14.... f6) Qh4 22.Rxh4#
A.1) 17... Kg8 18.Qh7+ Kf7 19.Bh5#

B) 14... Nf6 15.gf Re8 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Qxg7#

14... Qa4+ (15.b4), 14... Bc3+, and 14... Bh3 are other options that delay mate by a few moves.
Time for review. Very pretty, but not particularly complex.

Aug-14-11
Patriot: You're just too modest!

Aug-15-11
DrMAL: Solving a puzzle means to compute in one's head the entire set of possible sequences in advance. If you or anyone else actually did this, rather than looking ahead or stumbling into it or using a computer, congratulations. Again, I sincerely doubt it.

Aug-15-11dumbgai: I love this game. A GM makes a couple of poor opening moves and he's dead meat just a dozen moves into the game.

Aug-16-1150movesaheadofyou: A pirc defense, chinese variation? I didn't know there was such thing. This game is the birth of this variation I imagine.

Jan-20-12pericles of athens: fantastic game! uber-aggressive play from white. wow.

Feb-18-12
Naniwazu: Saw this in Kavalek's column. Qxg6+ is a fantastic move!

Mar-05-12LawrenceBernstein: Donner once asked a colleague, "how can a western gm lose to a chinese player?" boy, did he find out.

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