HiveChess Study (11): Analysing a Chess Problem Created By @Jaki01

Hello chess friends, Few days ago, @jaki01 put out a beautiful chess puzzle, so beautifully created by himself. It was not the first time he is creating a chess puzzle. However, it is the first one in a very long time. He called it a little tricky puzzle. but i think it was far more than just tricky. I found solving it very difficult and wondered how he composed it.

Thankfully at the request of @stayoutoftherz, he explained the process.

You can find it in his post here

In the video above, I showed the solution to the puzzle and explained my thoughts process in finding the solution.

Thanks to @vjap55 who helped to solve a variation.

Puzzle Solution

For those that might not watched the video, here is the solution with some of my thoughts.

Black To play and win!

First when I see a puzzle, I check first if there is a material advantage. In this case black has none, infact material wise, black is lost. But since the puzzle says, black wins. It definitely has to be forceful moves that brings the king down. At first glance, it easy to notice the white king can fall, However, that might just be the only part that is easy.

Checks ( I play the possible checks as those are forceful. In this position g6+ is the only one.
After 1.g6
2.Kxg5 white king is safe)

1.e4 is the winning move

This way the king path to freedom is blocked. But even here, there are alot of variations white can try to escape. Let's start with the easy ones.

After 1.e4, white can try 2.Kxg5

But it loses to, 2.Ne6+ 3.kf5 g6+ 4.hxg6 hxg6+ 5.kxe4 Nf4#

This was solved by @vjap55!

Now let's take a look at the more complicated variations.

After 1.e4, White plays 2.exf4

Capturing the knight should be the most attractive move for white. However, it still loses to 2.Re8!

This is a move, I'd probably never find in a blitz game. I only found it because i took several hours trying to crack this one. I told @anomadsoul about a book that explains these subtle moves.

Moves like bishop back, Rook back are some of my blind spots, they are hard to find. I once checkmated a 1800+ player in a rapid game on g7 with a Qb2 and Ba1 battery. After the game, he told me, he forgot the bishop on a1, that it was too backwards to always observe.

1.e4 2.exf4 Re8! And after either 3.Rxe4 or fxe4, black wins with 3.g6+ 4.hxg6 hxg6+ 5.Kxg5 Bd8+

6.Kh6 Rh8#

Easy But Difficult

I think the 3rd variation is easy but yet it was difficult to find the first move. After Jaki's hint, I guess the rest was pretty much easy.

Variation 3. White plays 2. fxe4?!

After this move, it is difficult to actually make a move for black. But if someone told you it's "an unexpected Rook move",then why not try the Crazy looking 2. Re5+

It turned out to be the right move as every other move losses.

Here, white must play 3.dxe5 and after another brilliant but easy 3.Ne6!, white is getting checkmated in two.

Black wins here with g6+

In Conclusion..

Thanks to @jaki01 for creating this chess problem and also for encouraging me to give it a go. Because of my health, it took a while to get to record a video this week. Plus I just noticed i got a sequence wrong (not that it matters actually🙃).

I also want to use this opportunity to thank the @chessbrotherspro for another well organised season. I believe the Friday's event would end in few weeks time with two more rounds to go. That also has been fun. @schamangerbert fun filled Thematic tournament has been interesting too! Thank you all for promoting chess on hive!

I'm planning to organize a tournament on hive soon. It would be an event for everyone and for all levels. Details would be announced after i properly think it through. What do you think or suggest for a one day hive chess event?