Author: Ulrich Tuerke
Date: 02:56:42 05/01/01
Go up one level in this thread
On May 01, 2001 at 04:25:54, Dana Turnmire wrote: > The test is very simple. Set the level to infinite, turn off the opening book >and thinking on opponent's time if possible. Play out the moves to the problem >position. Note the choice moves after 15", 30", 1', and 2'. Score one point >for each correct move found or each bad move avoided at each of the four time >intervals. The most points possible for each test set is 4. If the correct >move is shown at 15" but not at the 1 minute mark 1 point would still be given. >To get an estimated USCF rating, multiply the test score by 8 and add it to 2000 >(for British ratings, add 1900, for Swedish, add 1800). > > 1. Slav Defense. 1d4 d5 2c4 c6 3Nc3 Nf6 4e3 Bf5 5cxd5 cxd5. White to play. >Solution 6 Qb3! See next problem. > > 2. Slav Defense. Black to play after 6Qb3 in problem 1. Solution 6...Bc8! >While this leaves white with a clear lead in development, other moves lead to >worse trouble. One example is 6...Qd7 7Nf3 Nc6 8Ne5 Nxe5? 9dxe5 N-any? 10Bb5 >wins. > > 3. Queen's Gambit Accepted. 1d4 d5 2c4 dxc4 3e4 e5 4Nf3 exd4 5Bc4 Bb4+ 6Bd2 >Bxd2 7Nbd2 Nc6 8 0-0 Nf6 9e5 Ng4 10h3. Black to play. Solution 10...Nh6!. The >point is that if instead 10...Ngxe5? 10Nxe5 Nxe5 11Re1 f6 12f4 or 11...Qf6 >12Nf3, and black cannot retain enough compensation for the knight. > > 4. Queen's Gambit Declined. 1d4 d5 2c4 e6 3Nc3 Nf6 4cxd5 exd5 5Bg5 c6 6Qc2 >Be7 7e3 Nbd7 8Bd3 0-0 9Nf3 Re8 10 0-0 Nf8 11Rab1 g6. White to move. Solution >12b4!, the minority attack and the point of the previous move. > > 5. Marshall's defense to Queen's Gambit. 1d4 d5 2c4 Nf6 3cxd5 Nxd5 4e4 Nf6 >5Nc3. Black to move. Solution 5...e5!. If 6dxe5 Qxd1+ 7Kxd1 Nf4, and black >recovers the pawn favorably. > >6. Nimzoindian Defense. 1d4 Nf6 2c4 e6 3Nc3 Bb4 4Qc2 0-0 5a3. Black to move. >Solution 5...Bxc3+!, "sacrificing" the bishop pair for no tangible compensation, >since retreating the bishop to e7 allows white too dominating a center. > >7. Benko Gambit. 1d4 Nf6 2c4 c5 3d5 b5 4cxb5 a6 5bxa6 Bxa6 6Nc3 d6 7Nf3 g6 8g3 >Bg7 9Bg2 0-0 10 0-0 Nbd7 11Re1 Qb6 12h3. Black to move. Solution 12...Rfb8!, >so that one rook will be posted on each semi-open file. > >8. Queen's Indian Defense. 1d4 Nf6 2c4 e6 3Nf3 b6 4g3 Bb7 5Bg2 c5. White to >move. Solution 6d5!, after which if 6...exd5 7Nh4! will recover the pawn thanks >to the pin. If 6d5 didn't work here, everyone would play 5...c5, but as it is, >the move is rarely seen in master play. > > 9. King's Indian Defense. 1d4 Nf6 2c4 g6 3Nc3 Bg7 4e4 d6 5f3 0-0 6Be3 Nc6 >7Nge2 a6 8Nc1 e5 9d5. Black to move. Solution 9...Nd4!, which does not lose a >pawn because if 10Bxd4 exd4 11Qxd4 Nxe4! 12Qxe4 Re8. White should instead play >10Nb3 or 10Nc1-e2, but black is better off here than he would be after a passive >knight retreat on move 9. > >10. Benoni. 1d4 Nf6 2c4 c5 3d5 e6 4Nc3 exd5 5cxd5 d6 6e4 g6 7Nf3 Bg7 8Be2 0-0 >9 0-0 Re8 10Nd2 a6 White to move. Solution 11a4!, restraining black from >counterplay by ...b5. > > 11. Vienna Game. 1e4 e5 2Nc3 Nf6 3f4. Black to move, solution 3...d5!, >answering a wing attack by a central thrust. Taking the f pawn is not so good >here as in the King's gambit. > >12. Philidor's Defense. 1e4 e5 2Nf3 d6 3Bc4 Be7 4d4 exd4 5Nxd4 Nd7?. White to >move. Solution 6Bxf7+!, intending after 6...Kxf7 7Ne6! and if 7...Kxe6 8Qd5+ >Kf6 9Qf5 mate. > >13. Petrov's Defense. 1e4 e5 2Nf3 Nf6 3Nxe5 d6 4Nxf7?! (the Cochrane Gambit) >Kxf7 5d4. Black to move. Solution: avoid 5...Nxe4?, because of 6Qh5+ Ke7 7Qe2 >d5 8Bg5+ wins. > >14. Bishop's opening. 1e4 e5 2Bc4 Nf6 3d4 exd4 4Nf3 Nxe4 5Qxd4 Nd6 6 0-0. >Black to play. Solution: avoid the natural 6...Nxc4?, then 7Re1+ Be7 because of >8Qxg7 Rf8 9Bh6 and the threat of 10Qxf8 cannot be parried without decisive >material loss. > >15. Ruy Lopez. 1e4 e5 2Nf3 Nc6 3Bb5 a6 4Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6Re1 b5 7Bb3 d6 8c3 >0-0 9d4 Bg4 10Be3 Na5?! 11dxe5! Nxb3?. White to move. Solution 12exf6!, >because after 12...Nxa1 13fxe7 Qxe7 14Nbd2, and the black knight in the corner >is lost. Although black gets rook plus pawn for two minor pieces (equal >according to the beginner's 1-3-3-5-9 count), good players know that two pieces >are nearly always stronger than rook and pawn, except in very simplified >endings. > >16. Ruy Lopez Open Defense. 1e4 e5 2Nf3 Nc6 3Bb5 a6 4Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6d4 b5 >7Bb3. Black to move. Solution 7...d5!, returning the pawn in the best way, >since 7...exd4 will only keep black a pawn up for a few moves. > >17. Ruy Lopez Steinitz Defense Deferred. 1e4 e5 2Nf3 Nc6 3Bb5 a6 4Ba4 d6 50-0 >Bg4 6h3 h5 7Bxc6+ bxc6. Solution: avoid 8hxg4? since after 8...hxg4 9Ne1? Qh4 >10f3 g3 with mate next. White can avoid the mate by 9g3, returning the knight, >but black should still stand better with his rook on an open file near the white >king. > >18. Sicilian Defense. Richter-Rauser Attack. 1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 >Nf6 5Nc3 d6 6Bg5 e5?. White to move: Solution: 7Bxf6!, "sacrificing" the >bishop pair. If 7...Qxf6? 8Nd5 Qd8 9Nb5 and black is in big trouble. Instead >7...gxf6 8Nf5 Bxf5 9eXf5 leaves white with the better position. > >19. Sicilian Najdorf, Sozin variation. 1e4 c5 2Nf3 d6 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 Nf6 5Nc3 >a6 6Bc4 e6 7 0-0 b5 8Bb3 Bb7 9Re1 Be7?!. White to move. Solution: 10Bxe6!, >sacrificing the bishop for three pawns. This is not quite enough material >compensation for a bishop in the early part of the game, but here black's king >is denuded, so the sacrifice is fully justified. > >20. Sicilian, Taimanov variation. 1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 e6 5Nc3 Qc7 >6Be2 a6 7Be3 Nge7?. Solution 8Nd4-b5!, so that after 8...axb5 9Nxb5 Qa5+ 10Bd2 >Qb6 11Nd6+ Kd8 12Nxf7+, winning material. > >21. Sicilian Accelerated Dragon. 1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 g6 5Nc3 Bg7 >6Be3 Nf6 7Bc4 0-0 8Bb3 Na5? 9e5 Ne8 10Bxf7+! Kxf7 11Ne6! (Fischer vs Reshevsky). > Black to move. Solution: avoid 11...Kxe6?, which allows a forced mate. Black >must therefore lose his queen to two minor pieces, which is at least better than >getting mated. Note that the sacrifice on move 11 is not a suitable test for a >computer, because it will be chosen quickly since it immediately allows >perpetual check if accepted, and since white has already sacrificed he will not >mind forcing a draw. > >22. Caro-Kann defense. 1e4 c6 2d4 d5 3exd5 cxd5 4Bd3 Nc6 5c3 Nf6 6Bf4 Bg4 7Qb3 >Na5 8Qa4+ Bd7 9Qc2 e6 10Nf3 Qb6. White to move. Solution 11a4! (from Fischer >vs Petrosian). This prevents black from exchanging off his bad bishop by >...Bb5. This problem is very hard for computers, not surprising considering >that the move was unknown by grandmasters until Fischer played it. > >23. French Defense. (Winawer variation). 1e4 e6 2d4 d5 3Nc3 Bb4 4e5 Ne7 5Bd3 >0-0 6Nh3 Nd7?. White to move. Solution 7Bxh7+! (if 7...Kxh7 8Qh5+ Kg8 9Ng5 Re8 >10Qxf7+ Kh8 11Nxe6 wins). > >24. Nimzovitch defense. 1e4 Nc6 2d4 d6 3Nc3 g6 4Nf3 Bg4 5d5 Ne5?. White to >move. Solution 6Nxe5! (if 6...Bxd1 7Bb5+ c6 8dxc6 and black must lose material. > >25. Grob's Opening. 1g4 d5 2Bg2 Bxg4 3c4 c6 4cxd5 Nf6 5Qb3 Qb6 6dxc6. Black >to move. Solution: avoid 6...Qxb3? since 7cxb7! Qc4 8Na3 wins for white. In case anybody interested in these, I'd made the FEN notations some time ago. rn1qkb1r/pp2pppp/5n2/3p1b2/3P4/2N1P3/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1 id "CCR01"; bm Qb3; rn1qkb1r/pp2pppp/5n2/3p1b2/3P4/1QN1P3/PP3PPP/R1B1KBNR b KQkq - 1 1 id "CCR02"; bm Bc8; r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n5/4P3/2Bp2n1/5N1P/PP1N1PP1/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 1 10 id "CCR03"; bm Nh6; am Ne5; r1bqrnk1/pp2bp1p/2p2np1/3p2B1/3P4/2NBPN2/PPQ2PPP/1R3RK1 w - - 1 12 id "CCR04"; bm b4; rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/8/3PP3/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 3 5 id "CCR05"; bm e5; rnbq1rk1/pppp1ppp/4pn2/8/1bPP4/P1N5/1PQ1PPPP/R1B1KBNR b KQ - 1 5 id "CCR06"; mb Bcx3+; r4rk1/3nppbp/bq1p1np1/2pP4/8/2N2NPP/PP2PPB1/R1BQR1K1 b - - 1 12 id "CCR07"; bm Rfb8; rn1qkb1r/pb1p1ppp/1p2pn2/2p5/2PP4/5NP1/PP2PPBP/RNBQK2R w KQkq c6 1 6 id "CCR08"; bm d5; r1bq1rk1/1pp2pbp/p1np1np1/3Pp3/2P1P3/2N1BP2/PP4PP/R1NQKB1R b KQ - 1 9 id "CCR09"; bm Nd4; rnbqr1k1/1p3pbp/p2p1np1/2pP4/4P3/2N5/PP1NBPPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 1 11 id "CCR10"; bm a4; rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5n2/4p3/4PP2/2N5/PPPP2PP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq f3 1 3 id "CCR11"; bm d5; r1bqk1nr/pppnbppp/3p4/8/2BNP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 2 6 id "CCR12"; bm Bxf7+; rnbq1b1r/ppp2kpp/3p1n2/8/3PP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQ d3 1 5 id "CCR13"; am Ne4; rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/3n4/8/2BQ4/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNB2RK1 b kq - 1 6 id "CCR14"; am Nxc4; r2q1rk1/2p1bppp/p2p1n2/1p2P3/4P1b1/1nP1BN2/PP3PPP/RN1QR1K1 w - - 1 12 id "CCR15"; bm exf6; r1bqkb1r/2pp1ppp/p1n5/1p2p3/3Pn3/1B3N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 2 7 id "CCR16"; bm d5; r2qkbnr/2p2pp1/p1pp4/4p2p/4P1b1/5N1P/PPPP1PP1/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 1 8 id "CCR17"; am hxg4; r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2np1n2/4p1B1/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq e6 1 7 id "CCR18"; bm Bxf6+; rn1qk2r/1b2bppp/p2ppn2/1p6/3NP3/1BN5/PPP2PPP/R1BQR1K1 w kq - 5 10 id "CCR19"; am Bxe6; r1b1kb1r/1pqpnppp/p1n1p3/8/3NP3/2N1B3/PPP1BPPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 3 8 id "CCR20"; am Ndb5; r1bqnr2/pp1ppkbp/4N1p1/n3P3/8/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QK2R b KQ - 2 11 id "CCR21"; am Kxe6; r3kb1r/pp1n1ppp/1q2p3/n2p4/3P1Bb1/2PB1N2/PPQ2PPP/RN2K2R w KQkq - 3 11 id "CCR22"; bm a4; r1bq1rk1/pppnnppp/4p3/3pP3/1b1P4/2NB3N/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 3 7 id "CCR23"; bm Bxh7+; r2qkbnr/ppp1pp1p/3p2p1/3Pn3/4P1b1/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 2 6 id "CCR24"; bm Nxe5; rn2kb1r/pp2pppp/1qP2n2/8/6b1/1Q6/PP1PPPBP/RNB1K1NR b KQkq - 1 6 id "CCR25"; am Qxb3;
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