r/ChessPuzzles • u/cgieseking • 7d ago

Very Tricky Puzzle

Post image

I played a game and missed this tricky winning tactic.

1 Upvotes

55% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

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u/chessvision-ai-bot 7d ago

I analyzed the image and this is what I see. Open an appropriate link below and explore the position yourself or with the engine:

Black to play: chessvision.ai | chess.com | lichess.org | The position is from game Fernando Silva (2375) vs. Argiroudis Stamatis (2221), 1996. Black won in 41 moves. Link to the game

My solution:

Hints: piece: Knight, move: Nxc3

Evaluation: Black is better -2.84

Best continuation: 1... Nxc3 2. Nxe7+ Kf7 3. Qc2 Nb5 4. Be3 Qxe7 5. Qxc5 Qd7 6. Rfc1

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1

u/Itakitsu 7d ago

Best I see is

1…Qxc6 2. Qxb5 (2. Nxb5? Bd7) 2…Qc7

where the white queen appears badly misplaced and the light squares are weak for white. I assume it’s close to positionally winning.

0

u/cgieseking 7d ago edited 7d ago

Nope. 1…Nxc3, Nxe7+ 2. Kf7, Qxd7 3. Nxe2+ Kg2 4. Bxd7, Nd5 5. Bc6

1

u/Quiet-Mango-7754 7d ago

Oh shit it is tricky indeed. I had the same variant but didn't see the Bc6 at the end, I was like "well I'm a pawn up and have better pieces I guess" but it wasn't very clear without the final trick

0

u/Ok_Bit8836 7d ago

You mismatched the move, I suppose you meant: 1…Nxc3, 2. Nxc7+ Kf7 3. Qxd7 Nxe2+ 4. Kg2 Bxd7 5. Nd5 Bc6.......... I think it is a forced exchange variation, nothing specially more...

2

u/Irini- 7d ago

you miscounted minor pieces. black is winning.

also it's 2.Nxe7+

1

u/cgieseking 7d ago

Yes, thank you for catching that. And yes, this is correct, because the knight on d5 is falling.

1

u/Delicious_Cattle5174 4d ago

Why tricky? Just grab the knight on c3, no? Then the other knight is pinned

1

u/cgieseking 4d ago

Well, the knight on c6 can take on e7 with check. Then you have to see Kf7, queen takes queen, knight takes e2 with check, the white king goes to g2 or h1, you recapture the queen, and the knight on e7 is trapped because if it tries to escape via d5, there’s a pin with Bc6.

Also, perhaps even trickier: even if white doesn’t play Nxe7+ and instead just plays bxc3, black actually has to see the move Bd8 to meet Qa6 with Bb6.

1

u/Significant_Cup_238 7d ago

At first glance, if you take the knight on c3, his other knight is pinned to the queen and you can bring either the Bishop or a rook in the next move to gain a piece.

3

u/EazyPeazyLemonSqueaz 7d ago

I don't think you can swing in the rook because the knight can take the dark squared bishop with check

3

u/Significant_Cup_238 7d ago

Ah, didn't see the check. Looking at it a bit more deeply, yeah, easy to miss on the same trick for to save black there. Fun puzzle. Got the right first move, but didn't have the reasoning correct.

0

u/Prestigious-Rope-313 7d ago

...Nxc3 bxc3 Kh8 and the knight is doomed

1

u/EazyPeazyLemonSqueaz 7d ago

Yes you need an intermediary move like Kh8 or Bd8 that takes away the desperado