I'll have a look now at the chess issue.

P.S. Um...if you don't mind, I'd be nice if next time you could put size tags (size=1)xxx(/size) around your solutions (only with square brackets, not the round one shown here). That way, if you get the right answer, other people can still have a try at the problem without seeing the solution. Tx. :-)

Sorry. I'd been wondering about that, and will do it in future, but I see all the text the same size anyway, and just don't read what I don't want to. Perhaps the tags don't work with Firefox?

Why don't you try it right now? Put tags around "Just a Test" and post it. I'll let you know if it works.

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Why don't you try it right now? Put tags around "Just a Test" and post it. I'll let you know if it works.

This is as good an opportunity as any to say how much I'm enjoying the problems you are setting. Just a test. Same size for me with Firefox (also after I select View->Text Size Normal explicitly.) Really tiny in IE and illegibly small in Opera.

Let's try a different colour: Grey text.

Why don't you try it right now? Put tags around "Just a Test" and post it. I'll let you know if it works.

This is as good an opportunity as any to say how much I'm enjoying the problems you are setting. Just a test. Same size for me with Firefox. Really tiny in IE and illegibly small in Opera.

Thanks for the kind words Michael, much appreciated.

That's the whole idea of fine print: that you can't read it, unless you click on "Reply" button of the message. Then the fine print text comes up in normal size with the tags you used. ;)

Are you pretty sure the text wont shrink in Firefox? This is the first time I've heard of tags not working with Firefox.

Edit: But hey, If you can't, you can't...Don't let that stop you from playing. :-)

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The Late Afternoon Chess Problem is called "Fair Exchange" because White is about to lose his Rook on a1 and seeks equal or better value.


Enjoy!


White to Move and Win in three.

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That's the whole idea of fine print: that you can't read it...

Now that is a lawyer's understanding of fine print (har har.) On other forums I have seen coloured text used to get the effect you want, but that would be difficult with the alternating backgrounds here.

Are you pretty sure the text wont shrink in Firefox? This is the first time I've heard of tags not working with Firefox.

I know that IE's 'normal' text size is incorrect (too small) from the point of view of HTML4.0 and I think that Firefox imposes a minimum size, but in any case what these tags are specifying is an absolute size so there is no particular guarantee that it has to be smaller than what is already there. [size=-1]Lets see if relative size works[/size]. It's also getting too late for me to check in detail now. Generally the tags are working, as with the color tag above.

Bump (with small text and the original position again) ...

The Afternoon Chess Problem is called "Mobster Movie" because, if you get stuck, just think of a famous line from a mobster movie.

White to Move and Win in two.

1. Be8-g6 Qe4xBg6 (least hopeless move)
2. Qb8-b1+

Bump (with small text and the original position again) ...

The Afternoon Chess Problem is called "Mobster Movie" because, if you get stuck, just think of a famous line from a mobster movie.

White to Move and Win in two.

1. Be8-g6 Qe4xBg6 (least hopeless move)
2. Qb8-b1+

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!

Give the man a cupie doll.

Congratulations Michael R!

Well done!

And, well done as well, for getting the fine print format set up correctly!

The movie line I had in mind was: "He made him an offer he couldn't refuse". lol

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Tonight's Evening Chess Problem is called "Screenplay". It's from a real game, Reti v Bogolyubov 1924. It's listed as a Win in two, but had it gone longer there would've been a mate. So, I'll take a chance and list it as a "Move and Mate" problem.


Enjoy!


White to Move and Mate in four.

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Can a pawn put a king in check straight on?

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Can a pawn put a king in check straight on?

nope. only to the two diagonal squares in front of it. :-)

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The Evening Chess Problem is called "Pitfall" because that's exactly what White must avoid in solving this puzzler.

White to Move and Draw in three.

The pitfall I choose to avoid is having separated opponent's pawns and
the inability to stop one or other of them advancing.

1. Rc2xc4
Black will now have a horrible time if he does not take the bishop.
1. ... Rb5xBb6
2. Kd2xe2
Black's king will be in a Very Bad Position if he doesn't...
2. ... Kh2xg2
White has time to eat another pawn.
3. Rc4xc5
Black's King is still in a weak position but I don't think White can
force mate. Equally I don't think Black can force promotion of the
pawn against competent defence. White can force the black king to
block the pawn by moving rook to h or attack the pawn by moving it
to g depending on what black does next with his rook (or, of course
there is draw by perpetual check if black chooses.)

Er, I don't quite see it that way. I think that if Rc2xc4, Black moves Rb5-b2+ protecting his pawn, then the Black King takes White's gpawn and has two pawns in mating position. If White interposes his Rook back to c2, then Black moves RxR and when the White King takes Black's Rook, he can no longer get back to prevent e2-e1/Queen.

I would see that as a draw or perhaps win for White (a piece up and dangerous pawns to deal with, but black can't defend everything at once), but in any case rather too complicated a position for the solution to a problem (my suggestion is not really clear-cut either, but I would offer or accept a draw in a match.)

1. Rc2xc4 Rb5-b2+
2. Kd2-e1
Now Black's rook cannot check the White king or take the bishop without losing that pawn. White needs to get his rook onto f to prevent the Black king reaching f, and check on h if the king moves there. The bishop can cause Black serious problems by threatening to move to d2.

We must in any case avoid

1. ... c4-c3+ (corrected in a later edit)

which is probably the pitfall mentioned in the title.

No more posts from me tonight, but I'll be online for another 10 mins or so. Good night and thanks.

Can a pawn put a king in check straight on?

nope. only to the two diagonal squares in front of it. :-)

Well DAM!


hehe

(/me slinks back to the drawing board)

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I would see that as a draw or perhaps win for White (a piece up and dangerous pawns to deal with, but black can't defend everything at once), but in any case rather too complicated a position for the solution to a problem (my suggestion is not really clear-cut either, but I would offer or accept a draw in a match.)

1. Rc2xc4 Rb5-b2+
2. Kd2-e1
Now Black's rook cannot check the White king or take the bishop without losing that pawn. White needs to get his rook onto f to prevent the Black king reaching f, and check on h if the king moves there. The bishop can cause Black serious problems by threatening to move to d2.

We must in any case avoid

1. ... c4-c3+ (corrected in a later edit)

which is probably the pitfall mentioned in the title.

No more posts from me tonight, but I'll be online for another 10 mins or so. Good night and thanks.

Heh. Yep, you found the pitfall alright!

This one's really tough, so I think you all deserve a general hint, which won't prevent your winning a Cupie doll.

You want to get rid of that Black g3 pawn and set up a stalemate for yourself.

Good Luck!

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Heh. Yep, you found the pitfall alright!

This one's really tough, so I think you all deserve a general hint, which won't prevent your winning a Cupie doll.

You want to get rid of that Black g3 pawn and set up a stalemate for yourself.

Good Luck!

Seeing as you are giving out hints, can you tell me if I was thinking along the right lines here, or do I need to start again from scratch?

Pitfall problem

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Reality Internet Personality

Heh. Yep, you found the pitfall alright!

This one's really tough, so I think you all deserve a general hint, which won't prevent your winning a Cupie doll.

You want to get rid of that Black g3 pawn and set up a stalemate for yourself.

Good Luck!

Seeing as you are giving out hints, can you tell me if I was thinking along the right lines here, or do I need to start again from scratch?

Pitfall problem

Heh. No problem. :-)

"Pitfall" is the problem I'm referring to in the quote above, so consider the highlighted hint for yourself too.

And yes, what you're doing with your King is the right idea, too. So, I think you're close to solving this one, Es. ;)

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Forget it. I just saw you attacking my friends in the last to post thread and your stupid Beethoven's VI thread. I thought you'd stopped all that crap. I'll come back if you can learn to control yourself.

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Reality Internet Personality

Forget it. I just saw you attacking my friends in the last to post thread and your stupid Beethoven's VI thread. I thought you'd stopped all that crap. I'll come back if you can learn to control yourself.

Well, I have stopped pretty much, Es. Tonight was just addressing a couple of oustanding matters that've been building for a while.

So, you really don't have to go, but of course do what you think is best.

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Forget it. I just saw you attacking my friends in the last to post thread and your stupid Beethoven's VI thread. I thought you'd stopped all that crap. I'll come back if you can learn to control yourself.

Well, I have stopped pretty much, Es. Tonight was just addressing a couple of oustanding matters that've been building for a while.

So, you really don't have to go, but of course do what you think is best.

I'm sure you'll be glad to see the back of me, you can go back to feeling superior now Beethoven. It's obviously all you have.

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Reality Internet Personality

The Late Nite Special is called "Pathfinder".


Enjoy!


White to Move and Win in two.

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I have tried, but.....