Pandolf test 4 Tutorial



1.
[{B:3rr1k1/ppp2ppp/2pb4/4q3/4b3/2P1B2Q/PP2BPPP/R3K2R BLACK}
{QB:Question 1 of 7. In the diagram, which is the worst way to castle? Kingside or Queenside?;
Queenside;Correct. This is the worst of the two possibilities for White.{JD:2}:5;
Kingside;Incorrect. While Black has some possibilities on the Kingside, White's Queen and Bishops are there for defensive help. True, the Queen on h3 is a potential target, and White must remain on red alert, but 1... Re6 doesn't yet threaten anything because White's dark-square Bishop guards h6.{JD:3}:0}]

2.
[{M:B}{S:e1c1}{S:a1d1}
{VB:Question 1 (cont). How should Black respond to (1.0-0-0)?;
e5c3;Correct. After 2. bxc3, Black ends it with 2... Ba3#. White makes the mistake of castling on the wrong side. 
Indeed, Black's Queen and Bishops ominously bear down on White's Kingside, though White's Queen is there, and it provides some defense. But Black's pieces are also dangerously poised for attack in the other direction, so White must be careful no matter what.:5;
Incorrect.}]

3.
[{B:4rbk1/3q1pp1/4p3/1p2P3/2pN2Q1/P2pB3/1P3PPP/3R2K1}
{QB:Question 2 of 7. If Black plays 1... Bc5, can White win a pawn by 2. Nxe6?;
Yes.;Incorrect. No variation satisfies this answer. If Black takes the Knight, say 2... Rxe6, White merely takes the Bishop, 3. Bxc5, and he's won a pawn. Nor does inserting a Bishop capture (2... Bxe3) help because White then mates (3. Qxg7#).{JD:5}:0;
No.;Correct.:5}]

4.
[{M:B}{S:f8c5}{D:250}{S:d4e6}
{VB:Question 2 (cont). What is Black's best response?;
c5f8;Correct. The Bishop's retreat stops the mate at g7 while leaving the Knight in a losing pin. Since the Knight can't safely move, Black will soon take it. In trying to gain a pawn, White makes the mistake of self-pinning one of his own pieces, and that's a bad ambition.:5;Incorrect.}]

5.
[{B:r1b1r1k1/ppp2ppp/1b3q2/3P4/2B1P3/8/P2N1PPP/R2Q1R1K}
{QB:Question 3 of 7. Should Black play 1... Ba5, threatening to win the e-pawn by exchanging on d2?;
Yes.;Incorrect. No sound variation can justify this answer. You might have expected 2. Re1, thinking that White then loses to 2... Bxd2 3. Qxd2 Rxe4 4. Rxe4 Qxa1+. But take it a move further (5. Re1) and it's Black who finds himself in trouble. Or you may have decided that White has to play 2. f3, which fails to 2... Qd4+. But White doesn't have to play 2. f3 or 2. Re1.{JD:7}:0;
No.;Correct.:5}]

6.
[{M:W}{S:b6a5}
{VB:Question 3 (cont). What move does 1... Ba5 open up for White?;
d1a4;Correct. A surprising shot that forks the Rook at e8 as well as the Bishop at a5. Meanwhile, 2... b5 is met by 3. Qxb5 Ba6 4. Qxa5 Bxc4 5. Nxc4, and White has gained a piece. Black makes the mistake of pursuing a campaign before completing development. After 1... Ba5 his back rank remains vulnerable because he has failed to activate the Queen-Bishop.:10;
Incorrect.;
d2b3:Your yes/no answer is correct, but the move chosen doesn't do the trick. The Bishop can, for example, retreat to b6, and White hasn't really gained anything.:0}]

7.
[{B:5rk1/5ppp/p1B5/2Q1Pb2/qr6/8/1PP3PP/1K1R3R}
{QB:Question 4 of 7. Should Black play 1... Qa3, threatening Mate at b2?;
Yes;Incorrect.{JD:9}:0;
No;Correct. This is a blunder for Black.:5}]

8.
[{S:a4a3}
{VB:Question 4 (cont). What is White's best response to 1... Qa3?;
c5f8;Correct. After Black takes back, 2... Kxf8, it is mate via 3. Rd8+ Ke7 4. Re8#. Black erroneously analyzes his possibilities without considering the defender's counterattacking chances. Whenever you enter upon any committal plan of attack, always ask yourself one final question-- Have I missed anything? As mechanical as this query seems, it serves the function of making the player look at the position one more time, and it's this type of carefulness that saves games.:10;
Incorrect.;
c5c3:Incorrect. You have the right yes/no answer but the wrong supportive move. After 2. Qc3?, Black simply takes the Queen, 2... Qxc3, stealing her majesty because of the pin. But why defend when you can successfully attack?:0;
b2b3:Incorrect. Right yes/no answer, wrong move. After 2. b3, White would lose his Queen by 2... Rxb3+, uncovering an attack from a3 to c5, if only it weren't mate. By the way, it is-- (2... Rxb3 indeed is mate).:0}]

9.
[{B:2r2rk1/pp3ppp/2nbp1q1/3p1b2/NP1Pn3/P3PN2/3BBPPP/2RQ1RK1 BLACK}
{QB:Question 5 of 7. After 1... Qh6, should White continue with 2. b5?;
Yes;Incorrect. Say Black proceeds with 2... Bxa3 -- this loses material after 3. Ra1. Change your perspective. Maybe then you'll find the right answers.{JD:11}:0;
No;Correct.:5}]

10.
[{M:B}{S:g6h6}{D:250}{S:b4b5}
{VB:Question 5 (cont). What is Black's response to 2. b5?;
c6d4;Correct.The point is that 3. exd4 loses to 3... Nxd2 4. Qxd2 Bxh2+! 5. Kh1 Bf4+, acquiring the Queen. Nor is 3. Nxd4 acceptable because of the mate at h2. So 2... Nxd4! filches at least a pawn.:10;
Incorrect.;
c6e7:This doesn't lose anything, though it doesn't win anything either. Still, the yes/no answer is correct, and the supportive idea of transferring the Queen-Knight toward the Kingside isn't a bad one. Black, however, has a better second move.:1;
c6b8:The yes/no answer is right, so all you have to do is find the right move to back it up. The retreat 2... Nc6-b8, though it's not hideous, is not it.:1}]

11.
[{B:1r4k1/4nppp/q7/2p1bP2/p1PpPN2/P1rP1R2/6QP/2B2RK1}
{QB:Question 6 of 7. After 1. Nh5 Rxc1 2. Rxc1 Qh6, can White avoid the loss of material?;
Yes.;Correct.:5;
No.;Your answer is wrong, even if followed by 3. f6, yet there's still hope. Take a glass of water and think again.{JD:13}:0}]

12.
[{S:f4h5}{D:250}{S:c3c1}{D:250}{S:f1c1}{D:250}{S:a6h6}{M:W} 
{VB:Question 6 (cont). Justify your answer with White's next move.;
c1f1;Correct. Although two of his pieces are forked, White saves the day. Remarkably, this avoids material loss, for 3... Qxh5 runs into the Queen-gainer, 4. Rh3. In falling into this (1... Rxc1), Black has made the mistake of superficially considering the final position of his combination (after 3... Qxh5), and not properly evaluating his opponent's counterchances. He placed too much emphasis on material and the realization of his own aims.:10;
Incorrect.;
f3f1:Incorrect. If you've played this because of the line 3... Qxh5 4. f6 Bxf6 5. Rxf6, you're going to be disappointed, for you've missed the alternative response 4... Ng6 (instead of 4... Bxf6). The Knight move (4... Ng6) keeps Black ahead.:0;
h5g7:Incorrect. Boldly played, but it loses to 3... Qxc1+ 4. Rf1 Qe3+ 5. Kh1 Bxg7. My recommendation is to keep your yes/no answer but look for another third move for White.:0}]

13.
[{B:k6r/pp4p1/2b1q2p/4r1P1/3Qp3/P7/1PP1B1P1/1KR4R}
{QB:Question 7 of 7. Can White safely allow his g5-pawn to hang by playing 1. Rcd1?;
Yes.;Correct.:5;
No.;Incorrect. Be prepared to support your answer anyway.{JD:15}:0}]

14.
[{S:c1d1}{D:500}{S:e5g5}{M:W}
{VB:Question 7 (cont). What is White's best response to 1... Rxg5?;
h1h6;Correct. Black must lose big material. He can't take back on h6 with any of the square's three defenders without allowing mate. If 2... gxh6, then 3. Qxh8+. If 2... Rxh6, then 3. Qd8+. And if 2... Qxh6, then 3. Qd8+ also mates. Black's problem is that he's failed to weigh in the balance the sudden weakness of the back rank -- a typical misjudgment.{JD:-1}:15;
Incorrect.{JD:-1};
e2c4:Incorrect. I like your yes/no answer, but not the move you've given to vindicate it. Black's Queen is menaced, but the quiet retreat 2... Qe7 (among other moves) takes care of business.{JD:-1}:0}]

15.
[{M:W}{S:c1d1}{D:250}{S:e5g5}
{VB:Question 7 (cont).What is White's best response?;
d4d8;Your answer is wrong, as is your move (2. Qd8+). You've probably considered that 2... Rxd8 loses to 3. Rxd8+ (which is why this move gets a point), but you've failed to consider the best defense-- namely, the interposition 2... Qc8 (instead of taking on d8), and there's no mate.:1;Incorrect.}]