Pandolf test 6 Tutorial



1.
[{B:R7/P7/5k2/8/2K5/16/r7 BLACK}
{VB:Question 1 of 7. What is Black's best move?;
f6g7;Correct. With this move Black avoids checks and sly tactics. Meanwhile, White can make no progress. If he tries to free his Rook by eventually placing his King at b6, Black's Rook checks and checks and checks. The game is drawn.:5;
Incorrect.;
a1a5:Incorrect. The Rook cuts off the White King at the fifth rank, but White wins with the time-gaining check 2. Rf8+, when 2... Kg7 fails to 3. a8/Q, and Black must surrender his Rook.:0;
a1c1:Incorrect. How bad could this harmless check be? Very bad, for it loses by force! After 2. Kb3 Black is lost. If he plays 2... Kg7, White wins by moving his Rook (say to b8 or d8) and then queening at a8. And if he gets behind the pawn, 2... Ra1, White wins by checking at f8 and then promoting.:0;
a1a4:Incorrect. Checks are often powerful moves, but this one loses immediately. White gets out of check by attacking the Rook (2. Kb5 or 2. Kb3), and after the Rook retreats to a1, White clears a8 with a gain of time by checking at f8.:0;
f6f7:Incorrect. Black prevents a safe check at f8, but White wins anyhow by employing a trick. The chicanery hinges on 2. Rh8!, when 2... Rxa7 is met by 3... Rh7+, a devilish skewer that wins the Rook.:0}]

2.
[{B:16/4R3/5r2/3b4/3k4/8/3K4 BLACK}
{VB:Question 2 of 7. What is Black's best move?;
d4e5;Correct. This creates an e-file obstruction while threatening mate at f1. If 2. Kc1, it's still mate by 2... Rf1#. Meanwhile, 2. Ke1 fails to 2... Bc3+ 3. Kd1 Rf1+ 4. Re1 Rxe1#.:10;
Incorrect.;
d4c3:This is not the best move. By this move Black guards e1 and eyes a mating check at f1, but 2. Rd6+ proves it's all for nought. No progress is made here.:2;
d4e3:This is not the best move. Black puts up an e-file obstacle, but White's Rook has something to say about it, beginning with 2. Rd6+. Black has to start all over again.:2;
f5b5:This is not the best move. The Rook now sees mate on the Queenside at b1, but 2. Rc6 grants a stay of execution.:2;
f5e5:Incorrect. Are you kidding? Trading Rooks reduces to insufficient mating material.:0}]

3.
[{B:r7/2K1P1k1/40/5R2}
{VB:Question 3 of 7. What is White's best move?;
f1a1;Correct. Black was threatening to check at a7, with a draw in hand, and this sacrificial offer stops it. If Black takes the Rook (1... Rxa1) White makes a new Queen. The ending from that point can be tough, but the Queen should beat the Rook.:10;
Incorrect.{JD:5};
f1e1:This is not the best move. White threatens to make a new Queen but relinquishes the f-file cutoff, allowing Black's King to take part in its own defense, 1... Kf7. After 2. Kd7 Black's Rook then checks to its heart's content, starting with 2... Ra7+. The game is drawn.{JD:5}:1;
c7b7:This is not the best move. Black's Rook is menaced, though now it can go to e8, attacking the pawn, which soon falls (2. Re1 Kf7).{JD:5}:1;
f1d1:This is not the best move. The threat is Rd1-d8, shielding the promotion square, but Black can keep it together with 1... Kf7 2. Rd8 Ra7+, gobbling the King-pawn next move. As a rule, if you give up the cutoff you allow the enemy King to resurface, and that's exactly what it does here.{JD:5}:1;
c7d7:This is not the best move. Black responds to this by beginning an endless series of checks with 1... Ra7+. Black's Rook has the "checking distance" and the position ends in a draw.{JD:5}:1}]

4.
[{M:W}{S:a8e8}
{VB:Question 3 (cont). If Black moves to 1... Re8 instead, what is White's response?;
c7d7;Correct. 2. Kd7 Kf7 3. Rf1+, and White wins. (or 1... Rh8 2. Kd7 Kf7 3. Rf1+):5;
Incorrect.}]

5.
[{B:8/2P5/8/K7/7R/k7/2r4p/8}
{VB:Question 4 of 7. What is White's best move?;
h4h3;Correct.:10;
Incorrect.{JD:7};
a5b6:This is not the best move. It doesn't work, but it still retains the win, for Black has nothing better than 2. Rb2+ Ka5 3. Rc2, and we're back where we started. This time find the right move.{JD:7}:2;
h4a4:This is not the best move. Guess what... not every check is good. This one throws away the win, for White will have to waste time, moving the Rook back to where it was to stop the h-pawn.{JD:7}:1;
h4h2:This is not the best move. A clever move, but Black can be just as clever by ignoring White's Rook in favor of the c-pawn. Kiss the win goodbye.{JD:7}:1;
h4h7:This is not the best move. Guards the c-pawn, or does it? After 1... Rxc7! White has to settle for 2. Rxh2 and a draw.{JD:7}:1}]

6.
[{M:W}{S:a3b2}
{VB:Question 4 (cont). Here's the move that brings down the walls of Troy. If Black moves to 1... Kb2 (or 1... Ka2), what is White's response?;
h3h2;Correct. After 2. Rxh2! Black has nothing better than to take White's Rook, 2... Rxh2, and the pawn queens, 3. c8/Q. True, winning from here requires technique, but this is not our concern.:5;
Incorrect.}]

7.
[{B:3r4/7p/Rp4k1/5p2/4p3/2P5/PP3P1P/5K2 BLACK}
{VB:Question 5 of 7. What is Black's best move?;
d8d2;Correct. This abandons the b-pawn with check! It is, however, the only real way to get counterplay. With his Rook aggressively occupying the seventh rank, Black can now hold the position. A game between Tarrasch and Rubinstein now concluded... 2. Rxb6+ Kg5 3. Ke1 Rc2 4. Rb5 Kg4 5. h3+ Kxh3 6. Rxf5 Rxb2 7. Rf4 Rxa2 8. Rxe4 h5 9. c4 Kg2 10. Rf4 Rc2 11. Rh4 Kf3 12. Kd1 Rxf2 13. c5 Ke3 14. Rxh5 Kd4, and the players agreed to a draw. It took courage to let the b-pawn go, but a passive Rook usually leads to chessic death.:15;
Incorrect.;
g6g5:This is not the best move. It is not as bad as it looks, for it tries to turn the King into an offensive weapon. But it's not as reassuring as the right move, which is more aggressive.:3;
d8d6:This is not the best move. Okay, this defends the pawn, but it puts the Rook in a pin and runs into the teeth of the advance a2-a4, followed by a4-a5.:2;
d8b8:Incorrect. Black guards his b-pawn but his Rook becomes totally stifled. If Black is still trying to draw he better get some crayons.:0}]

8.
[{B:4k3/5R2/7R/q7/2K5/24}
{VB:Question 6 of 7. What is White's best move?;
f7a7;Correct. A surprising rejoinder that menaces the Queen and mate at h8, while thwarting safe Queen checks.:10;
Incorrect.{JD:11};
h6h7:This is not the best move. This averts the loss of a Rook, while keeping the King confined to the last rank, but Black has many checks and even a way to trade off all the pieces by 1... Qa2+ and 2... Qxf7.{JD:11}:1;
h6f6:This is not the best move. White safeguards his Rooks, but White can surrender his Queen for both of them with 1... Qa2+. The game is drawn.{JD:11}:1;
f7g7:This is not the best move. White aims for a mate at h8, but Black has a number of defenses, such as checking with the Queen or moving the King to f8.{JD:11}:1;
f7b7:This is not the best move. Mate is threatened at h8, but Black's Queen can check and start to cause trouble. White must be careful not to lose a Rook.{JD:11}:1}]

9.
[{M:W}{S:a5a7}
{VB:Question 6 (cont). If Black takes the Rook, 1... Qxa7, how does White respond?;
h6h8;Correct. 2. Rh8+ Kf7 3. Rh7+ and Black's King and Queen are skewered.:5;
Incorrect.{JD:11}}]

10.
[{B:4k3/R7/7R/q7/2K5/24}{M:W}{S:a5e5}
{VB:Question 6 (cont). Of course Black doesn't have to play 1... Qxa7. Instead he could play 1... Qe5, guarding h8. What is White's reply?;
h6h8;Correct. 2. Rh8+! Qxh8 3. Ra8+ another skewer, this time coming from the other direction. White wins the Queen, leaving himself a Rook ahead.:5;
Incorrect.}]

11.
[{B:8/4K3/8/3pk3/3R4/24}
{VB:Question 7 of 7. What is White's best move?;
d4d2;Correct. This wins because it avoids the loss of a tempo at the key moment.:12;
Incorrect.{JD:-1};
d4d1:This is not the best move. It looks right, moving the Rook as far away as possible, but actually it only draws by allowing Black to gain a tempo at the critical moment. An exemplary variation is 1... d4 2. Rd2 Ke4 3. Kd6 Ke3 (gaining that tempo we just talked about) 4. Rd1 d3 5. Kc5 d2 (or 5... Ke2) 6. Kc4 Ke2, and White will have to give up his Rook for the pawn.{JD:-1}:1;
d4h4:This is not the best move. It keeps the cutoff, but it doesn't do it. Black can eventually draw, starting with 1... d4. The problem is that White's King can't get back in time because Black's King temporarily holds the opposition.{JD:-1}:1;
d4a4:This is not the best move. It results in a draw, even though it maintains a fourth rank cutoff. Black advances his d-pawn and White's Rook will eventually have to give itself up to stop the pawn. White's King is unable to provide any support and the position is drawn.{JD:-1}:1}]

12.
[{M:W}{S:d5d4}
{VB:Question 7 (cont). What is White's response to 1... d4?;
d2d1;Correct. This leads to the win of the pawn. If 2... Kd5, then 3. Kd7 Ke4 (or 3... Kc4 4. Ke6) 4. Kc6 Ke3 5. Kc5 d3 6. Kc4 d2 7. Kc3. Note that if White's Rook were on d2 when Black plays Ke3, White would have to forfeit a move to save the Rook, and his King wouldn't get back in time to overtake the pawn. The game would then be drawn.:8;
Incorrect.}]