Plaskett's Puzzle is a chessendgame study created by the Dutch endgame composer Gijs van Breukelen (February 27, 1946 – December 21, 2022) around 1970, although not published at the time. Van Breukelen published the puzzle in 1997 in the Netherlands chess magazine Schakend Nederland. It was presented by English grandmasterJames Plaskett, at a top-flight chess tournament in Brussels in 1987, hence the name "Plaskett's Puzzle". According to contemporary accounts, of the several strong grandmasters who analyzed the position, only former World Champion Mikhail Tal was able to solve it.[1]
Plaskett's Puzzle Gijs van Breukelen, 1970
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White to play and win
While the solution is striking, the study was found to be flawed in that White has no immediately decisive continuation if Black plays 4...Kg4 rather than the obvious 4...Nf7+.[2] This issue may be fixed by instead placing Black's g5 knight on h8 or e5, or by adding a white pawn on h2,[2] but the flawed version of the study demonstrated by Plaskett and published by van Breukelen remains the best known.[3]
The obvious move, and the intent of the composer; however, 4...Kg4 puts up much stiffer resistance. (5.Qf6 wins, according to Ehn and Kastner, but the win is not intuitively clear). If the problem is set with the knight on h8, then 4...Kg4 can be met by 5.Qh4+ with mate soon to follow.
Roberto Balzan suggests an alternative way to repair the study, by adding a white pawn on h2 in the initial position; then 4...Kg4 can be met with 5.Qf6! Kh3 6.Qxh6+ Kg2 7.Qxg5 and White wins easily.[2]
5.Ke6 Nxd8+ 6.Kf5
White threatens Bd1+. There now follows a remarkable zigzag manoeuvre by the bishop, Black defending against the mating threats by twice underpromoting to a knight to cover the mating square, until there is no further defence.
6...e2 7.Be4 e1=N 8.Bd5 c2 9.Bc4 c1=N 10.Bb5 Nc7
Black can delay the inevitable mate by one move by 10...Nc6.
11.Ba4 1–0
Mate in 3 by Bd1 cannot be prevented, for example 11...Ne2 12.Bd1 Nf3 13.Bxe2 and 14.Bxf3# or 11...Nb3 12.Bxb3 Nc2 13.Bxc2 and 14.Bd1#.
Referencesedit
^Ehn, Michael; Kastner, Hugo (2013-03-05). Schachkompositionen: Die besten Aufgaben und Komponisten der Schachgeschichte. Mit über 500 Rätseln und Lösungen (in German). Schlütersche. ISBN9783869102740.
^ abc"Solution to Plaskett's Puzzle". Chessbase. from the original on 19 November 2003. Retrieved 18 June 2020. Actually it was the same Jim Plaskett who drew our attention to the fact that in the meantime analysts had found that Black can draw by playing 4…Kg4 (instead of going for the queen with 4…Nf7+).
^Dillinger, Daren (20 November 2005). . Chessville. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2020. The flaw is that this version actually allows Black to escape, many say with a draw, by... 4 … Kg4!
External linksedit
One of the Most Famous Chess Endgame Puzzles Ever on YouTube
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plaskett, puzzle, chess, endgame, study, created, dutch, endgame, composer, gijs, breukelen, february, 1946, december, 2022, around, 1970, although, published, time, breukelen, published, puzzle, 1997, netherlands, chess, magazine, schakend, nederland, present. Plaskett s Puzzle is a chess endgame study created by the Dutch endgame composer Gijs van Breukelen February 27 1946 December 21 2022 around 1970 although not published at the time Van Breukelen published the puzzle in 1997 in the Netherlands chess magazine Schakend Nederland It was presented by English grandmaster James Plaskett at a top flight chess tournament in Brussels in 1987 hence the name Plaskett s Puzzle According to contemporary accounts of the several strong grandmasters who analyzed the position only former World Champion Mikhail Tal was able to solve it 1 Plaskett s Puzzle Gijs van Breukelen 1970abcdefgh8877665544332211abcdefghWhite to play and win While the solution is striking the study was found to be flawed in that White has no immediately decisive continuation if Black plays 4 Kg4 rather than the obvious 4 Nf7 2 This issue may be fixed by instead placing Black s g5 knight on h8 or e5 or by adding a white pawn on h2 2 but the flawed version of the study demonstrated by Plaskett and published by van Breukelen remains the best known 3 Contents 1 Solution 2 References 3 External linksThis article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves Solution edit1 Nf6 Kg7 If 1 Kg6 2 Bh5 followed by 3 d8 Q as the bishop now covers the forking square f7 2 Nh5 Kg6 If 2 Kf7 3 d8 Q wins if 2 Kh7 3 Bc2 forces the king on to the back rank allowing d8 Q and mate in a few moves 3 Bc2 This move is difficult for most engines to find 3 Kxh5 4 d8 Q Nf7 The obvious move and the intent of the composer however 4 Kg4 puts up much stiffer resistance 5 Qf6 wins according to Ehn and Kastner but the win is not intuitively clear If the problem is set with the knight on h8 then 4 Kg4 can be met by 5 Qh4 with mate soon to follow Roberto Balzan suggests an alternative way to repair the study by adding a white pawn on h2 in the initial position then 4 Kg4 can be met with 5 Qf6 Kh3 6 Qxh6 Kg2 7 Qxg5 and White wins easily 2 5 Ke6 Nxd8 6 Kf5 White threatens Bd1 There now follows a remarkable zigzag manoeuvre by the bishop Black defending against the mating threats by twice underpromoting to a knight to cover the mating square until there is no further defence 6 e2 7 Be4 e1 N 8 Bd5 c2 9 Bc4 c1 N 10 Bb5 Nc7 Black can delay the inevitable mate by one move by 10 Nc6 11 Ba4 1 0Mate in 3 by Bd1 cannot be prevented for example 11 Ne2 12 Bd1 Nf3 13 Bxe2 and 14 Bxf3 or 11 Nb3 12 Bxb3 Nc2 13 Bxc2 and 14 Bd1 References edit Ehn Michael Kastner Hugo 2013 03 05 Schachkompositionen Die besten Aufgaben und Komponisten der Schachgeschichte Mit uber 500 Ratseln und Losungen in German Schlutersche ISBN 9783869102740 a b c Solution to Plaskett s Puzzle Chessbase Archived from the original on 19 November 2003 Retrieved 18 June 2020 Actually it was the same Jim Plaskett who drew our attention to the fact that in the meantime analysts had found that Black can draw by playing 4 Kg4 instead of going for the queen with 4 Nf7 Dillinger Daren 20 November 2005 Position of the Week Chessville Archived from the original on 25 October 2012 Retrieved 21 June 2020 The flaw is that this version actually allows Black to escape many say with a draw by 4 Kg4 External links editOne of the Most Famous Chess Endgame Puzzles Ever on YouTube nbsp This chess related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Plaskett 27s Puzzle amp oldid 1130638880, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
