Please look at the Daily Puzzle on 3 December and then watch the video from ChessDojo IM Kavutskiy. You will initially see that material is equal for both black and white and strategically each is pressuring the other. White has a weak piece. Which one is it?

For the better club players, you must be very careful and move precisely to ensure a win. For our beginning players, just hit the Hint button and move through the solution to the puzzle. Then watch the video. The first move is an attempted sacrifice by black. Would you sacrifice your rook in a real game? What would you need in exchange?

Another concept is the discovered attack on move two, 2. e6xf7, Qe4 . What is a discovered attack? Did you catch it? Watch the video a few times and listen for this concept. There is a discovered attack on the weak white piece.

For our strongest players, hit the Analysis button at the bottom. Rook takes bishop, 1. …,Rxf7, is totally advised. IM Kavutskiy then says white follows through on black’s sacrifice with pawn takes rook, 2. e6xf7. HOWEVER, Stockfish advises otherwise with 2. Nf4,…, to protect the pawn and keep the chances of promotion alive. If you follow the Stockfish recommendations the game continues in quite boring fashion with no unbalancing of power, as in IM Kavutskiy’s solution. Hmmm…. What is going on here? Apparently the sacrifice is not forced, nor is it advised by Stockfish.

—Coach Goettee

Homeschool Pinon Chess Club

Super Admins

Admins