who the hell is editing this magazine?
I looked at this month’s “ABC’s of Chess”, March 2010 issue, page 17. The following was the first tactical puzzle with black to move:
- ABC’s of Chess, Problem 1, March 2010 Chess Life Black to Move
The category of the puzzle was “trapping”.
I was thinking, “trapping”??
I look at the “solutions” on page 71, and it says “Trapping: The advance 1. … b5 wins the white bishop.”
I am thinking – WTF?
Why not just play 1. … Bxa4+ winning the bishop – with check – and not losing a pawn in the process.
It turns out that 1. … b5 is a DRAW. It costs black a WIN.
Here is the analysis by Fritz 10.
New game
8/1p1k4/2b5/8/B1p5/8/P1K5/8 b – - 0 1
Analysis by Fritz 10:
1. -+ (-19.18): 1…Bxa4+
2. -+ (-4.33): 1…Kc7 2.Kc3 Bxa4 3.Kxc4 b5+ 4.Kc5 Kb7 5.Kb4 Kb6 6.Kc3 Kc5 7.a3
3. -+ (-4.17): 1…Kd6 2.Kc3 Bxa4 3.Kxc4 b5+ 4.Kd4 Bd1 5.Kd3 Kc5 6.Kc3 Bh5 7.a3 Bd1 8.Kb2 Kb6 9.a4 Bxa4
4. -+ (-4.09): 1…b6 2.Bb3 cxb3+ 3.Kxb3 Bd5+ 4.Kb2 Kc6 5.a4 Kc5 6.Kc3 Bc6 7.a5 b5 8.Kb2 b4 9.a6 Bd5
5. = (-0.02): 1…b5 2.Kc3 Kd6 3.Kd4 bxa4 4.Kxc4 Bd7 5.Kc3 Bb5 6.Kb2 Ke7 7.Kb1
6. = (0.00): 1…Ke6 2.Bxc6
I wrote a letter to the editor, letting them know. They have a policy that if they publish your letter, you receive a free copy of “Test, Evaluate and Improve Your Chess”. I will recommend that they give it to the person in charge of editing this column if I do get published.
All too common in Chess Life. Another goof is on pg. 21, USA Individual Performances (in World Team Championship). I was confused when I saw that the americans won silver winning 12 games, losing 19 and drawing 5, until I realized that drawn and loss games were mixed up!
which goes to show you always check it out yourself,and not take anyones word on the subject, as for the error i would not be to harsh on the person, everybody makes mistakes…especially on the chess board
Lol, but do you know why it’s a draw?
It’s because if after …-b5 | Kc3-bXa4 | Kxc4-… | black has the wrong color of bishop. Whit will always be able to get to square a1 with its king, so the a-pawn will never get a promotion, so there will never be a mate possible either.
This is funny. I guess they must have been tired when they published it. Seems pretty obvious. Maybe it was in their blindspot.
I actually wrote a letter to the editor, and they printed it in the Chess Life magazine apologizing for the mistake. I will see if I can find it USCF online, and post it.