Ulysses' Solution #7

Student:  Hey, Pete, I really like Ulysses' Challenges...but that last one still has me stumped!

Pete:  You're not the only one...I've used that puzzle with students for years, and oftentimes even really strong players have problems with it.

Student:  Obviously there are a lot of ways to mate in a few moves, but in two?  If Black plays 1...Kf3, there's no way to protect the rook and to checkmate the Black king in one move.  So, I tried 1. Rf1 but then there's no mate in one.  And I couldn't find anything after 1. R1h4, either.  As a last resort, I even tried moving the rook on e4, but then the Black king escapes.

Pete:  Are those the only choices?

Student:  What else? A rook sacrifice?  I just don't see it!

Pete:  Do the positions of the king and the rook on the first rank suggest anything to you?

Student:  No way!  White can castle?  Does that do it?  Let's see...after 1. 0-0, Black has to play 1...Kh3 and then 2. R1f3 is mate!  I never even consider castling.  I just assumed the king or the rook had moved.

Pete:  And that's the real lesson from this puzzle: chess games are decided in positions in which there is a choice.  Too often we fail to consider ALL our options, because our assumptions about a position blind us to them.

 

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