Instinct?

BlueEyedRook vs. NN

www.redhotpawn.com

June 27, 2006

Black to Move (and lose!)

Black is about to play 1... Ke8?? and instantly lose. Do you see why? No embarassments if you can't. It took Chessmaster 9000 a solid 8 minutes to conclude the position is a win for white.

Now I got this. What I am trying to figure out is why?! I can't articulate why this was a losing move, but instinctively I just knew it was.

Again, I note that it is not child's play. Chessmaster 9000 is a pretty solid engine, and up until the 7th minute of analysis it was calling this game a draw. I'd like to hear people's explanations if they have any. As a general rule, I was taught in these situations to bring the rook down the lower ranks (1st or 2nd) and just use the rook to constantly check the white king. But other than that little voice in my head that told me 1... Ke8 was an instant loser, I can't explain why it is.

Desperate Times

BlueEyedRook vs. NN

www.redhotpawn.com

White to Move

I can't seem to break this slump I am in. Ughhh....

I pulled a draw out here . . . only by the grace of God and a subtle trap.

1. Ng6?! Setting the trap. 1... fxg6?? the bait is taken (after all why not just snatch up that knight). Do you see why this was such a lousy move on black's part? 2. Qxg6+! (not 2. Qxh6?). And the black king has just one move 2... Kh8. Now follows 3. Qxh6+. And once again black has only one move 3... Kg8.

All I do now is simply move my queen back and forth from g6 and h6. This is "perpetual check" and as ugly as it is. . . it still a draw. I dodged a "big time" bullet here, folks.

... And there are days I hate this game.

Ughhh . . . I have dropped 8 games in a row the last couple days. I can't seem to buy a win.

I am alive everyone, I actually get married tomorrow. So wish us well.

(Maybe that is what is distracting me from playing well).