But will finding victory really be that simple?
๐ If youโre waiting for Black to raise a white flagโฆ donโt. ๐ณ๏ธ
After
the previous puzzle weโve raised the level, and weโre excited to share with you a composition that we feel belongs to the โtough nutโ category.
What do you think โ do you agree?
Good luck and don’t forget to enjoy ๐
๐Read more about this Art-Puzzle
Recommendation: Try solving it yourself first
Solved it yet?
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Despite Whiteโs large advantage, the โ cannot rest. With only a handful of pieces, Black manages to block almost every attempt by the White army to subdue the โ.
Whiteโs threatening maneuver here is so indirect (after much thought, we almost searched for a zugzwang instead) โ the โ steps aside from the 5th rank to allow a preparatory pin on d5 by the โ, with the idea of making the โโs arrival on e4 indestructible.
But where can the โ go? On the 4th rank he would check himself (and no, this time there is no โcheckmate despite checkโ), while on the 6th rank he would obstruct a vital โ that seals g6. And yet! The king blocks not only that โ, but also the โ, leaving the โ with two flight squares (g6 & f4). Each of these not only frees the black โ on d5, but also opens an escape route for the king (h6 & g3).
From here, Blackโs only two defenses taking us to a nice kings dance, while Whiteโs pieces perform their duties โ though in a completely static way.
*
๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธA hint that we only discovered after solving:
We thought the โon h5 was there to guard g4 (just like the โon g7 guards f6) – but no! There is no need to guard g4, because an attempt by the โ to move closer will allow a check with the โ.
Now that we understand the jobs of the h5 & g7 โ&โ , maybe with the right thinking-method this puzzle is not so complicated? ๐ค
๐ชA stylish finish:
At first glance, we didn’t pay any attention to the h6 & g3 squares – after deepening: how beautiful their opening and re-closing are! ๐
Have you noticed that the black king almost always stands on a white square?
Hi Emma Brown,
Thatโs a sharp observation โ and itโs clear youโve been looking closely across many of the puzzles here โ๏ธ
Noticing recurring patterns like that shows a real engagement with the collection, and we truly appreciate it. Sometimes such details grow out of the artistic logic of the positions themselves. Thanks for exploring so thoughtfully!
โ The ChessAPit Team
Unique?? I’ve seen more impressive works by Yerushalmi. But yes – it depends on personal taste