Any good software out there for chess studies, with both middle game and end game studies?
One with studies for various levels of players. I did at one time use an app on my android that had a bunch of mate in X problems, plus some lower level studies, followed by pretty much a dump of every chess study in existence under the “expert” section. Problem was that many of the “expert” level studies were from magazines and other forms of publications going back to the 1800’s, and not really suitable for a C player, but rather 2000+ level players. Although some were solvable for me, it wasn’t like the problems were in any particular order as far as difficulty level.
Harold van der Heijden’s endgame study database (use Google to find it) is generally considered the best collection: 50 EUR and worth every 0.01 EUR.
But it certainly isn’t ordered in the way that you wish, and isn’t particularly user-friendly. I don’t use it that often, and when I do, it’s usually as a reference.
Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, a database on paper , may be closer to what you want: really fun book! I am pretty sure I have seen Android editions of this for sale on some platform.
But your mentioning middlegame play in your question makes me wonder whether you really want a “study” database. CT-ART 6.0 (and its earlier incarnations) has been used for tactical training for a long time. The price is right, and it’s perfect for players below 2000. Again, use Google to find it.
The key is white extricating himself from the desparado rook checks - since the rook can check the king with impunity IF the king has to capture the rook (since the resulting position is stalemate) OR the king can capture and block either rook on the rank or file (as that would also lift the stalemate.
So some moves are immediately bad: 1.Kf1?? or 1.Ke1?? draws after …Rg1+.
If possible, the best square for the white king is h1, as any black rook check can be met by a rook capture, which frees the stalemate.
There are a few things to be aware of as white, such as …Rg6+ (with the king on g7) Kh8?? when Rg8+ forces stalemate. You want to be able to cross over to the h-file with the king as white, to eventually get to h1, but you obviously can’t do it from h8. That said, the King can go to f8 after that check, as the desperado …Rg8+ allows white to play Kf7, and now there is no Rg7+ desparado, as the king shields the rook. So, after the only remaining desparado check for black, …Rf8, white can cross over to the g-file and eventually the h-file and walk back to h1.
Haven’t we seen this (very nice) study on this forum before? (Is this a Smythe original?) Purists will be dismissive because there is some play in the move order, but there is only one winning idea.
Where does the White king want to travel? How does it get there? (Edit: oops, Randy got there first.) I remembered the winning idea instantly, but I had to fish around for the technique.
Note that after 13 moves, the White king and Black rook have swapped places:
Many nontrivial 7-piece positions are solved in similar databases, but I don’t know of a free seven-piece database resource. (But we are wandering far away from the OP’s question )
I think I’ll get some stuff from Chess King line of Software. I need to study endgames, but I guess I was thinking more of chess compositions, but Chess King software looks like it can handily fulfill my needs. I definitely will get CT-ART 6.0.
I was wondering if there was some sort of software that has a master list of chess compositions that one might find in the various chess composition database websites. Most of those were hand crafted by exceptional composers spanning from the 1800’s and going forward. Even though I probably couldn’t solve the vast majority of those, it would still be nice to have a gander at them, but in a nicely designed piece of software.
There used to be a free Chess Tactics app for android, which I don’t think is available anymore on Google Play, that pretty much had all of those, but it’s interface was rudimentary. You got 1 or 2 chances to solve the problem before it automatically spit out the answer, regardless if you wanted it or not, then it loaded another random problem. There was no way to tag or look up specific problems, it was all random. Very rudimentary.
Yes, it’s a Smythe original. It’s one of only two chess studies I’ve ever invented.
As you point out, there are zillions of specific winning move sequences, but only one idea. That’s considered a no-no in a problem, but I’m not sure if the same is supposed to be true of a study. If so, then this one should be called something else.
I see by your subsequent post that I’m not the only person who has ever had this two-rooks-vs-super-rook idea. Your other one looks harder.
As I looked at this more, it is amazing at the number of ways that white can (eventually) arrive at the winning idea. The king can go on multiple ‘excursions’ and rarely lose the opportunity to get to the right idea (eventually).
So, I’m curious - any 1200 players out there want to confess: did you, absent the analysis presented here, come up with the winning idea? Be honest…
I’m a low 1600 player and I initially thought the concept was to get the king to a position where one of white rooks could move to capture the black rook, but couldn’t see the square that the king needed to get to. Then after Randy’s initial explanation I sent Aha and then realized I really didn’t understand Randy’s explanation.
So I set the position up in Shredder on my ipod and played it through until I think I now understand it.
Correct me if I am wrong. You have to get the white king to a8. To do this you have to avoid being forced to capture the black rook. In order to safely get to a8 you first need to get the king to the 8th rank. You do this by moving towards the h file until black is forced to check you from the 7th rank. Then you just walk over to a8 and it is game over. Any move that isn’t check allows you to move one of your rooks relieving the stalemate threat.
, may be closer to what you want: really fun book! I am pretty sure I have seen Android editions of this for sale on some platform.
Ke3.
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