Arabian Defense Puzzle 1500 rating

That's not an easy puzzle! The first move is perfectly logical but tough to find. You have to understand that the key is somehow getting white's g2 rook away from defending the Arabian mate (Rxh7#).  There's no way to deflect it directly... but the Q sac (which is declined) would remove the rook's defender -- when the Q sac is declined the Q has threats of her own...

It's an instructive puzzle. If you see a vulnerability, but can't figure out how to attack it... go up the chain off dependencies: The rook is holding things together? well, what holds the rook there?

I pushed help for the first move, because I'm lazy and need caffeine.  After that, yeah, it all made sense in a rather lovely way.

Yes, JG and theoretical.  The first move...I couldn't find it.  After that of course, it was cake.  But that first move was...pfffff.

Some insight into my current brain processing speed; I honestly thought Ra2 trapped the white queen...

I need coffee and cake.

Tough one. Saw there was lots of pressure on h2 and wanted to add to it,d6 and h6 is conveniently covered so this made me think I was on the right track and then thought c8 looked cool and daring, then things clicked. I'd never of got this over the board but puzzles tend to have little clues and spectacular moves. Also, there has to be a tactic there somewhere, whereas over the board there does not.

I couldn't find the first move, but its beautiful.

It wasn't too bad for me, but I started out assuming that White's bishop was what was giving me problems, and that attacking it head on with my queen would force White to start getting out of my way.  For a little I worried about the fact that White can extend for a move with a queen check, but then I realized that I wasn't supposed to care about that.

I liked the puzzle alot.  Thanks.

Off the top of my head, 3. Rb2 Rxb2 4. Qxb2 Qxh3 5. Qg2 Qf5 6. Qf1 Qd5 7. Qc1 Nxg5+ 8. Kg1 Nh3+ 9. Kf1 Qh1+ 10. Ke2 Nf4+ 11. Ke3 Ncd5+ 12. Kd2 Qxh2+ 13. Kd4 Nf2+ 14. Kc4 Nxc1 15. Nxc1 Qxc1 16. Kxd5 and black will soon mate.

According to Rybka, 3. Rb2 Rxb2 4. Qxb2 Qxh3 5. Qf2! (5. Qg2? Qf5!) 5... Ne6! (5... Qf5? Kg2!) 6. c6 bxc6 7. Nc1 Nxg5 8. Ne2 Qd7 9. Kg2 Ne1+ 10. Kxe1 Qh3+ 11. Kg1 Nf3+ Kg2 12. Nxe1 Kxe1 13. Qxh2 and white is up a queen and two pawns for a knight.

There is a reason computers beat me :(

That can't be according to Rybka... you messed up the transcription... several moves are impossible and/or nonsensical. 9.Kg2 ... 10.Kxe1 is the first... but 11. Kg1 Nf3+ Kg2 is also hard to parse. ...  At any rate WHITE is not up at the end. BLACK is up. 

After 3.Rxb2 4.Qxb2 Qxh3 Black is up a piece and has a won game. No need to call in Rybka IMO.

dax, in one of your lines, 1. ... Qc8 2. Rxe2 Rxe2 3. Rb2 Rxh2+ 4. Rxh2 Nxh2 5. Kxh2 rather than taking the knight with the king on move five, white should take the queen with the bishop, being up a queen instead of just up a bishop :D

You are right that I messed up the transcription . . . I was confusing two different Rybka lines. Anyways, the point is, there is no quick forced mate. If there is a forced mate, I am pretty sure it is at least forty moves away. However, black does win a bishop and a better position, which ought to be enough.

Eebster - yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. Thanks -

Hi