Sunday 1 May 2011

Woolum Errata

For my next experiment, I used Al Woolum’s Chess Tactics Workbook (Expanded 4th Edition).  This proved to be an excellent book for my purposes, but it does contain a number of errors and omissions.  The book includes a short list of corrections, and Steve Eddins has posted a supplementary list:

http://www.eddins.net/steve/chess/2006/11/07/51

I have consolidated these lists, fixed some errors, added my own corrections, and suggested changes to the diagrams that do not have valid solutions.  I do not claim to have found all the alternative solutions, and have only included those where I think it is helpful.  If there is mate in 1 and a win of the Q in 2, for example, I have not noted that the latter has been omitted.  I have tried to keep the errata as concise as possible on the basis that people are likely to copy the corrections into the book.  Please comment on this post if I have made any errors or significant omissions, and I will keep it up to date.

p17 #2, or Rxd5 Rxd5 Bc4
p17, #4, add pawns to a6 and b7
p18, #6, or 1.Bxe5+ Bxe5 2.Nxe5
p22, #5, 2.Nb4 should be 2.Nxb7
p28, #3, better 1.Bxe5 Bxe5 2.Re1
p30, #1, 2.Qh6# should be 2.Qh7#
p31, #4, 2.Qxc4 fails to 2...Qxc4 3.Rxf8+ Qg8
p32, #5, or 1.Bd3 with the same idea
p33, #6, White P on h3 rather than h2
p36, #1, Reverse the positions of the K and the R on a1
p42, #5, 1.Qe7+ Kxf5 2.g4+ wins Q
p43, #6, or 1.Ne6+ fxe6 2.Qxg7# or 1.Qh8+ Bxh8 2.Nh7#
p49, #5, or 1.Rxg7+ Kxg7 (or 1 … Kh8) 2.Qxh7#
p50, #1, or 1.Qd3+ Kxa4 2.Bc2#
p55, #4, 1.Qf3+ Kxh4 2.Qg3#
p55, #5. 1.Rxc6+ Kd7 2.Qe6#
p56, #1, or 1.Qg6+ Kh8 2.Qxg7#
p57, #1, or 1.Qf7+ Bxf7 2.Ne8#
p64, #2, 1.Bxd7#  (SE)
p64, #5, 1.Qe7#
p65, #2, or 1.Ra1, 1.Rb1, 1.Rc1 or 1.Re1 followed by a back rank #
p65, #3, or 1.Rf5+ any 2.Nf4#
p69, #3, 1.Nxe6 Qf8 just wins the Q
p70, #2, duplicates p54, #6
p70, #4, 1.Qf5#  (W)
p74, #1, 1.Qe6 Qe8 2.Rh8#
p74,#5, Black B on b7
p75, #6, Black K on g8
p76, #3, mate in 3: 1.Rxg6+ Kh7 2.Qf7+ Rg7 3.Qxg7# or 2.Kh8 3.Qxg8#
p79, #5, White N on c3
p80, #6, duplicates p31, #6
p81, #3, Move White's B from a3 to d6
p82, #1, duplicates p44, #6
p82, #2, Move Black's N from e5 to c6 and R from f4 to f8
p85, #4, 1.Ng6+ Kh7 2.Bg8#
P89 #2, White K on e1.
p89, #3, Black N on d4
p89, #5, White K on g1
p92,#2, Remove the second White B on f1 and the second Black B on c8
p92, #6, or 1.Nd6 any 2.axb5#
p93, #4, or 1.Qe3+ Kb4 2.Nc3+ Kc6/a6 Qb6#, 1...Kc6 2. Qb6#
p94, #5, or 1.Nf7+ Kg8 2.Qh8#, or 1.Rxf8# Kh7 2.Ng4/Ng8/Nf5/Nf7#, 1...Qg8 Nxg8#
p94, #29, or 1.Rxf8+ Qg8 2.Nf7# or 1...Kh7 3.Nf5#
p96, #6, 1.Nxe4 wins a piece
p98, #6, e.g. 1.Qa1 Kg8 2.Ne6#, 1...Kh7 2.Nf5#
p102, #6, or 1.Be2+ Ng4 2.Ne5# or 1...Bg4 2.Ne5+ Nxf7 3.Bxg5#
p104, #1, or 1.Ba3 any 2.Kf8 any 3.Bb3#
p104, #5, or 1.Nb6+ with the same idea
p108, #2, move Black P from f7 to h7
p111, #1, White N on e5 and White P on h2
p112, #1 move the pawn on a4 to a1
p115, #4, Black K on g5
p115, #5, White N on e7 and White P on h5, 1.Ng1+ or 1.Nf5+ Qxh5 2.Rh2#
p115, #6, duplicates p59, #5
p116, #3, or 1.Bxg6 Re8 2.Qxh7+ Kf8 3.Qxf7#, 1...fxg6 2.Rxg6+ Kf7 3.Rg7#, 1...hxg6 2.Qh8#
p116,#4, duplicates p56, #2
p119.#2, now duplicates p79, #5
p118, #2, or 1.Qf5+ Nxf5 2.e6#, 1...Ne6 2.Qxe6#
p120. #1, Move White's P from b4 to a3
p123, #4, Black N on d8
p131, #3, or 1.Bb1 Nd2 2.Rc3#
p132, #6, or 1...Qc7+ 2.Qxc7 stalemate

14 comments:

  1. p.33 #6 1.Rxe7 Qxe7! and if 2.Rxe7 Rc1+ 3.Ne1 Rxe1+ 4.Rxe1 Rxe1# - Dan Heisman

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, Dan you are quite right. I have suggested an amendment to avoid the back rank mate.

    ReplyDelete
  3. p17 #2 Rxd5 Rxd5 Bc4 works just as well
    p89 #2 The white king is missing
    p92 #2 Change d1 bishop to white queen, remove the white bishop from f1

    ReplyDelete
  4. p17 #2 Rxd5 Rxd5 Bc4 does indeed work too.
    P89 #2 I suggest that the White King be on e1.
    p92 #2 I think that the Black bishop on d1 has just taken White's Queen. The second White bishop on f1 is not legal because White still has eight pawns.

    I have made the changes above.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Either the black bishop on d1 is illegal or the c8 bishop is. Both white and black have 3 bishops in the diagram.

    I think that that the last sequence of moves was probably Nxe5 Bxd1 as I've seen that problem many times before so I'd get rid of the c8 bishop.

    It doesn't matter which Bishop black loses, as the solution os the same is the same either way. It's likely that Bxd1 was the last move and the c8 bishop was an oversight.

    It's very hard to notice this because none of the extra bishops matter to complete the problem. The only reason I noticed was because I'm entering all of the diagrams into pgn format for flashcard use. Chessbase wouldn't load the diagram because of the illegal material.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, you are right. I did not notice the second Black bishop either! I have suggested removing the Black bishop on c8.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 36#1 The solution given overlooks a defensive resource.
    Re1 Kd7
    Rxe6 Nc3+!
    Qxc3 (Kb2 Nd1+ Ka2 Nc3+ draws) dxc3
    Rxg6

    You go from Queen for a Bishop to up a Rook and pawn. Equal with Reinfeld values, but Houdini drops the eval from +11.5 to +7.5 after Re1.

    56#2 and 116#4 are exact duplicates

    93#4 Qe3+ Kb5 Nc3+ Kc6/Ka6 Qb6#

    112#1 overlooks a defensive resource and only wins a pawn.
    Nd5 Qd8
    Bxc5 Ba5!
    Bb5 (Bxb7 Bxb7 or Nxc7 Qxc7) c6

    ReplyDelete
  8. 36#1 I suggest reversing the positions of the K and the R on a1

    I suggest reporting that 116#4 duplicates 56#2

    93#4 1.Qe3+ Kb4 2.Nc3+ Kc6/a6 Qb6# if 1...Kc6 2. Qb6#

    112#1 I suggest moving the a4 pawn to a1

    I will update the text accordingly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Back once again with some wonderful Woolum errata.

    74#5 White has two light-squared Bishops. It doesn't affect the problem, but I suspect the c8 one should be Black's.

    89#5 is missing the White King (2nd time on this page to boot). I added it to g1 with no issues.

    94#5
    1. Rxf8+ Kh7 2. Ng4/Ng8/Nf5/Nf7# if 1...Qg8 Nxg8#
    1. Nf7+ Kg8 2. Qh8#

    ReplyDelete
  10. 74#5 I think on mean b7

    89#5 White K on g1

    94#5 or 1.Nf7+ Kg8 2.Qh8#
    or 1.Rxf8# Kh7 2.Ng4/Ng8/Nf5/Nf7# if 1...Qg8 Nxg8#

    I checked the game for 94#5, and that is the position.

    I have updated the text. Many thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Back once more with the deja vu edition of Woolum errata.

    82#1 is a duplicate of 44#6 (the pawn on a2 is reversed in color
    but the solution is identical)

    70#2 is a duplicate of 54#6

    80#6 is a duplicate of 31#6

    115#6 is a duplicate of 59#5


    92#6 1. Nd6 any 2. axb5#
    96#6 1. Nxe4 (the solution in the book doesn't even match the diagram)
    98#6 1. Qa1 Kg8 2. Ne6#
    132#6 or 1...Qc7+

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks very much! Great stuff! I have added.

    p70, #2, duplicates p54, #6
    p80, #6, duplicates p31, #6
    p82, #1, duplicates p44, #6
    p92, #6, or 1.Nd6 any 2.axb5#
    p96, #6, 1.Nxe4 wins a piece
    p98, #6, 1.Qa1 Kg8 2.Ne6#, 1...Kh7 2.Nf5#
    p115, #6, duplicates 59#5
    p132, #6, or 1...Qc7+ 2.Qxc7 stalemate

    There is clearly something wrong with p98, #6, but your solution is the quickest mate.

    An exacting critic might say that p132, #6 has to be a draw by repetition, because that is what the header says, but I think that we should include the stalemate too.

    I have updated the text.

    ReplyDelete
  13. 81#3 is mate in 3 with best defense.
    1. Qe4 Bc5 2. Qe8+ Bf8 3. Qxf8#
    1. Qg4 g6 2. Qc8+ Qd8 3. Qxd8# (alternate with unaltered diagram)
    Move the White bishop on a3 to d6 to make the book solution (1. Qe4) work.

    82#2 is mate in 4 with best defense.
    1. Nf6 Nf3+ 2. Kh1 Be4 3. Rxh7 Bxh7 4. Qxh7#
    Move black pawn on d6 to d5, move white king to h1, move black rook on f4 to f8 to make the book solution (1. Nf6) work.

    120#1 White is in check. Move b4 pawn to a3.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you very much for that. I like your suggestions for 81#3 and 120#1. For 82#2, we can get away with repositioning just two pieces: move Black's N from e5 to c6 and R from f4 to f8. I have updated the text accordingly.

    ReplyDelete