Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
5 second basic tactic
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Latent knight fork is a bit hard to see, so no way I found the basic plan in 5 seconds, though I did spot the possible pin on the queen immediately:
1. …..Bd4!
2. Rc8
Before or after taking at d4, doesn’t matter, I think. Continuing:
2. …..Bc8
3. Qd4 Nf3 and black will end up a piece when the dust settles.
The Bd4 idea was possible to see in 5 seconds, but it isn’t a check, so how enforced is it? There are some more calculations to do, so 5 seconds was clearly too little for me!
1. … Bd4
2. Rxc8+ (looked natural) Bxc8
3. Qxd4 Nf3+
4. Kf2 Nxd4
black is up with B+N vs. N and wins.
2. Qxd4 (actually better practical chances) Rxc1+? (must be an error)
3. Kf2 Rc2+ (no knight fork now)
4. Kg3!
and there is no Nf5+ since a white bishop stands there, so white is up with Q+N vs. R+B+N and is better.
2. Qxd4 Nf3+! (just ignore the rooks)
3. Kf2 Nxd4
4. Rxc8+ (other rook moves also down with piece) Bxc8
is the same as the first line.
2. Re1 (trying all options for white) Bxe3
2. Rxe3
again black is up with a piece, with rooks still on the board. Perhaps critical.
So I conclude that Bd4 actually is the winning move, unexpectedly, since it wasn’t check. The rooks made this difficult to calculate!
There were alternative first moves for black:
1. … Rxc1+?
2. Qxc1 Bxf6
having 3 pieces for the queen, but
3. Qf4!
regains a piece and white is clearly better.
1. … Nf3+?
2. Qxf3 Rxc1+
3. Kg2 Bg6 (Bxf6 Qxf5)
this is Q+N vs. R+2B and the situation is somewhat unclear.
So I believe the correct solution is:
1. … Bd4
Though I have hardly looked at all lines, there could be surprises….
5 seconds tactic….
The Bd4 idea was possible to see in 5 seconds, but it isn’t a check, so how enforced is it? There are some more calculations to do, so 5 seconds was clearly too little for me!
1. … Bd4
2. Rxc8+ (looked natural) Bxc8
3. Qxd4 Nf3+
4. Kf2 Nxd4
black is up with B+N vs. N and wins.
2. Qxd4 (actually better practical chances) Rxc1+? (must be an error)
3. Kf2 Rc2+ (no knight fork now)
4. Kg3!
and there is no Nf5+ since a white bishop stands there, so white is up with Q+N vs. R+B+N and is better.
2. Qxd4 Nf3+! (just ignore the rooks)
3. Kf2 Nxd4
4. Rxc8+ (other rook moves also down with piece) Bxc8
is the same as the first line.
2. Re1 (trying all options for white) Bxe3
2. Rxe3
again black is up with a piece, with rooks still on the board. Perhaps critical.
So I conclude that Bd4 actually is the winning move, unexpectedly, since it wasn’t check. The rooks made this difficult to calculate!
There were alternative first moves for black:
1. … Rxc1+?
2. Qxc1 Bxf6
having 3 pieces for the queen, but
3. Qf4!
regains a piece and white is clearly better.
1. … Nf3+?
2. Qxf3 Rxc1+
3. Kg2 Bg6 (Bxf6 Qxf5)
this is Q+N vs. R+2B and the situation is somewhat unclear.
So I believe the correct solution is:
1. … Bd4
Though I have hardly looked at all lines, there could be surprises….
5 seconds tactic….
1……Bd4!
A>2.Qxd4.Nf3+.and 3….Nxd4 and black is a piece up.
Other alternatives are no better.
B>2.Rxc8+.Bxc8.3.Qxd4.Nf3+.and 4….Nxd4 as in A above.
C>2.Re1.Bxe3+ and again black is a piece up.
Harry
1..Bd4 pins the White Q.
If White plays 2.Qxd4 , then Nf3 check wins the Q by a fork.
That’s the pretty line,but even if White does not capture on D4,he still loses Q for Bishop.