White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
The Black queen is awkwardly placed, with few options. With Black’s rook locked in by the knight, I found 1. b4 Qxb4 2. Nb5 with 3. Ba3 coming.
I don’t see an immediate tactic against the black king, but the queen is a different matter. The black queen is definitely hemmed in, so the obvious move here is to hem her in some more. Let’s see where the most obvious move leads us:
1. b4
Initially, my thinking was to use this move to open up the b-file for the rook to get at the queen, but having to deal with the knight at c3 led me to the right approach by accident:
1. …..Qb4 (or lose her majesty)
2. Nb5!
Threatens to win the a8 rook with Nc7 (and more in the subvariation below), but also carries the threat of Ba3 which will leave the queen no place to hide. I don’t see a way for black to extract the queen and stop Nc7 at the same time. Qa5 will drop a rook for sure, and if white replies with Qh5 after Kf8, maybe more: [2. …Qa5 3.Nc7 Kf8 4.Qh5 g6 5.Ng6 with a discovered attack on the helpless black queen at a5]. All in all, I think black does best to just concede the queen for the two pieces in the line below and get the king to a safer area. Continuing:
2. …..O-O
3. Ba3 Qa3
4. Na3 Ba3
And black has a knight, bishop, and two pawns in exchange for the queen.
If we assess the position white has developed well,has good control over center whereas black is constricted in position,QN yet to be developed and not castled yet and Q at the front can be haraased.White’s N at e5 looks ominous.
My first instinct which is wrong most of the times{ otherwise I would have been a GM} was 1Ne4 assuming N at e5 can not be taken.However black can take it since 1… QxN 2Ne6+ Bxe6 black Q gets protection from B.
1Nd5 or 1 Nxf7 are not appealing.
Therefore 1b4 must be a good move
2… Qxb4
3 Nb5 Na6
3Qf3 white gets good attack.
1. b4 Qxb4 2. Nb5 looks strong – threats of Nxc7, Rb1 or Ba3.
it was difficult find the winning move,
I think, it is.
b4!,Qxb4
Nb5,Na6
Ba3!
1.b4!! this position seems very winning but nevertheless if you do not find this resource, Black can hope to survive.
1….Qxb4 Compulsory
2.Nb5! Black cannot castle and has to resign in front of both Ba3! and Nxc7!
I this day and age, with the grand masters we have, I think it would be called a draw and break for lunch. If Kasparov was playing still, he would try B4.
Haven’t computed all of the variations, but starting with
1. b4 Qxb4
2. Nb5 Q moves
3. Qf3 attacking f7 & b7 seems
right
Not sure what comes next.
Win Rook