White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
7k/1p3rq1/p1pBr1p1/P3PbQP/2p1p3/2P5/5R2/5RK1 w – – 0 1
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Phew! Looks complicated with so many big pieces on the king side. I’d start simplifying with the hope of coming ahead with a bishop (vs 2 pawns).
1. Rh2 gxh5
2. Rxf5 Rg6
3. Rxh5+ Kg8
4. Qxg6 Qxg6
5. Rfg5 Kg7
6. Rxg6+ Kxg6
7. Rh3 …
1. Rh2
Black must do something against the threat hxg6+
1. … Kh8
2. h6 Qh7
3. Rhf2 and there is nothing against Rxf5
I would probably look into the possibilities offered by Qd8 before I looked too deeply at anything else. As the position stands, black is threatening the exchange of queens by playing gh6, and one should be able to see that moves hg6 or Qg6 just aren’t going to be good for white:
1. Qg6 Bg6 and the f7 rook is doubly attacked, but doubly protected, and, here, hg6 is met by the retake with check. Or
1. hg6 Rg6 (by far best move)
Pinning and winning the queen. Now, lets see what Qd8 offers:
1. Qd8
Here, black can reasonably play Kh7 or Qg8:
1. ….Kh7
And I can’t say I like the prospects for continuing the attack here. I initially had some hopes for a move like h6, but black isn’t obligated to help by taking at h6:
2. h6 Qh8 (Qh6 3.Rh2; Kh6 3.Qh4#)
And I am damned if I see any advantageous continuation- white either needs to retreat the queen to g5, or exchange queens leaving black with a material advantage. Or, at move 2, I don’t see much for white in the following:
2. Rg2 Bh3 (pretty obvious)
3. hg6 Rg6
4. Qh4
The only move I see. Continuing:
4. …..Rh6 (only move, too, imo)
5. Qe4 Rg6
Here, Kh8 is also possible, I think, though it is very easy to overlook something in this kind of position: [Kh8 6.Rf7 (6.Rg7 loses to Rf1+ followed by Bf5 bagging the queen) Bg2 7.Rg7 Be4 8.Rb7 and white has the edge, but I am not sure it is decisive]. Rg6 seems clearer and actually better for black:
6. Qh4 Rh6
And, now, white can repeat with Qe4, or try
7. Rf7 Qf7
8. Qe4 Bf5
Here, Qf5 seems quite similar to me, and I don’t know what to make of Kh8- I looked at it briefly, and white’s reply of 9.e6 looks a little scary to me with the threat of Be5 (I couldn’t find a good reply for black). Continuing:
9. Qf4 and, I don’t see anything in this position really good or bad for white. Back to the drawing board.
While working through the previous variations arising from Qd8, it occurred to me that 1.Rh2 might be an effective move for white- it threatens hg6 with check and it threatens to retake at h5 with check if black takes h5. I would definitely want to look at this:
1. Rh2
And, what are the possibilities for black here? On Kg8, getting the king out line of the rook, seems to make h6 overpowering: [Kg8 2.h6 and where do you move the queen? Qh7/8 loses to Qd8 followed by mate]. On Rd7 (guarding d8) white just plays gh6. The best move seems to be
1. …..gh5
Now, when I first thought of this line, I was going to play Rh5, but after looking at Bh7, I am not even sure it is a drawing move for white. However, it is easy to see that white has a better move at move 2:
2. Rf5!
Now, black has a choice of moves, but none of them seem to recover the material, but I could easily be overlooking something here:
2. …..Rg6 (the most obvious move)
3. Rh5 Kg8
4. Qg6 Qg6
5. Rfg5 Rg7 (best by far)
6. Rg6 Rg6
7. Kf2 and white has a piece for two pawns ( and the black pawns are very weak). Or
2. …..Rf5
3. Rh5 Kg8 (Rh6 4.Qg7 Kg7 5.Rf5)
4. Qg7 Kg7
5. Rf5 should win. Or
2. …..Rh6
3. Qg7 Kg7 (Rg7 4.Kf2+-)
4.
There’s no magic move here. White wins by ramping up the pressure.
1 Rh2
Not 1 hxg6 Qxg6, and the Queens come off the board. With the given move, White threatens to take the pawn with discovered check.
1… gxh5
Nothing else is reasonable. 1… Kg8 is met by 2 h6, and then 2 .. Qh7, 3 Qd8+ is mate in a few, or 2 … Qh8, 3 Rxf5! sinks Black.
2 Rxf5!
And not 2 Rxh5+? which allows Black to escape with Bh7.
Black now has four reasonable moves:
ONE
2 … Rxf5
3 Rxh5+ Kg8
4 Qxg7+ Kxg7
5 Rxf5
White is up a Bishop for two pawns, has Black’s King cut off from the f-file, and will soon win Black’s e-pawn.
TWO
2 … Rh6
3 Rg2! Qxg5
4 Rfxg5 h4
5 e6! Rxe6
6 Rh5+ Rh7
7 Be5+ Rxe5
8 Rxe5
White is up a Rook and will soon mop up Black’s loose pawns.
THREE
2 … Qxg5+
3 Rxg5 Rg7
4 Rxh5+ Kg8
5 Rxg7+ Kxg7
6 Kf2
White is up a Bishop for two pawns and has a strong position.
FOUR
2 … Rg6
3 Rxh5+ Kg8
4 Qxg6 Rxg6
5 Rfg5 Rg7
6 Rxg6 Rxg6+
7 Kf2
White is up a Rook for two pawns with a strong passed pawn, and Black’s e-pawn should fall soon.
Rh2 looks pretty good, but I don’t see a forced win.
I can’t see any other move other than 1.Rh2, and now
if:
A)1…PxP
2.RxB Rg6
3.RxP+ Kg8
4.QxR QxQ
5.Rfg5 and white is up a bishop.
Something like…
B) 1….Kg8
2.h7 Qh7
3.Qd8+ wins
as i can´t see any direct blows, i´d play Rh2 to set up something against the black king. don´t know, if that´s the correct solution, though.
greets, jan
Rh2! is winning! 🙂
1. Rh2 Rd7 (Qg8 hxg6+ Kg7 Qh6# or Kg8 h6! Qh7 Qd1+ Rf8 Qxf8#)
2. hxg6+ Kg8 (or give queen)
3. Rxf5! should win bishop.
a)
3. … Rxg6
4. Rf8+ Qxf8
5. Qxg6+ Rg7
6. Qxg7+ Qxg7
7. Rg2 Qxg2+
8. Kxg2 white is up with the bishop, wins easily.
b)
3. … Qxg6
4. Qxg6 Rxg6
5. Rg2 same result.
1.Rh2!
I)1….gxh5 2.Rxf5!
a)2….Rg6 3.Rxh5+ Kg8 4.Qxg6! Qxg6 5.Rfg5 +-
b)2….Rxf5 3.Rxh5+ Kg8 4.Qxg7+ Kxg7 5.Rxf5 +-
II)1….Qh7 2.Qd8+ +-