White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
Source: ChessToday.net
Qd1, and it looks to me like Black has to lose material in order to deal with the threat of Qd6.
Took me way more than 60 seconds, though.
1. Qc5 Qxh4 2. g3 Qg5 3. Qd6+ maybe ?
I would play 1. Qc5 too.
Black can’t answer 1.. Qb4 in view of 2.Qxe5 and after 1.. Qxh4 2. Qd6+ Ng6 3. Rxb7 must be enough.
I also support Qd1, but as rhsatrhs, I needed much more time than 60 sec, too.
1.Qc5 or 1.Qd1 and Qb4 should hold it even enough.
I think maybe change queen, and black can never get out of the pin with his knight!
I also think Qd1 is the right move as it threatens the check, but also the crushing Rxe7.
Hmm I’m not sure if my commented posted.
1. Qc5 Qxh4
2. Qd6+ Ng6
3. T*b7
1. Qc5 Qg5 or Qxh4
2. Qd6+ Kg5 ..Ng6 (loses Rook without compensation)
3. Qf6+ Kf4
4. g3+ wins queen
Easy finish from there
my immediate answer (15s) was 1. qc5 the only response is 1…qd4 (qb4 and qh4 lose hopelessly because of qxe5) and then 2. qxd4 ed 3. rf6 ng6 4. rd6 gives white a winnable though tedious endgame
but 1. qd1 is better, I admit. it wins right away
Do you see an instant win after
1. Qd1 Qd4 other than 2. Qxd4?
I want to add my share to this lovely position. Surely I have not found the right solution period. Not in 60 seconds and not in 60 min.
Rather I gave up and went to the comments.
1. Qd1 is the right move since it embodies in it 2 threats. The first threat has been mentioned already: 2. Qd6. It is a deadly threat and therefore Black has to respond with 1..Qd4
Now White pulls out from his sleeve the other threat. It involves a lovely Queen maneuver. Qc1-d1-f3-g3. What’s lovely about it is that each Queen
move forces Black to defend in some way. Thus, Qd1 forced Black to play his Queen to d4. And 2. Qf3
threatens both the Rook on b7 and to penetrate on the g file i.e. g3–g5 mate or g3-g7 mate.
Game over. I don’t see a move that can hold the position for Black.
Best wishes
A. Weiler
The trick with Qd1 is the following:
After 1. … Qd4 white has
2. Rf6+ Kg7 3. Qxh5 and now black cannot take white’s rook on f6 since Qf7 would mate. Black’s king is in big trouble now.
I have to admit, I didn’t see the defense 1. … Qd4 to my suggested Qd1 until after I initially posted, so I ready to agree with Qc5. But A. Weiler’s suggested 2. Qf3, and 3. Qg3 is very interesting. I think Black responds with 2. … Qe4 and 3. … Qg4, but then White has 4. Qxe4 and I think that is enough for the win.
abelian, you are absolutely right.
1. Qd1! Qd4
2. Rf6+! Kg7
3. Qxh5 and Black cannot stop the mate on f7. Very instructive!!