White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Finishing chess tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
I would guess the theme is to sack both bishops on h7 and g7.
1. Bxh7+ Kxh7 (Kh8 Qh5 and Bg6+ was hopeless)
2. Qh5+ Kg8
3. Bxg7 Kxg7?
4. Qg5+ Kh8
5. Re3! Be4
6. Rxe4 Nf6
7. Qxf7+ etc.
Black should deviate on move #3 with f6 I think. I guess white wins but I’m not sure how…
Bxh7+ KxBh7 (or Kh8 – no better)
Qh5+ Kg8
Bxg7 Kxg7 or f6 (else Qh8#)
Qg5+ Kh7
Re3 (threatening mate on h file)
if 3 …f6
Qg6 Rf has to move
Be5+ wins the Q
Main idea is as follows:-
1.Bxh7+.Kxh7.2.Qh5+.Kg8.3.Bxg7.Kxg7.4.Qg5+.Kh8.5.Re3.Nf6.6.Qxf6+.Kg8.7.Qg5+.Kh8.8.Rh3#
A-1.Bxh7+.Kh8.2.Qh5.
>A1-2…f6/7.3.Bg6+.Kg8.4.Qh7#
>A2-2..Nf6.3.Bxf6.gxf.4.Bg6+.Kg6/7 5.Qh7#
>A3-2..Qf4.3.Bg6+.Qh6.4.Qxh6+.Kg8. 5.Qh7#
>A4-2..Re8.3.Re3!.Qf4.4.Rh3!.f6. 5.Qh7!,Qh6.6.Rxh6.gxh6.7.Bg6 and next 8.Qh7#
B-1.Bxh7+.Kxh7.2.Qh5+.Kg8.3.Bxg7.
>B1-3..Nf6.4.Qh8#
>B2-3..Re8.4.Qh8#
>B3-3..f6..(not 4.Bxf8.Nxf8. 5.Re3.Nh7.)4.Re3!.Ne5.5.Qh8+.Kf7.6.Bxf8.Rxf8.7.Qh7+.Ke8.8.Qxc7 and wins easily
Harry
A common attacking motif- I spotted it instantly, though the full calculation took a minute or so:
1. Bh7! Kh7 (Kh8? 2.Qh5+-)
2. Qh5 Kg8
3. Bg7! Kg7 (alternative below)
4. Qg5 Kh8 (Kh7 much the same)
5. Re3 and black can’t stop the mate, he can only delay it.
At move 3, black can avoid getting mated by giving the king a hole on f7:
3. …..f6 (f5 4.Qg6!)
Here, f6 is superior to f5 in that f6 allows black to defend against 4.Qg6 with Ne5. Continuing:
4. Re6
White should be able to win with 4.Re3, too. Continuing:
4. …..Rae8 (Kg7 5.Re7+-)
5. Bh6! Ne5 (nothing better now)
6. Re8 Re8
7. Qe8 Kh7
8. Qh5
And white still has an attack, and has won an exchange and two pawns.
There’s got to be something simpler than what I’m looking at… I always struggle with these two-bishop sacrifice positions. Just can’t play chess!
-Craigaroo
for what it’s worth, here’s the kind of variation I’m looking at:
1. Bxh7+ Kxh7
2. Qh5+ Kg8
3. Bxg7 f6!? If …f5, then 4. Qg6
4. Rxe6 Rae8 threat was Re7
5. Re1 Rxe6
6. Rxe6 Qd8 Now what?
7. Bxf8 Nxf8 7…Qxf8, 8. Re8 skewers; if 7…Kxf8, 8. Qh8+ skewers the other way
8. Re3 … With idea again of checks on g or h file? Too far for me to see ahead…
1.Bxh7+ Kxh7
(1…Kh7 2.Qh5 Nf6 3.Bxf6 winning)
2.Qh5+ Kg8
3.Bxg7 Kxg7
4.Qg5+ Kh7 (4…Kh8)
5.Re3 Nf6
6.Qxf6 winning
One important practical point emerges in the comments – you have to be sure to look at options where the defender declines the sacrifice, in this case particularly the second sacrifice after 3. Bxg7. In what seems to be the crucial 3…f5!? line, Yancey Ward offers a beautiful suggestion after 4. Rxe6 Rae8 with 5. Bh6!
I haven’t fully worked it out but Yancey usually is spot on. Now Qg6+ is threatened. But what has White accomplished with 4.Re6 besides leaving the Rook hanging? He’s compelled Black to bring his own R to e8 where it’s vulnerable to capture. At same time, Black can’t guard his 2nd rank with either Rook because the White Rook can capture his counterpart on the e-file. This is a very elegant and sophisticated tactical idea.
– Craigaroo
Craigaroo,
I hadn’t actually hadn’t considered your line at move 5 before finding Bh6, but find a problem:
1. Bh7 Kh7
2. Qh5 Kg8
3. Bg7 f6
4. Re6 Rae8
5. Rae1 Qc6!
The e6 rook is pinned to the one at e1, and black is threatening Qg2#. The only plausible winning continuation for white is to play Qg6:
6. Qg6 Qg2 (forced)
7. Qg2 Re6
I think this is best for black. The alternatives just look worse to me. With Rxe6 black has both the white queen and the white rook under attack. I will continue along two paths:
8. Bf8 Bg2
9. Re6 Nf8!
10.Re7 Bh3 (any better square?)
11.Ra7 Nd7
12.f4 and I think white is clearly better, but winning will require a lot of skill.
Now, at move 8, white might try
8. Qb7 Re1
9. Kg2 Kg7
10.Qd7 Rf7
11.Qd3 and I would have to conclude this is drawn with best play- the extra pawn white has should be sufficient to hold this and maybe even have some minor chances at winning.