White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Closing out tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
First thing that came to mind was 1. Nef4 since it opens White’s queen path to get the to g-file, threatens 2. Nxh5, and should Black be unwise enough to take with 1. .. exf4 then
2. e5+ is a killer discovered check.
2.Nxh5+ is a very dangerous threat that wouldn’t just win a pawn. It would threaten in turn 3. Rg7+ 4. Qh6 mate.
Just to show what a blunder 1. .. exf4 would be, consider:
1. .. exf4 2. e5+ f5 (2. .. Kh8 3. Qxf4 Qd7 4. Qh6+) (2. ..Kh6 3. Qxf4#) 3. Qg2 Qd7 (3. .. Rg8 4. Nf6+ Kh8
(4. .. Kh6 5. Nxg8+ Qxg8 6.Qxg8) (4. .. Qxf6 5. Qxg8+ Kh6 6. exf6)
5. Qxg8+ Qxg8 6. Rxg8#) 4. Bxf5+
Another try for Black is 1. .. Qe8 which is met by bringing the White queen to the g-file:
2. Qg2 Qf7
(2. .. Bg4 3. fxg4 exf4 4. e5+ Kh8
(4. .. Kh6 5. g5+ Kg7 6. gxf6+ Kf7 7. Qg6+ Ke6 8. Bf5#)
5. Nxc7 Qe7
(5. .. Qd7 6. Nxa8 Nb4 7. Bb1 Qg7 8. exf6 Qxf6 9. Qe4 Qg7 10. Nxb6)
6. Qxc6)
3. Nxh5
Finally, 1. .. Rg8 is met by:
2.Rxg8 Kxg8 3. Qg2+ Kh8 4. Qg6 Qg8
(4. .. exf4 5. e5 Bf5
(5. .. f5 6. Nf6)
6. Bxf5 Qd7 7. Nxf6 Qe7
(7. .. Qg7 8. Qxh5+ Qh6 9. Qxh6#)
8. Qh6+ Qh7 9. Qxh7#)
(4. .. f5 5. Nf6)
5. Qh6+ Qh7 6. Ng6+ Kg8 7. Qf8#
I have looked at this for 20 minutes, and the only real target I see in black’s position is that h5 pawn, but how to attack it? One could put a knight on f4 or g3. I don’t really like Ng3 because it allows black to put his king’s rook on g8 pinning the knight, and, also, Nf4 has another motivation which we will see later. So, let’s consider Nf4, but which knight? I like putting the e2 knight on f4 because it also clears the second rank for white’s queen to reach g2. So, let’s see what we have:
1. Nef4
So, we have attacked the h5 pawn which cannot be protected by any method other than taking the knight- Qe8 allows Nxc7 and Kh6 will lose to Ne6 discovered check. Let’s deal with 1. …ef4 first:
1. …..ef4
2. e5!
The other idea behind 1.Nf4- clear the e5 pawn out of the way so that the bishop gets to come to the king slaying party. On move 1, white could have tried a move like f4 to accomplish this, but then this leaves g4 unguarded and allows black to close the g-file with a move like Bg4. Continuing:
2. …..f5
I don’t a see a defense to mate here. Kh6 allows Qf4#, and Kh8 allows Qf4 followed by mate in another couple of moves. Continuing:
3. Qg2! Rg8
Again, I don’t see how you stop mate- white is threatening both Qg6 and Qg7 and there is no way to protect both squares other than Rg8. If 3. …Rf7, 4.Qg6+ followed by Qxf7 will lead to mate, and 3. …Qd7 allows either 4.Qg6 Kh8 5.Qh6 Qg7 6.Qf8+-. Continuing:
4. Nf6! and it is over.
So, at move 1, black cannot capture at f4. Can black play 1. …Rg8?
1. Nef4 Rg8
2. Rg8! Kg8 (Qg8 3.Nf6+-)
3. Qg2! Bg4!
Everything is bad, but this is least bad, I think. Kf7 allows Qg6 followed by Nxh5 and mate, I think, but loses the queen for sure: [3. …Kf7 4.Qg6 Kf8 5.Nh5 Qd7 6.Qh6+-]; or [3. …Kf8 4.Nh5! Qd7 5.Qg6! with more threats than I can count]; or [3. …Kh8 4.Qg6! and the threat of Nxf6 is killing]. Continuing:
4. Nh5!
And Qxg4 and/or Nxf6 is coming to bury the black king or queen with an overwhelming attack.
At move 1, I think black’s best defense is probably Rf7 to guard g7 if white takes at h5, but there are a lot moves I am going to ignore here that look no better really, but maybe no worse either:
1. Nef4 Rf7
2. Qg2! Bg4 (what else?)
3. fg4 ef4 (what better now?)
4. e5 Kh8 (f5 5.gf5+-)
5. ef6 Nd4 (any better?)
6. g5 f3
7. Qd2
And I don’t see how black hold this, but white will have to play half-way decently to bring the win home, but I no longer see any quick mates. Maybe black has a better defense at move 1 that I am not considering?