White to move. How should White proceed?
1B6/1p3p2/8/P4N2/k4P1p/P6p/2K5/8 w – – 0 1
Bernhardt 1961
A classic
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White to move. How should White proceed?
1B6/1p3p2/8/P4N2/k4P1p/P6p/2K5/8 w – – 0 1
Bernhardt 1961
The first moves are pretty obvious. There is only one way to stop the black h-pawns:
1. Ng3 hg3 (otherwise 2. Nh1 wins)
2. f5 and white should win.
Oops. Sorry, I have had a bit too much to drink this Sunday before Prime Ministers day
1. Ng3 hg3
2. f5 h2 should win for black.
1. a6 bxa6 *
2. Nd6 h2
3. Ne4 h1(Q) **
4. Nc3+ Ka5 ***
5. Bc7#
***
or 5. … Kxa3
6. Bd6#
**
or 3…. Kb5
4. Nf2
this stops the black pawns from queening 1-0
*
or 1. … h2
2. a7 h1(Q)
3. a8(Q)+ Kb5
4. Qxb7+! QxQ
5. Nd6+ K-moves
6. Nxb7 Kxb7
1-0
1.a6! ba (1…h2 2.a7 h1=Q 3.a8=Q+ Kb5 4.Nd6+ Kc5 5.Qa7+ b6 6.Qc7+)
2.Ne3 h2 3.Nd1 h1=Q 4.Nc3+ and mate next move
There is still a little bit of intrigue after
1. a6 h2
2. a7 h1(Q)
3. a8(Q)+ Kb5
4. Qxb7+ QxQ
5. Nd6+ Kc6
6. Nxb7 Kxb7
7. Be5 f6
8. Bd4
(8. Bxf6 h3 and the black h pawn queens)
8. … h3
9. Bg1 Kc6
10 Kd3 Kd5
11 Ke3
1-0
1. a6 bxa6
2. Nc3 h2
3. Nd1 h1(Q)
4. Nd3+ Kxa3
5. Bd6#
a6 ba6 Ne3 h2 Nd1 h1Q Nc3 with mate
Wow, this is tough. It looks like 1. a6 is best, now 1….ba is forced. Then 2. Ne3 h2 3. Nd1 threatens mate after 3….h1Q 4. Nc3+ and either Bc7# or Bd6# depending on which way the K goes. So White must spend a tempo with 3…K:a3 and White stops the pawns with 4. Nf2. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and white will end up having to mate with B+N vs. K, but White is clearly winning now anyway.
Since white cannot stop the h-pawn from queening, I couldn’t find anything better than 1. a6, but it’s a long road to victory from there.
1. a6 ba otherwise the a pawn queens with check
2. Ne3 h2 what else?
3. Nd1 h1=Q again what else
4. Nc3+ if Ka5 5. Bc7# if Ka3 5. Bd6#