White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
A classic endgame
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. b4 R:b4 2. Rf6+ Kg7 3. Ra5 ba 4. a7 and queens
1 Push
2 Check
3 Sac
4 Push
(Without any chessboard or base or engine)
White wins through his a-pawn, but …Ra5 is threatened.
So 1.b4 (threat 2.a7) Rxb4
2.Rf5+ K~6
3.Ra5!! (avoids Ra4 and dams the a-file) bxa5
4.a7 and the pawn is unstoppable.
Last hope for Black is to build a fortress but his king is too far away to help Black’s phantasm become a reality.
(opening my trusty database)
Full source:
Prokes, Ceske Slovo, 26.6.1937
Now a question for my old friend Yancey: how Black counters 1.Kg2?
1a7 & Rf5
I can queen the pawn but I do not know how to win in a King + Queen vs. King + Rook endgame
1.b4 Rxb4 2.Rf5+ Kg6 3.Ra5 bxa5 4.a7 Rb3+ 5.Kg2 Rb2+ 6.Kf3 Rb3+ 7.Ke4 Rb4+ 8.Kd5 Rb5+ 9.Kc6 Rf5 10.a8=Q
1. a7 Ra5
2. Rf5+
1.a7? Rxb3+
2.K~2 Ra3 draw
1.a7 fails to 1…Rxb3+
1.b4 Rxb4
2.Rf5+ Kg7/h7
3.Ra4 bxa4
4.a7 wins
Niether 1…Kg5 nor black checks with the rook after capturing the pawn really change anything.
Nice, RU, very pretty.
I looked at a7 thinking Ra5 met by Rf5 Rxf5 and a8Q. And though best try was a7 Kg5 then a8Q kxf6 with queen vs rook but this is not so! a7? Rxb3+! Rf3 no help Rxf3 kg2 Rf8 a8Q Rxa8. So I was amazed to see solution b4 Rxb4 Ra5! bxa5 a7 and no way for rook to stop white queen. After b4 black could try Rd5 a7 Rd8 Rxb6 ra8 (to delay the queen promotion tactic only for time on clock in blitz game but surely still lost) with Rb7 etc.