Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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A cool practical endgame
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1, Bd4 Rd8
2. Be3
and there is no way to stop …. Bc1 -> Bb2 mate
if 1. Bd4, Rxa3
2. Ne2+ Ka2
3. Nc1#
if 1…. g4
2. Ne2+ Ka2
3. Bb2 Rc8+
4. Nc3+ Rxc3
5. Kxc3 f5
6. Kb4 g5
7. Ka4 g6
8. Bf6 wins
What can white plan against Be3-c1-b2#
I guess the first move I would look at is Bd4 simply because it threatens a discovered check that can lead to mate in some lines:
1. …..Bd4
So, now, the white king is still immobilized, the a-pawn is indirectly protected by the mate threat that starts with 2. …Ne2+ if white plays 2.Ra3: [2.Ra3? Ne2 3.Rc3 (or 3.Ka2 Nc1#) Bc3 4.Ka2 Bb2! 5.g4 Nc1#]. In addition, if white tries a move like f5 or g4, black might have a mate in another way:
2. f5 Kb3!
Here, white can check the king or attack the bishop with the rook, but white should mate in both lines by using the knight move with check to block both attacks:
3. Rb8 Nb5!
4. Kb1 a2! and black will queen with check, and this should be a quick mate, too. Or
3. Rd8 Nd5!
4. Kb1 a2 with the queen coming with check once again.
So, at move 3, does white have anything to prevent this queening line? The only two things I can see are to take at a3 with the rook immediately, or to keep the rook on the a-file so that it can capture at a2. However, neither of these is going to work:
3. Ra3 Ka3
4. f6 Kb3
5. f7 Na4
6. Kb1 Bb2 with mate on the next move. Or, if white leaves the rook on the a-file:
3. f6 Nb5
4. Kb1 Bb2 and the twin mating threats of Nc3 and a2 can’t both be stopped.
So, was there a defense with white’s alternatives at move 2? White could try to attack the bishop from d8 or pin the knight with Rc8, but neither of these seem to help. In the former case, black can maneuver the bishop to deliver a mate in another way:
1. …..Bd4
2. Rd8 Be3 (heading to c1/b2!)
And, now what for white? There are nothing but short mates coming unless the rook is given up for the knight:
3. Rc8 Bc1
4. Rc3 Kc3
And this has reduced to a won endgame for black where he has teh proper color bishop for this rook pawn. What black will do here is protect the a-pawn with Kb3 if white moves a pawn, or protect the pawn from b4 if white plays Ka2. If white plays 5.Kb1, black will play Be3 followed by either Kb3 or Kb4. Eventually, white will be forced by zugzwang to move the pawns where the bishop can capture them, or be forced to give up the corner by moving the king away. Let’s look a line for exemplification:
5. Ka2 Kb4
6. Kb1
Or 6.f5 Bg5, or 6.g4 Bf4 wins for black. Continuing:
6. …..Be3
7. Ka2 Bd2
8. f5 Bg5
9. g4 Ka4 (white now in zugzwang)
10.f6 Bf6
11.Kb1 Kb3
12.Kc1 a2 and the pawn will queen.
So, back at move 2, let’s try pinning the knight with Rc8:
1. …..Bd4
2. Rc8 Kb3 and we have already seen this line as a transposition was lost for white.
So, I think 1. …Bd4 should win in all variations for black.
Black wins. 1… Bd4! 2…Kb3 3…a2 etc.
The white can not prevent this.
First thing: If the rook eat pawn?
1… Bd4
2. Rxa3 Ne2+
3. Rc3+ (if 3. Ka2 Nc1#) Bxc3+
4. Ka2 Bb2
5. f5 Nc3#
An example:
1… Bd4
2. Rb8 Ne2+
3. Ka2 Bb2
4. Rc8+ Nc3+
5. Rxc3+ Kxc3
6. g4 Kb4
7. g5 Bc3
8. f5 Bb2
9. f6 (not 9. Kb1 for 10. Kg3 and 11. a2)
9…Bc3
10. f7 Bg7
11. g6 Bf8
12. Kb1 Kb3 and Black wins.
Best regards
Stef
1…Kb3! gets my vote.
Kamalakanta
Hmm, this a tough one.
I would say,
1.Bd4! since 1…RxP?? 2.Ne2+ Rc3 (2…Ka2 3.Nc1#) 3.BxR+ Ka2 4.Nc1#
So I guess black has to play something like 1….Rc8 or 1…Rd8.
Let’s look at those two options:
1….Rc8
2.Kb3 (threating 3.Nb5+ Kb1 4.a2+ wins) Rb8+
(2….Rd8 3.Nb5+ RxB 4.NxB and mate is coming)
3.Nb5+ Kb1
4.a2+ wins
So that leaves
1………Rd8
2.Be3!! (the bishop wants to go to b2!) Rc8 (what else?)
3.Bc1 RxN+
4.KxR Ka2
5.Kb4 and white will soon queen.
1. … Bd4 (with intention that is not hard to discover)
Grosszermahlenmeisterin Lenya Gristmilli observes that if White misses opportunity to move boat right away, and White plays
something like 2. f5 (White aspires to promote the pawn!?), then
following fate is in store:
2. f5 Nb5+
3. Ka2 Bb2
4. Rc8+ [4. Rxa3 5. Bxa3, and B+N ending is won for Black]
4. … Nc3+
5. Rxc3+ Kxc3
6. f6 Kb4
7. f7 Bg7 and Black will win.
This is rather charming, but there is quicker win
after 2. f5, beginning with 2. … Kb3!, which transposes
into a continuation I give below.
If White begins by taking a-pawn:
1. … Bd4
2. Rxa3 Ne2+
3. Rc3+ [3. Ka2 Nc1#]
3. … Bxc3+
4. Ka2 Bb2 (Zugzwang!)
5. any Nc1#
This is very aesthetically pleasing.
White can also try either 2. Rc8 or 2. Rd8
2. Rd8 loses rather rapidly to:
1. … Bd4
2. Rd8 Be3!
3. Rc8 Bc1
4. Rxc3+ Kxc3
5. Ka2 Kb4 winning
But the best chance for
White is to pin the knight:
1. … Bd4
2. Rc8 Kb3
and now we need to consider these moves:
3. f5?
3. Rd8?
3. Rb8+
3. f5? Ne2+
4. Rc3+ [4. Kb1 a2#]
4. … Bxc3+
5. Kb1 a2#
3. Rd8? Nd5+
4. Kb1 a2+
5. Kc1 Be3+
6. Kd1 Nc3+
7. Ke1 a1=Q+
8. Rd1 Qxd1#
and finally 3. Rb8+ (the best try for White):
3. Rb8+ Nb5+
4. Kb1 a2+
5. Kc1 a1=Q+
6. Kd2 Qa2+
Now 7. Kd3? Qc2# and 7. Kc1? Qc2# so that leaves:
7. Ke1 and 7. Kd1
7. Ke1 Qf2+
8. Kd1 Qf3+
9. Kd2 [9. Ke1 Bc3#] [9. Kc1 Be3+ 10. Qd1#]
9. … Bc3+
10. Kc1 Kf1#
7. Kd1 Kc3
8. Rc8+ [8. Kd1 Qd2+ 9. Kf1 Qf2#]
8. … Kd3 and mate after 2 more Black moves.
Lenya liked this one.
I think it looks like a draw, and suggest:
1. … Bf2
Idea is to win a tempo. Note that Rh8 with idea Rh2 check doesn’t work because of Bxg3.
2. g4 Be3
And there is no time to play f5 because of the deadly threat Be3-c1-b2, and idea Rh8 still doesn’t work because of Bxf4.
3. Rxa3 Bxf4
Taking this pawn settles it.
The threat Bf4-c1-b2 must still be dealt will, what can white do? Only check or exchange of pieces helps.
White shall have to sack rook for knight to save a draw.
There isn’t tempo for an alternative.
4. Ra8 (just delaying it) Bc1
5. Ra2+ Nxa2
6. Kxa2
K+B against K+P.
Draw agreed.
1….Bd4
a)2.Rxa3 Ne2B+(2.Ka2 Nc2#)2.Rc3+ Nxc3! 3.f5 Ba3 4.f6 Bb2#
b)1.Rd8 Be3! 2.Rc8 Bc1 3.Rxc3+ Kxc3 5.f5 Bg5 6.Ka2 Kb4/+-/
c)1.Rb8 Na4B+ 2.Ka2 Bb2 3.Rc8+ Nc3+ 4.Rxc3+ Kxc3 5.f5 Kb4/+-/
d)1.Rc8 Kb3 2.Rb8+ Nb5B+ 3.Kb2 a2+/+-/
e)1.f5 Kb3 2.f6 Na4B+ 3.Kb2 a2+/+-/