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      Home  >  Chess Improvement • Chess Puzzles  >  A little brain teaser

      A little brain teaser

      Chess tactic, Endgame Improvement, Puzzle Solving


      White to move. How should white proceed?

      8/8/B1K5/8/8/6p1/7k/5R2 w – – 0 1

      A Reti classic

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      31 Comments

      1. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:08 pm

        1. Rf3 g2 2. Bf1 g1Q 3. Rh3#

        or. 1. Rf3 Kg2 2. Rf8 and then Bf1 1:0

      2. Spikad Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:33 pm

        Okay, I got!
        1.Rf3! g2
        2.Bf1! wining
        2…g1Q loses to Rh3#

      3. Sidbelzberg Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:34 pm

        In my opinion the move would be r-f1 to r-f3 then if p-g2 B-F8! followed by R-h6 mate if the pawn queens or simply exchanging the bishop for the pawn if the pawn does not move or takes the bishop.

      4. Sid Belzberg Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:36 pm

        In my opinion the move would be r-f1 to r-f3 then if p-g2 B-F8! followed by R-h6 mate if the pawn queens or simply exchanging the bishop for the pawn if the pawn does not move or takes the bishop.

      5. gabriele Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:50 pm

        1 Rf3 ( only move ) g2 ; 2 Bf1 wins

      6. HeinzK Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 5:53 pm

        A draw offer would seem to be appropriate.

        On second thought though, 1. Rf3 g2 2. Bf1 g1=Q 3. Rh3# wins, so… don’t offer that draw

      7. Yancey Ward Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:11 pm

        Very, very pretty puzzle.

        Obviously, black is threatening to get a queen at g1 supported by her king. The white bishop cannot cover the g2 square because it’s access to the square is cut off by both the rook and the king. And, sacrificing the rook at g1 simply leads to a draw by insufficient material. However, there is a really neat trick for clearing the way for the bishop:

        1. Rf3!

        And, now, black has g2, and the four kings moves. 1. …Kh3 allows 2.Bf1+, and the bishop, protected by the rook on the f-file will take the pawn whenever it is moved, giving white time to bring the king in for the kill. 1. …Kg2 is met by 2.Rf5 followed by Bf1, and, of course, 1. …Kh1/g1 just lose the pawn immediately to 2.Rg3. This leave the pawn push:

        1. …..g2
        2. Bf1!

        Told you it was pretty. Now, if black plays 2. …g1(Q,R,or B), white mates with 3.Rh3, and the two king moves just lose the pawn for the bishop, as does gf1(Q). This leaves only the underpromotion to a knight to cover h3:

        2. …..g1(N)
        3. Re3 and, eventually, black is going to get mated near the corner since the knight has no moves to a square that it isn’t immediately captured. White can just bring the king forward to cover f3 from e4, then move the rook to e1, then bring the king to g3 via f4, and delivers mate with either a discovered check, or with a double check.

      8. fajac Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:13 pm

        1. Rf3! g2
        2. Bf1

        2. … g1=Q 3. Rh3#
        2. … gxf1=Q 3. Rxf1 +-

        Other first Black moves allow Bf1 in time to stop the pawn, e.g.
        1. … Kg4
        2. Rf8 g2
        3. Bf1! g1=Q
        4. Rg8+ and 5.Rxg1

      9. Lhn Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:22 pm

        1.rf3 g2 2. Bf1 +-

      10. George Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:31 pm

        1. Rf3 g2
        2. Bf1 g1Q
        3. Rf3++

        ot

        2. … g1N
        3. Rf2+ wins the Knight, after 3….Kg3 4. Rg2+ or 3….Kh1 4. K moves.

      11. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:32 pm

        1. Ra1 g2 (or another move)
        2. Bf1 g1=q
        3. Ra2+ Kg3
        4. Rg2+ and queen is gone

      12. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:39 pm

        1: Ra1 g2
        2: Bf1 g1Q
        3: Ra2+ Kg3
        4: Rg2+ Kh4
        5: Rxg1

        Quorthon

      13. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 6:46 pm

        1.Rf3 and 2.Bf1

      14. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 7:04 pm

        1.Rf3 looks promising, with the idea of 1…g2 2.Bf1 g1=Q 3.Rh3#. Phil

      15. Jorge Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 7:27 pm

        1.Rf3 threatening to trade off the bishop for the pawn with 2.Bf1,
        1…g2
        2.Bf1 (anyway)
        2….g1(Q)
        3.Rh3 mate
        OR
        2….g1(N)
        3.Rf2 and the night is toast.

      16. sivka-burka Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 7:35 pm

        1. Rf3 g2 (the only move) 2. Bf1! g1=Q (2… g1=N 3. Rf2) 3. Rh3#

      17. Jorg Lueke Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 7:46 pm

        Anonymous 1:32:00 PM Your line leads to a draw not a win for white.

        The trick is giving up the bishop on f1 while preserving the rook.

        Rf3 Kg2 Be2 now the black king has to step back Kh2 Bf1 and either the king gives up contact with the pawn or else g2 and Bxg2 winning

      18. aam at fics Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 7:52 pm

        1. Rf3 g2
        2. Bf1 g1(Q)
        3. Rh3#

        or
        1. Rf3 g2
        2. Bf1 Kg1 or Kh1
        3. Bxg2 wins

        or
        1. Rf3 Kg2
        2. Be2 Kg1 (or Kh1 or Kh2)
        3. Bf1
        and white can sac the bishop for the pawn and win

        or
        1. Rf3 Kh3
        2. Bf1+ Kg4
        3. Bg2 wins

      19. Jorge Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 8:37 pm

        From Spain..

        1)Rf3,g2
        2)Bf1,g1=N (Zuzwang)
        3)Rf2+,Kh1
        4)Kd4+-,Nh3
        5)Rh3 or Bh3

        4)Kd4+-,Nf3
        5)Rf3

        4)Kd4+-,Ne2
        5)Be2
        ———————————–

        1)Rf3,Kg2
        2)Rf4,Kg1 or Kh1 or Kh3
        3)Bf1 +-

        Greetings from Spain

      20. Vincent Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 8:39 pm

        1. Rf3 – g2
        2. Bf1 – g1Q
        3. Rh3++

      21. Jorge Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 8:42 pm

        From Spain..

        1)Ra1??,g2
        2)Bf1,g1=Q
        3)Ra2+,Kh1 -+

        Greetings from spain

      22. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 8:52 pm

        Rf3 Bedtime

      23. Yancey Ward Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 9:20 pm

        Anonymous commenter at 1:32 PM CDT,

        It isn’t stated explicitly, but it is white to move and win. White can just let the pawn queen and draw with the rook and bishop vs the queen. Your line only draws:

        1. Ra1 g2 (else, Bf1 wins)
        2. Bf1 g1(Q)
        3. Ra2 Kg3
        4. Rg2 Qg2 =

      24. opiniao Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 9:23 pm

        1. Rf3 g2 2. Bf1 g1=Q 3. Rg3#

      25. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 9:43 pm

        1.Rf3-g2
        2.Bf1!

        Proka

      26. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 9:53 pm

        Ha! I think I finally got one!

        Rf3! is the move. If g2 then Bf1 and the pawn cant queen because of Rh3!

      27. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 9:58 pm

        ah.. Rf3 g2, bf1! g1Q, Rh3# nice. huitag

      28. Anonymous Reply
        March 29, 2011 at 10:03 pm

        i think, the move Rf3 wins:
        1. Rf3 g2
        2. Bf1 g1Q
        3. Rh3#
        2. … gxf1Q
        3. Rxf1
        1. … Kg2
        2. Rf8 Kh2
        3. Bf1
        greets, jan

      29. Anonymous Reply
        March 30, 2011 at 12:00 am

        Rf3
        this was a process of elimination,every other moves draw and i considered greatly it had to be a R move if Be2 then g2 Rg3 Kg3= so it had to be a r move. Ra1 was my first move i considered. after i saw g2 ra2 and i thought of kh1 Be2 g1 Bf3 and winning but Kg3 is a draw so the last idea i saw was rf3.

        1…g2
        2.Bf1!! this is the point! white plays Rf3 to enable this move. white will soon win.
        2…gxf1
        3.rxf1 black is hopeless.

      30. Venky[ India - Chennai ] Reply
        March 30, 2011 at 7:55 am

        Hi Susan Polgar,

        As usual brainy minds of this blog has already given the best moves for this puzzle.nothng much to add.

        By
        Venky [ India – Chennai ]

      31. Prof. S.G. Bhat Reply
        April 5, 2011 at 2:49 pm

        1Rh3 g2
        2 Bf1 g1=N
        3 Rf2+ Kh1(if… Kg3 4Rg2+)
        4Bg2+ Kh2
        5Bd5+ Kh3
        6Rg2 and N is trapped.

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