Black (Karjakin) just played Rc6+. Is this a win or draw for white (Grischuk)? Can white avoid the endless checks?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
A win or not a win?
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I think the king (whit ) can outrun the draw and whit eventualy will win
regards B&E
I can’t find any escape!
Like James, I am coming up empty. White can escape confinement on the a and b files almost immediately, but I can’t find any square from which black can’t put the rook right next to the white king afterwards. Basically, white needs to force black to check after which white can interpose one the rooks, but I am not seeing such a possibility anywhere on the board- even if the white king ventures over to the king side.
1.Kb5 Rc5+
2.Ka4 Ra5+
3.Kb3 Ra3+
4.Kc2 Ra2+
5 Kc1 Rc2+ (5…RxRf2 6.Ra4+)
6.KxRc2
Draw
I tried:
1. Kb5 Rb6/Rc5+
2. Ka4 Ra6/Ra5+
3. Kb3 Ra3+ (only move)
4. Kc2 Rc3+ (Ra2+? looses)
but after Rc3+ I too found no more winning ideas for white.
Liakoni,
I tried a similar line last night, but black doesn’t need to cooperate, as pht points out:
1. Kb5 Rc5
2. Ka4 Ra5
3. Kb3 Ra3
4. Kc2 Rc3!
Now we diverge in two directions:
5. Kd1 Rc1!
6. Kd2 Rd1!
Or:
6. Ke2 Re1 (even Rc2 is ok now)
7. Kf3 Re3
8. Kg3 Rg3 etc.
Or:
5. Kd2 Rd3!
@Liakoni
1.Kb5 Rc5+
2.Ka4 Ra5+
3.Kb3 Ra3+
4.Kc2
and now not
4 … Ra2+
5 Kc1 Rc2+ (5…RxRf2 6.Ra4+)
6.KxRc2
but
4 … Rc3+, e.g.:
5 Kd2 Rd3+
6 Ke2 Re3+
7 Kf1 Re1+
8 K:e1 1/2-1/2
or
5 Kd1 Rc1+
6 Kd2 Rd1+
7 Ke2 Re1+
8 Kf3 Re3+
…
Black has to stay off white’s 2nd rank, but I can’t see any way of making that useful for white. The first and third do just fine – as far as I can tell!
8/P7/1Kr5/8/1R3P2/8/5RP1/k7 w – – 0 1
@ Yancey
After
1.Kb5 Rc5+
2.Ka4 Ra5+
3.Kb3 Ra3+
4.Kc2 Rc3+
5.Kd2 Rc2+??
White wins with 6 K:c2, which is not stalemate because the K blocks the R’s coverage of a2
But I couldn’t make that work by force. As far as I can tell, the first and third ranks provide all the checking squares Black needs.