White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Bh6 is a possibility.
if 1. …gxh6 2. Rg4+ wins the queen.
1. …g6 loses the exchange on f8
if black does nothing, then 2. Bxg7 threatening 3. Rg4.
One possible line for black is 1… Qd6:
1. Bh6 Qd6
2. Rg4 Bf6
3. Nd7!
+/=
1.Bh6 Bf6
2.Q:f6 g:f6
3.Rg4+ mates
1. Bh6 could be a real stroke
for example
1…gxh6
2. Rg4+ and Qxd5
1…Bf6
2.Qxf6 gxf6
3. Rg4+ Kh8
4.Bg7+ Kg8
5.Bf6 checkmate
The hanging queen on d5 tempts to go for
1. Bh6!? Qd6 (If gxh6 Rg4 wins the queen) ( If Bf6 to reinforce the g7 square then white has Qxf6!! gxf6 Rg4+ Kh8 Bg7+ Kg8 Bf6#)
2. Bxg7! Kxg7
3. Rg4+ Kh8
4. Nxf7+ Rxf7
5. Qxf7 with mate threats at g7 and g8. I think it is winning.
bh6..thoughts kola?
Bh6…
Bh6
1. Bh6 Bf6?? (gh6? 2. Rg4+-)
2. Qf6 gf6
3. Rg4 Kh8
4. Bg7 Kg8
5. Bf6#
If black plays, at move one, Rd8 this seems to offer a bit of resistance:
1. Bh6 Rd8 (protecting the queen)
2. Ng4
And the best defense for black after this? I don’t see one. There are playable moves like f5, Rc6, Rb2 and Qd6 or Qd7, but white has a powerful attack after each of them. Visually, Qd6 looks best to me since it removes the knight fork threat, protects the e7 bishop, and helps guard the king by leaving open the possibility of Qf6 or Qg6- continuing:
2. ……Qd6
3. Bg7 Kg7 (really, what else?)
4. Ne3 Kf8 (Rb2 or Rc6 5. Nf5)
5. Nc2 wins the exchange and the attack continues. Alternatively,
2. ……Qd7 (see 5. Nf5 above)
3. Bg7 Kg7 (Rc6 4. Nf6!)
4. Ne3 Rc7 (Rb2 5. Re7!)
5. Nf5 Kf8
6. Re7 Qe7
7. Ne7 Re7
8. Qf6 and white should win this easily having a pawn and a queen for a rook and knight, and a still strong initiative.
There are a lot of other moves black could make at move 2, but I don’t have the energy to look at all of them in depth, however, nothing jumps out at me as better than the above.
Bh6 followed by Bxg7. If black answers Bf6, then sacrifice queen and deliver mate with bishop and rook.
Ok hopefully someone will post the answer!
I first looked at all the loose black pieces and a way to take advantage of that. Ng4 looked good attacking the bishop and threatening a fork but Ng4 f5 Ne3 Qxe4 Qxe4 fxe4 Nxc2 and white’s a bishop down.
Then I thought what about Nd3 but then Bd6 looked satisfactory guarding the b4 forking square.
Then I looked at Bh6 where gxh6 Rg4+ wins. Of course black doesn’t have to take. Bh6 f5 Qg3 Bf6 doesn’t look like white can get through. But what about a combo?
Nd3 Bd6 Bh6 now that the dark squared bishop can’t guard g7 f5 Qg3.
That’s the best I’ve got 🙂
Jorg,
Lets take your Bh6 f5 line:
1. Bh6 f5
Then white can play
2. Rg4! Qf3 (what else is there?)
3. Rg7 Kh8
4. gf3 and the bishop at e7 is hanging, and white is also threatening to win an exchange with Nf7.
Thanks Yancey, that makes the immediate Bh6 much better
I think Re1 posses more problems for black. First of all, it activates all of whites pices, second, it attacks the bishop on e7, and also starts threating mate in the back rank, and theirs really no good moves for white here.