White to move and win. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move and win. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
If 1.Nxf8 Na4 and a draw as the game.
But what about 1.Rxa2
If say K or Nxa2 then Nxf8++
So 1….Rxf7 2.Rf2 and white’s
K side pawns win?
1. Nxf8!
It’s rather obvious that white pawns will have to win this, I can hardly see how white could avoid winning.
Now enforced is:
1. … Ne2+
2. Kf2 Nf4
and black has Ns6 or Ng6 if white N moves, but:
3. g5! Kb2
4. g6 a1=Q+
5. Rxa1
and black resigns as neither Kxa1 or Nxg6 Nxg6 is helpful to him.
Also easy win was:
3. Kf3!
and black doesn’t know where to put his knight.
Nxf8 Kb2
Ne6 a1=Q
Rxa1 Kxa1
f8=Q
Well, I thought Nf8 had to be wrong since it is so obvious, and set out initially to show why it is wrong, but I can’t find a refutation:
1. Nf8 Na4
There can literally be no other approach since the black knight can’t get to attack either f7 or f8 in time to stop the pawn- he must try to queen his pawn and this is the only way:
2. Ng6 a1(Q) (what else)
3. Kg2
This is what I was missing at first glance, that I could only see clearly with the chess board- the white king can escape the perpetual by playing either to g2 or h2. Later, I will show what happens if he plays 3.Kf2. Continuing:
3. …..Qb2 (Qa2 no better)
4. Kg3!
The only winning move: [4.Kf3? Qc3! 5.Kg2 Qd2! 6.Kg3 Qe3 and h4 is no longer a haven due to Qh6+- black will gain a draw by repetition]. Continuing:
4. …..Qc3 (what else now?)
5. Kh4 Qe1 (what else?)
6. Kh5 and black is all out of checks.
Now, back at move 3, white could end up drawing if he plays Kf2:
3. Kf2? Qd4!
The only drawing move. Now, it is too late for the white king to escape the checks:
4. Kg3 Qe3=
The question here is whether White is going to play the gutsy 1. Nxf8 after spotting the defense 1. … Na4.
Not me, if I’m playing White. White is probably winning brilliantly in that line, but I can’t calculate it. I know I can win easily even if it takes quite a bit of time after:
1.Rxa2 Rxf7 so I play that line.
(1. .. Kxa2?
2. Nxf8 wins quickly.
1. c5 Here’s one line,
bxc5
2. Nxc5+ Kb2
3. Rb7+ Ka3
4. Rb3#
Black can play better than that, but I don’t have time to run through alternative lines.
Mark
Well, I see now from looking at the game score that Sokolov actually did play the gutsy 1. Nf8! and after the expected 1. .. Na4 the game went
2. Ng6 a1=Q+ 3. Kg2 Qb2+ 4. Kg3 Qf6
Black must have Resigned at this point without waiting for Whites reply, as the game score shows <1-0> at this point. It looks like White can win here by playing simply 5. f8=Q and pushing the kingside pawns.
When i gave my answer:
1. Nxf8(!?)
i had simply overlooked black’s obvious replay:
1. … Na4!
As it seems, this was played and did lead to a resign from black.
Well, white is better, but still has to play very accurate, since 2 queens will appear on the board.
As it seems to me now, the most practical answer was given by Lucymarie and some anonymous person.
1.Rxa2 Rxf7 (Kxa2/Nxa2? Nxf8 wins quickly)
2. Rf2 Re7
3. Nd4+ Kxc4
4. Nf3 (something like this)
And we have a normal looking endgame where white is up with a very sound pawn (connected kingside pawns) and should win this if he has endgame skills.
On the other hand, I don’t know what is faster if fully calculated…
When I first looked at this problem, like Lucymarie, I felt 1.Ra2 had to be the desired line. I think she is correct that it wins, even if black doesn’t fall for the trap of capturing at a2:
1. Ra2 Rf7!
Now, the question is, “How should white proceed from here?” Following in pht’s footsteps:
2. Rf2 Re7
3. Nd4 Kc4
And, here, I prefer Nf5, but not with any more concrete reason than I don’t want to allow black a tempo for b5 if I don’t have to give him one. Nf5 attacks the rook and forces black to move the fortification. Also, it prevents Rb7 as well by threatening a fork at d6. Continuing:
4. Nf5 Re1
Again, I don’t really have very concrete reasons for this, but it gets the tempo back, so maybe 4.Nf5 is meaningless. Continuing:
5. Kg2 b5
I don’t think black will like the ending that arises from 5. …Re2 6.Re2 Ne2 7.g5! Nf4 8.Kf3!, but I haven’t done a thorough look through this line- but it just looks winning for white to me with proper play. Continuing:
6. g5
I think h4 is ok here, too, since white will move both pawns anyway. Continuing:
6. …..Re6
7. h4 Ne4
I think black’s only real chance at a draw here is to exchange the knight for the two white pawns. Ne4 is threatening Nxg5 followed by Rg6 winning the remaining pawn, but white can prevent this plan:
8. Rf4 Kc5
9. Rg4
And I will stop here since I am deep into speculation at this point. I think 1.Ra2 does win, but it ain’t easy to get to 1-0 from that line.