White to move. How should White proceed?
Russian GM Yury Balashov was born in Shadrinsk on 12 March 1949. He participated in the fourteen USSR championships. His best result was clear second place in 1976 (behind Karpov, ahead of Petrosian, Polugaevsky, Dorfman, Tal, Smyslov and many others). At the 24th Chess Olympiad in 1980 he played on the Soviet team and scored 7½/10 as the first board reserve.
He also played on the Soviet team at the 1970, 1973, 1977 and 1980 European team championships. According to the MEGA-09 database, Balashov has a positive score against such GMs as Beliavsky, Geller, Kholmov, Kupreichik, Psakhis, Razuvaev, Savon, Tseshkovsky, Tukmakov, Vaganian. He played many games against each of them. His highest rating of 2600, was achieved in 1979, 1980, 1981. It was the elite level then.
Source: ChessToday.net
Seems like c6 wins for white.
Beelze
I don’t think this works…
1. c6 Rxa4
* 2. c7 Rc8 nope
* 2. cxb7 Rb2,4,5 are okay, end up trading a rook for a rook and a pawn and black can recover
how about 1. Rxa6
what about:
1. Rxd4 Nxd4
2. c6 bc
3. Rxc6 Nxc6
4. Nxc6
and now after b7 black has to give the rook for the pawn, and white wins.
I agree on 1. c6
If Rxa4 2. cxb7 wins as the pawn can’t be stopped, e.g. Rf8 3. Rc8
I don’t know what your suggestions Rb2,4,5 should be in this line, Aaron.
If 1. -, bxc6 2. Rxd4, Rxd4 3. b7 and 4. Nd7+ decides after every rook move.
1. Rxd4?! may win, too, but at most very difficult to calculate.
Nxd4 2. c6, Nxc6! (that makes the difference in the lines) 3. Rxc6 (as proposed), bxc6 4. Nxc6, a5 5. b7, Rf8 6. b8Q, Rxb8 7. Nxb8, a4 8. Nc6, a3 9. Nb4
White stopped the pawn but is he able to win it by either
a) win the pawn endgame on the kingside with 3 vs 4 pawns but finitely tempo moves or
b) run over with the king, win the a pawn and return before black can win/exchange all the remaining pawns?
I don’t have the power to calculate this both out but I feel these both tries should end in a draw while 1. c6 seems to win simply.
Best wishes
Jochen
Jochen, thanks for the analysis.
For the 1. Rxd4 line, if 3. Rxc6 is replaced by 3. Nxc6, the position looks very strong for white. The threat of white’s b pawn is intact. Am I missing somthing here?
Jorge Hasbun-Sammour turns 30 today!
So what?!
1. c6! wins, as pointed out by others. 1. Rxd4 Nxd4 2. c6? Ne2+ loses the rook.
Umesh, white gets back the rook but you’re right, that’s probably the easiest way for black to reach at least a draw. I didn’t take a look at that simple move…
1. Rxd4?!, Nxd4 2. c6?!, Ne2+ 3. Kf1, Nxc1 4. cxb7 but black’s king seems to be quick enough to stop it.
4. -, Re8 5. Nd7+, Ke7 6. b8Q, Rxb8 7. Nxb8, Kd6/8 8. Nxa6 may probably end in a draw.
Ano 5, even without Ne2+ being able I do not see anything decicive after the “simple”
1. Rxd4, Nxd4 2. c6, Nxc6 3. Nxc6, bxc6 4. Rxc6 (or do you propose anything else here?), Rb8! followed by approach of the black king. I do not see big danger going out from the b pawn!?
DO I oversee anything?
b
Agree with Anonymous
1. c6 wins
If B defends his back rank with 1….Rd8,
2. c6xb7 a8-b8
3. Nc6 etc.
If B plays 1. … RxR
2. c6xb7 and then 3. Rc8
From Ano5:
Jochen,
I assumed
4.. Rb8
5 Rc8+
Isn’t this the result of 1. c6 too?
I may have missed something here.