White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Well, first things first- a material count shows that white has already down a piece for two pawns, and black is threatening the pawn at e4 directly, and the bishop at h4 is hanging. These facts pretty much require a very forcing move. The one that just jumps out at you is
1. Rf6
Black has only Kf6, Qf6, Kg7, and Kh5 as moves, but all four lose, and quickly. And, I almost didn’t have to bring out my chessboard, but, in the end, I made a huge error in my head by taking at e8 in the line below (invisible bishop at c6!):
1. …..Kf6
2. Qf2
I can make 2.Rf1 work, I think, but 2.Qf2 is clearer to me. Continuing:
2. …..Kg7 (alternatives below)
3. Qf7 Kh8 (Kh6 is below)
4. Rb7
Probably the hardest move for me to find. Here, I had a nice analysis worked out mentally all but for the fact of the bishop at c6 which, for some reason, my brain wanted to pretend wasn’t there. Continuing:
4. …..Nd7 (Bb7 5.Qe8 Kg8 6.Nf5+-)
5. ed7 Bb7
Here, gh4 is mate in 2, and I think Red8, Re7, and Bd7 are all forced mates, too, but I didn’t have the time to work them all out to the end. A couple of moves into all of them look worse than Bb7 which seems to offer the most resistance. Continuing:
6. de8Q Re8 (Qe8 7.Qf6 Kg8 8.Nf5)
7. Bg5 Qg5 (else, Bf6 wins, too)
8. Qe8 Qg8(Kg7 9.Nf5 Kf6 10.Qe7)
9. Qe5 Qg7
10.Qb8 wins the bishop and the game for white. At move 2 or 3 in this line, black loses much more quickly if the king tries to hide at h6
2. …..Kg6 (Qf4?? 3.Qf4-P pinned)
3. Qf7 Kh6
4. Nf5 is hopeless for black, and probably mate, too.
At move 1, black loses quickly with
1. …..Qf6
2. e5 Kg7 (Kh5 3.Nf5 will win)
3. ef6 and this just has to be a forced mate. Or
1. …..Kg7
2. Rf5 Qe4 (what else?)
3. Rg5 Kh8
Here, Kh6 loses to Nf5, Kf6 loses to Rf1 or Qf2, Kf8 loses to Rf1 or Qf2. Continuing:
4. Rg4
A double threat on the queen and Bf6#. Continuing:
4. …..Qe3 (what else?)
5. Bf2 and if black tries to move the queen out of harm’s way, white will take at c6 and b7 with so many mating threats that black can’t possibly find a defense to all of them. Or
1. …..Kh5
2. Qd1 with mate on the next move.
1.Rxf6+! Kxf6 (1…Qxf6? 2.e5+)
2.Qf2+ Ke7
(2…Kg7 3.Qf7+ Kh8 4.Rxb7!)
3.Qf7+ Kd8
(3…Kd6 4.Bg3 Qxg3 5.Nf5+)
4.Nxc6+ bxc6
5.Rxb8+ Rxb8
6.Qd7#
1. Rxf6+! Qxf6
2. e5+ 1-0
1.Rxf6+! Kxf6 (Qxf6 e5)
2.Qf2+ Kg7 3.Qf7+ Kh8 4.Rxb7! Bxb7
5.Qxe8+ Kg7 6.Qf7+ or Nf5+,
white wins
1. Rf5 should work too.
I’m sure this isn’t the right move as I can’t see the win, but it’s a lovely tactic and I would play it in a game just for the sheer fun of it – it doesn’t lose and there are plenty of traps for sub-2000 players to walk into.
1.Bg3!?
1….Qxg3??
2.e5+ Kg7 (or equally Kh6) (2…Kh5, 3.Qxh7#)
3.Nf5+ wins the Queen for the Bishop
1…Qc5? (the best of the Queen run-away moves, pinning the Knight)
2.e5+ +-
It wins the Bishop with a good attack and dangerous advanced pawns, it must be completely won.
So that leaves by default as the best try
1… Qxe4!,
Now I don’t see a win – the best line I can find gives perpetual…
2.Rxf6+!? Kxf6 (2…Kg7, 3.Rf7+wins the Bishop)
3.Qf2+! Kg7 (only move)
(2…Ke7, 3.Qf7+ Kd8, 4.Qc7#)
(2…Kg6, 3.Qf7+ Kh6, 4.Nf5+ wins the Queen)
(2…Qf4, 3.Bxf4 gxf4, 4.Qxf4 wins the Q+++)
4.Qf7+ Kh8
5.Qf6+ Kg7=
I also played around with the idea of
1. Rxf6+
Now,
1… Qxf6
2.e5+ wins the Queen.
But ,
1…Kxf6
2. Qf2+ doesn’t seem to go anywhere after
2…Kg7
3. Qf7+ Kh8 and there isn’t even a perpetual.
An immediate reaction is to try Rxf6+, and it works.
Rxf6+ Qxf6
e5+ wins the queen
or
Rxf6+ Kxf6
Qf2+ Kg6
Qf7+ Kh6
Nf5+
If instead of Kg6 Qf4 then Qxf4+
Rxf6+ Kxf6 (forced, because if Qxf6, e5+ is discovered check winning the queen)
Qf2+ K-moves (forced, because if Qf4, Qxf4 and the pawn is pinned and can’t recapture)
Qf7+ winning the rook, and black is close to being mated as well.
My first thoughts:
1)Bg3 Bxe4 (the best defence I could see for black)
2)Bxe5 Bxc2
3)Rxf6+ and white should win easily from here being a piece up. Will have to wait and see if I have missed more forced line 🙂
1.R*f6+ K*f6 (if 1.…Q*f6, e5+ wins Q)
2.Qf2+ Kg7 (if 2.… Qf4, 3. Q*f4 as pin)
3.R*b7+ (if 3. … B*b7, 4. Qf7+ Kh6, 5. Nf5+ [better than Q*e8) Q*f5,
6. e*f5, wins (e.g. 6.…Rc8, 7 Qf6+,Kh5 8. Q*g5#; or 6.…g*h4, 7.Q*e8 with gross material advantage) 3.…Kh8, 4. Bg3 wins as Qa5 saves Q but loses K at Qf6+).
Note that 2.…Kg6,4. Qf7+, Kh6 4.B*g5+ wins the Q as 4.… K*g5, 5. Nf3+; or 4.… Q*g5, Nf5+ forces 5.…Q*f5.
(I’m anonymous but psyche; but again reading the Google Word Verification characters are ridiculous)
Rf6 and then pinning the Queen …move the pawn!
Great,gabriele,visit my chess on
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