White to move. How should white proceed?
This 2-game exhibition was just played. Kasparov defeated Vachier-Lagrave 1.5 – 0.5 in a rapid match. However, he missed a winning plan as white here. Can you find it?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
1. e6!! 1-0
The very first thought I would have here is the push with g6 so that I could threaten that pinned bishop with a pawn. As it turns out, this does win, I think, though I couldn’t see the end without the chess board- there is a really tricky defense that nearly stymied me:
1. g6 hg6
Black has to take since if he tries d2, white just pushes g7, and white has d1 covered with the knight, so his new queen will survive, black’s won’t. It shouldn’t matter which pawn black captures with since he will have to exchange both:
2. hg6 fg6 (else, 3.g7+-)
3. e6
The entire point of the pawn exchanges- getting rid of f7. White now has time to threaten e7 winning the pinned bishop. Continuing:
3. …..Rd6
If there is a better defense, I don’t see it. For example: [3. …d2 4.e7 d1Q 5.Nd1 Rd1 6.ed8Q Rd8 7.f7 Kf7 (or 7. …Ke7 8.Rd8+-) 8.Ke7 Rb8 and black can’t defend both queen side pawns and the g-pawn.]. 3. …Rd6 attacks the pawns (especially f6) and forces white to come up with
4. Nf5!
Took me a few minutes to figure out this blocking motif. Pushing with e7 no longer is effective due to the capture at f6 with check: [4.e7?? Rf6+ 5.Kg3 Ke7 and black should win this with no problem.] I don’t think 4.f7 leads anywhere after black plays Ke7, but I don’t see a way for either player to make much progress, though I would rather be black, I think. Continuing:
4. …..Re6
Black is worse off after 4. …gf5: [4. …gf5 5.e7! d2 6.ed8Q Rd8 7.f7 Kf7 8.Rd8+-]. Continuing:
5. Ng7 Kd7!
6. Rd8
I looked at all the options here, this is the best one by far. Continuing:
6. …..Kd8
7. Ne6 Ke8! (Kd7? 8.f7!)
8. Ng5!
A nice finishing motif. White will put the pawn on f7 protected by the knight from behind. If the black king ever leaves the guard on f8, the pawn queens. In addition, from g5, the knight blocks the g-pawn, so the white king will walk over, take the d-pawn and advance on the queen side pawns. Black should be able to exchange the white a-pawn off before the white king gets there, but after the white king eats the remaining black queen side pawn, he will advance on the black king and drive him away from f8.
I don’t think 1. e6 by itself will work – I can’t see white winning after 1… fxe6. I think 1. g6!! is needed before pushing the e-pawn to get rid of black’s f-pawn.
No time to do a full analysis though.
1. g6, fxg6 (not taking loses to g7 and a mate threat at g8Q+)
2. hxg6, hxg6
3. e6, Rd6
4. e7, b4
5. Rxd8+, Rxd8
6. exd8Q+, Kxd8
7. Kg4, Ke8
8. Kg5, Kf7
e6 seems less convincing due to
1. e6, fxe6
2. g6, hxg6
3. hxg6, d2
4. f7+, f8 (or g7+, f7)
I suggest that Rc4 will win the d-pawn (and exchange rooks as well), white will be up with a pawn and have a better end-game I hope (but I’m not sure….).
The move order I have in mind is something like:
1. Rc4 Rd7
2. Ke4 d2
3. Rd4! Ba5
The d pawn survives for some more moves, but will fall eventually
I think 1. g6! is more efficient than what was played.
1. g6!! is the key move! 1-0
Hi Susan Polgar,
Nice Puzzle.
Already others had discussed the best possibles – “g6” : Good.
Nothing more to add.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Cf5