Black to move. How should black 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 black here. Can you find it?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Qf2??
1. … h4 seems to do it.
Kasparov needs my help ???
H4 seems to work.
White really has no good response that I can see.
Yes, he needs your help badly.
1… h4 is a good move, I think.
The pawn is untouchable. Follow:
2. Kxh4 Qf2+ 3. Kh3 Rb3 And Black wins.
After 1… h4 the threat 2…Qf2+ and 3…Rb3 is a winner (?).
I see no good moves for White.
Best regards
Stef
I think h4 with treat Qf2 and Rb3
Qf2 followed by h4 (or Rb3)
Qf2 folled by h4 or R b3.
… h4!
… i’m sorry for double post … …h4 followed by Qf2 and Rb3. If 1…h4 2.Qc3 Qf2 3.f4(forced!) Qxf4 (threatening Qh2+ and Qc2)
I believe 1…Qf2;2.gxh5,Rb3;3.Qd8+ and white has at least a perpetual check.
But, instead, 1…h4; threatening Qf2 perhaps wins, like 2.Kg2,Qa6.
I would never find this in a rapid game- I would just have to play the wrong move and figure out my mistake a few moves later as white’s defense unfolded. It took me 20 minutes flailing around to spot it. The anonymous commenter at 11:15 has the right idea (I tried to make the attack on f3 work, too), but black needs to push the h-pawn before the threat of Qf2 has any meaning. However, let’s look at 1. …Qf2 to understand why it fails:
1. …..Qf2
The idea is to bring the rook to b3 and win the game, but the problem is that this is a move too slow because white has his own plans that will allow him to draw:
2. gh5!
This is the only move to hold. Continuing:
2. …..Rb3
Black has two moves to draw, and several ways to lose. Black can draw by taking at h5: [2. …gh5 3.g6! Rb7 (or 3. …fg6 4.Qg6=; or 3. …Rf8?? 4.Rb2! Qf1 5.Kh2 fg6 6.Qg6 Kh8 7.Rg2+-) 4.gf7 Rf7 5.Qg6 and the perpetual checks can’t be stopped by the rook by himself- at the very least, white has a draw by repetition if he wants it]. Continuing:
3. Qd8 Kh7 (Kg7 4.Qf6 repeats)
4. hg6 fg6
Or [4. …Kg7?? 5.Qf6 Kg8 6.Qf7+-]; or [4. …Kg6 5.Qf6 Kh7 6.Qf7 with another perpetual if white wants it, and in this case, he definitely does]. Continuing:
5. Qe7 and black can’t escape the checks from the queen, so white has a draw.
The prophylactic of 1. …h4 solves the threat of white’s pawn push/exchange:
1. …..h4!
So, now, white has no real threats against black’s king, and the b-pawn is well protected. White has only poor choices here- take the h4 pawn, try Kg2 to prevent Qf2, or just resign.
2. Kh4 Qf2 (with check now)
3. Kh3 Rb3
4. Qd8 Kh7! and white is almost surely going to get mated here.
Or
2. Kg2 Qb3 (threatens Qc2+)
And if white has further defense here, I simply am missing it.
Or
2. Qc3 Qf2 (threatens Qg3#)
3. f4 Rb4 (is immune to capture)
4. e5 Rc4 (cleanest winner)
5. Qe1 Qe1
6. Re1 Rc1 and black will be up a queen when the smoke has cleared.
At move 2, white probably does best to just give up the rook at b2, but we don’t need to look at that.
1. … h4 2. any Qf2
On 1. …Qf2, you need to consider what happens when white plays 2.gh5. I don’t have the details of this game, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Qf2 was the move Kasparov played. It certainly looks enticing to me.
1…h4 looks strong!
1…h4 kills
Yes, as everyone sees, 1. … h4! kills.
There were various adventures after GK missed this. I frankly don’t see why he gave White a draw as the game went; there’s no perpetual in the final position that I can see.
I’ll go for the hxg4 … and simplify all … although h4 looks good but it has a drawish tendency …
hxg4+ … simplify all … h4 for me has a drawish tendency …