White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
r3r2R/1b2k3/pn2N3/3pN3/1b1P4/np6/5P2/2RK1B2 w – – 0 1
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Checkmate tactic
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White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
r3r2R/1b2k3/pn2N3/3pN3/1b1P4/np6/5P2/2RK1B2 w – – 0 1
I think the rook exchange may be a decent move but i fail to see a nearby checkmate for white or black…
1. Rc7+ Kf6 2. Rf7+ Kxe6 3. Bh3+ Kd6 4. Rd7# or 1. Rc7+ Kxe6 2. Bh3+Kf6 (Kd6 4. Rd7#) 3. Rf7+ Kg5 4. Rf5#
1 Rc7+
If 1. .. Kxe6
2. Rh6+ Kf5
3. Rf7+
If 3. .. Ke4 4. Bd3#
If 3. .. Kg5 4. Rf6+ and mates by 5. Rh7#
If 1. .. Kf6 2. Rf7+ Kxe6 3. Rh6#
Rc7 variation ends in mate for me 1-0, but after 10 moves. Can’t see anything better, but could be missing something.
Bh3? For example, if Rxh8 then Rc7+, Kf6, Rf7# Or if Kd6, then Nf7#
Main line would be:
1. Rc7+ Kxe6 (Or Kd6 Rd7+ Kxe6 delays by one. Or Kf6 Rf7+ Kxe6 Rh6#)
2. Rh6+ Kf6
3. Rf7+ Ke4 (if Kg4/Kg5 then 4. Rg6+ and 5. Rh7#)
4. Rh4#
So best line would be:
1. Rc7+ Kd6
2. Rd7+ Kxe6
3. Rh6+ Kf6
4. Rf7+ Kg4/Kg5
5. Rg6+ Kh4/Kh5
6. Rh7#
Actually, the bishop on f1 was not at all needed in this tactic!
It’s purpose is to confuse the puzzle solver….
1st Variation:
1. Rc7+ Kxe6
1. … Nd7 2. Rxd7
1. … Kf6 2. Rh6+ rest like main variation
2. Rh6+ Kf5 forced
3. Bd3+ Kg5
3. … Kf4 4.Rf6#
4 Rg6+ Kf4
4. … Kh5 5.Rh7#
4. … Kh4 5.Rh7#
5. Rf6#
2nd Variation: Black forces White to remove his knight from square e5:
1. Rc7+ Kd6
2. Nf7+ Kxe6
3. Rh6+ Kf5
4. Bd3+ Kf4
4. … Kg4 allows White to return his knight to square e5 with check:
5. Ne5+ Kg5 see 1st variation.
5. Rf6+ Kg4
6. Ne5+ Kg5 and again the position of the third move in variation one is reached:
7. Rg6+ and mate next move
Only task for Ne6 here is to prevent Kd8. It can therefore be sacked at first move (Rc7+), while Ne5 is a stationary monster supporting the 2 rooks to play cat and mouse with black king.
Only task for Bf1 is to prevent Kd3 if it tries to escape that way.
1. Rc7+
A.- 1…..Kxe6 2. Rh6+..Kf5 3. Bd3+
A1- 3……Kf4. 4. Rf7+..Kg5 5. Rg6+ and 6. Rh7#
A2 -3……Kg5. 4. Rg6+..Kf4 5. Rf7# (If 4…Kh4/5 5. Rh7#)
B – 1…..Kf6 2. Rh6+..Kf5..3. Bd3#
C – 1…..Kd6 3. Nf7+..Kxe6 4. Rh6+.Kf5.5. Bh3+
C1- 5….Kf4 6. Rh4+..Kf3.. 7.Ne5+!
C11- 7…..Rxe5 8. Rf7+..Rf5 9. Rxf5#
C12 – 7….Kxf2..8. Rf7+…
C121- 8….Ke3..9. Rf3#
C122- 8…Kg3..9. Rg4+..
C1221- 9….Kxh3 10. Rh7#
C1222- 9….Kh2 10. Bf1.(threatening Rh7#) forced..Rh8 10. Nf3+..Kh1 11.Rg1#
D- 1…..Nd7 2. Rxd7+ and this transpose into variations A or B
D1- 2….Kxe6..variation A above
D2- 2….Kf6..variation B above
Harry
For completeness, adding variation C2!
1. Rc7+
A.- 1…..Kxe6 2. Rh6+..Kf5 3. Bd3+
A1- 3……Kf4. 4. Rf7+..Kg5 5. Rg6+ and 6. Rh7#
A2 -3……Kg5. 4. Rg6+..Kf4 5. Rf7# (If 4…Kh4/5 5. Rh7#)
B – 1…..Kf6 2. Rh6+..Kf5..3. Bd3#
C – 1…..Kd6 3. Nf7+..Kxe6 4. Rh6+.Kf5.5. Bh3+
C1- 5….Kf4 6. Rh4+..Kf3.. 7.Ne5+!
C11- 7…..Rxe5 8. Rf7+..Rf5 9. Rxf5#
C12 – 7….Kxf2..8. Rf7+…
C121- 8….Ke3..9. Rf3#
C122- 8…Kg3..9. Rg4+..
C1221- 9….Kxh3 10. Rh7#
C1222- 9….Kh2 10. Bf1.(threatening Rh7#) forced..Rh8 10. Nf3+..Kh1 11.Rg1#
C2- 5….Ke4 6. Rh4+..
C21- 6….Kf3.. 7.Ne5+! transposes into variation C1 above.
C22- 6….Kd3 7. Bf1#
D- 1…..Nd7 2. Rxd7+ and this transpose into variations A or B
D1- 2….Kxe6..variation A above
D2- 2….Kf6..variation B above
Harry
Rc7! after best move for black …Ke6 then Rh6…kf6, Bd3! and black mate soon easily….
1.Rc7+ Kd6
(1…. Kxe6 2.Rh6+ Kf5 3.Rf7+ Kg5 4.Rg6+ Kh5 5.Rh7#)
(1…. Kf6 2.Rf7+ Kxe6 3.Rh6#)
2.Nf7+ Kxe6
3.Rh6+ Kf5
4.Bh3+ Ke4 or Kf4
5.Rh4+ Kf3
(5…. Kd3 6.Bf1+ Re2 7.Bxe2#)
6.Ng5+ Kxf2
7.Rf7+ Kg1
(7…. Ke3 8.Rf3#)
8.Rg4+ Kh1
9.Rf1+ Kh2
10.Rg2#
Very difficult for me and I’m still not completely sure. One clear idea is to immediately bring the R to the 7th with 1) Rc7+ because if you don’t do it now you might not get a chance as Black can oppose Rs on the file with …Rc8 or block the file with say …Nc2. And of course, Black threatens to simply take the R on h8. So naturally I started analyzing 1) Rc7+ but admittedly it was difficult enough that I started looking for alternatives before eventually coming back to it.
The defense I worried most about was not taking the Knight and instead trying to hide with …Kd6. How then to get at the King? Among other things Black now threatens to take the N WITH THE ROOK bringing a piece to the defense against checks from the White R along the h-file. Also once that Knight is gone on e6, the R on c7 loses protection. So I had the idea 2) Nf7+ Kxe6 (forced), 3) Rh6+ Now at least the K is brought into the open, no longer able to shelter at d6 but the beautifully centralized N at e5 is now decentralized and would seem to block the ability of the Queenside R at c7 to swing into action on the Kingside. Besides, isn’t there a lot of room for the King to hide?
One line gave me hope that there may be enough attacking resources for White
after 3) Rh6+ Kf5 [the Knight at f7 protects the R from being attacked via g5]; 4)Bh3+ Ke4, 5) Rh4+ protects by X-Ray the d4 pawn! and if.5…Kd3 then 6) Bf1+ returning to the original square will be mate next move!
So instead of 5…Kd3, more critical is 5…Kf3. The humble P at f2 is guarding some important flight squares. Now it seems unfortunate that White’s own Knight at f7 occupies the square the other Rook (at c7) wants to occupy,.
So maybe it’s time to check with that Knight clearing the way for the Rooks. In fact after 5…Kf3 –
6) Ne5+!? may be better than checking at g5 because if …Rxe5, 7) Rf7+ (again X-ray protection of the pawn!) looks like mate next move after a useless interposition. So 6…Kxf2 immediately is forced and then there are still more variations to work through. Positionally though this seems winning for White after 7) Rf7+ with the knight recentralized again , both Rooks free to attack along the Kingside files and the Bishop joining the hunt as well.
So I still haven’t even worked out this line fully and maybe it’s either wrong or there’s something simpler but for what it’s worth these are some of the ideas I see in the position. – Craigaroo
white may play Rc7…ke6, then Rh6….kf5, Bd3 soon black will mate easily.
I see many giving solution of
– Rd7# which is simply refuted by Nxd7
– Bd3# (when d4 is unprotected) which is simply refuted by Kxd4 followed by Nxe5!
I believe I have covered all variations in my earlier post.
But nonetheless challenging as white needs to tread carefully!
Harry
I see many giving solution of
– Rd7# which is simply refuted by Nxd7
– Bd3# (when d4 is unprotected) which is simply refuted by Kxd4 followed by Nxe5!
I believe I have covered all variations in my earlier post.
But nonetheless challenging as white needs to tread carefully!
Harry
1. Rc7+ kd6
2. Nf7+ Kxe6
3. Rh6+ Kf5
4. Bh3+ Kf4
5. Rh4+ Kf3
6. Ng5+ Kxf2
7. Rf7+ Kg3
8. Rg4+ Kh2
9. Rf2+ Kh1
10. Rf1+ Kh2
11. Rg2#
I think fajac gives good, elegant solutions to both 1…Kxe6 and 1…Kd6
In particular, in the …Kd6 line, checking with B to d3 instead of h3 on the 4th move gives a very elegant solution. Note the slightly counterintuitive idea of bringing the h-file Rook to f6 after 4…Kf4, instead of laboring in the belief that the Q-side Rook needs to use that file.
Anonymours (Harry) is correct that many people overlooked the simple N-capture after Rd7+. But regarding Bd3+, on the 4th move, with the Black K on f5, Bd3 works beautifully or so it seems to me.
For me, a difficult position. I don’t think I would’ve solved it over the board and more importantly I don’t see how I would’ve anticipated enough of the solution to play for this position. – Craigaroo