White to move. How should White proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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White to move. How should White proceed?
1.Bf6
if black’s rook leaves 3rd rank for 1st or 2nd rank it’s a checkmate 2.g4#, if it goes for 4th rank it is taken by bxc4
1. … Re3 or Rd3 is loosing a piece straight away, Rf3 is met by Kg2
1. … Rxb3 or Rxg3 is obvious.
Any non rook move by black meets Bxc3.
All with a win for white.
1. … Ng5+ is obvious as well, 2. hxg5 and white is up a piece.
Black is totally busted. He is going to lose his trapped knight. His rook has to stay on the 3rd rank, or else he gets mated by g4 (Black’s f-pawn is pinned.)
White cannot force the Black rook off the 3rd rank, but she can force the Black rook to f3-square, where it is subject to being attacked by the White king moving Kg2. True, the Black king can protect the rook by moving Kg4, starting an interesting struggle.
1. Bf6 force Black rook to f3-square. 1. .. Rf3
2. Bb2 No hurry. This avoids any possible pinning of White bishop on f6-square with White rook on f7-square and Black rook on f3-square:
2. Kg2 Kg4 3. Rd7 f4 4. gxf4 Rxf4 5. Rxf7 (White is still winning but White has better.)
After 2. Bb2 Black has to try something. He can’t just sit around while his knight gets chopped off:
2. .. a6 3. Kg2 Kg4 4. Rd7 f4 5. Rxf7 g5 6. hxg5 hxg5 7. Be5! b5 8. Bxf4! gxf4 9. Rg7+ Kf5 10. Kxf3
So Black probably has to try 2. .. g5, after which follows:
3. Kg2 Kg4 (3. .. g4 4. Rd7 Kg6 5. h5+ Kxh5 6. Rxf7) 4. Rd7 f4 5. Rxf7 Rd3 6. hxg5 hxg5 (6. .. f3+ 7. Rxf3!! Rxf3 8. gxh6 Rf7 9. Bg7 Rd7 10. h7 Rd8 11. h8=Q Rxh8 12. Bxh8) 7. gxf4 gxf4 8. Bc1 f3+ 9. Kh2 Rd8 10. Rxa7 Rh8+ 11. Kg1 Kf5 12. Rf7+ Ke4 13. Rf4+ Ke5 14. Rxf3
Bf6
If the rook leaves the 3rd rank g4 is mate, but if Rf3, kg2 traps it
1. Bf6 Rf3
(Rook cannot leave the third rank due to g4+ checkmate!)
2. Kg2 Kg4
(only move)
3. Rd7 1-0
(Piece up)
1. Bf6 Rf3 (1. … Rc2 2. g4#) 2. Kg2 wins a Rook.
1.Bf6 to push the black Rook away from the 3rd rank.
1…..Rc2
2.g4#
so
1…..Rf3
2.Kg2 wins the Rook.
1-0
Bf6 followed by Rd7 winning the knight.
1. b3-b4
–br
Too difficult.
1. Bf6 attacks the R, which must remain on the 3rd rank to prevent 2. g4#. 1…Rf3 is its only safe square, but then 2. Bb2 threatens to win the N with Rd7 and Black must play 2…g5 to defend the N. But now 3. Kg2 forces Kg4 to defend the R, and 4. Rd7 picks up the N while all White’s forces remain safe and warm.
1. Bf6 forces the black rook to f3 where 2. Kg2 wins it.
If the black rook leaves the 3rd rank, white mates with 2. g4++
White takes advantage of the pinned pawn on f5:
1. Bf6! Rf3
The rook cannot leave the third rank, otherwise 2.g4#
2. Kg2 and the rook has no safe square and cannot be protected.
1.Bf6!
Now black has a dilema. He has to guard the 3rd rank because of the threat g4#.
The only square to move the rook and avoid mate is f3.
So 1…Rf3 but after 2.Kg2 the black rook is traped and black has to resign.