White to move. How should white proceed?
8/p4pk1/2R1r2p/5R2/3PQ1P1/5PK1/br1q4/8 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Closing out chess tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
8/p4pk1/2R1r2p/5R2/3PQ1P1/5PK1/br1q4/8 w – – 0 1
Rxf7+
The first move is easy to spot, but it is a bit more complicated in one line after that:
1. Rf7 Kf7 (mate otherwise)
2. Rc7
I spent a while in the 2.Qh7 rabbit hole and if black goes to f8 or e8, mate is there in both 5 more moves and 1 more move, but if he goes to f6, I can’t find a quick mate at all-3.Qh8+ may work, but I kept losing the thread after 3. …Kg6. However, on second consideration, it is easy to see the mate with 2.Rc7:
2. …..Kf8
Of course, 2. …Kf6 is mate after Qf5. Also, 2. ….Kg7 is mate starting after 3.Qh7 and 4.Qf7#, and 2. …Ke8 is mate after 3.Qa8 and 4.Qb8#, and 2. …Re7 is mate after 3.Qe7 and 4.Qg7#. Continuing:
3. Qf5 Kg8 (Ke8 4.Qf7 Kd8 5.Qd7#)
4. Qf7 Kh8
5. Qg7#
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7
2. Qh7+ Kf8
3. Rc8+ Re8
4. Qh8+ Kf7
5. Qxe8+ Kg7
5. … Kf6 leads to the same position as…
6. Rc7+ Kf6
7. Rc6+ Be6
8. Rxe6+ Kg5
9. Qh5#
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7
2. Rc7+ Kf8
3. Qf5+ Rf6 [3. … Kg8 4. Qf7+ or 3. … Ke8 4. Qf7+]
4. Qc8+mate
or:
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7
2. Rc7+ Ke8
3. Qa8+ Rb8
4. Qxb8+mate
ok, let´s have a look at this mating attack:
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7
2. Qh7+ Kf6
3. Qh8+ Kg6
4. Qg8+ Kf6
5. Qf8+ Kg6
6. Qf5+ Kg7
7. Rc7+ Kg8
8. Qf7+ Kh8
9. Qh7#
7. … Kh8
8. Qh7#
7. … Re7
8. Rxe7+ Kg8
9. Qh7+ Kf8
10.Qg7#
8. … Kh8
9. Qh7#
8. … Bf7
9. Qxf7+ Kh8
10.Qh7#
5. … Kg5
6. Qf5#
3. … Kg5
4. Qg7+ Rg6
5. Qe5+ f5
6. Qxf5#
3. … Kf7
4. Rc7+ Re7
5. Qh7+ Ke6/e8
6. Qxe7#
5. … Kf8
6. Qxe7+ Kg8
7. Qg7#
5. … Kf6
6. Qxe7+ Kg6
7. Qg7#
4. … Kg6
5. Qg7#
3. … Ke7
4. Rc7+ Kd6
5. Qd8#
2. … Ke8
3. Rc8#
2. … Kf8
3. Rc7+ Re7
4. Qh7+ Ke6/e8
5. Qxe7#
4. … Kf8
5. Qxe7+ Kg8
6. Qg7#
4. … Kf6
5. Qxe7+ Kg6
6. Qg7#
1. … Kg8/h8
2. Qh7#
greets, jan
Rxf7+! Kxf7
Declining the sacrifice will lead to a faster checkmate.
Qh7+ Kf6
Qh6+ Kf7 +-
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,this puzzle is just a piece of cake even for the beginners.
White piece wins the game.
1.Rf7+ K*Rf7
2.Rc7+ Kf6/Ke8/Kg8
3.Qf5++/Qa8++/Qh7+ followed by Qh8++. Mate
White piece wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
This looks like:
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7 (Kg8 Qh7#)
2. Qh7+ (most direct) Kf6 (Kf8 was an alternative)
3. Qh8+ Kg5(?)
4. Qg7+ Rg6
5. Qe5+ f5
6. Qxf5#
or
3. … Kf7
4. Rc7+ Re7
5. Qh7+ Ke6
6. Qe4 Kd6/f6
7. Qxe7+ wins.
I realize, there are many more lines, too many for me to analyze I must admit. But this looks like the natural approach to me….
1 Rxf7+ Kxf7
2 Qh7+ Kf8
3 Qh8+ Kf7
4 Rc7+ Re7
5 Qh7+ Kf6
6 Qxe7+ Kg6
7Qg7# or
1 Rxf7+ Kxf7
2 Qh7+ kf6
3 Qf5+ Ke7
4Qc5+ Kf6
5 Qf8+ Kg6
6 Qf5+ kg7
7Rc7+ wins
Where is Venky from Chennai?
I admit Yancy’s solution is much prettier and straight forward than mine.
I must also admit that I, among several others, overlooked the rather obvious second move Rc7.
We probably closed out other than queen checks here, since the queen was under attack.
Should rather have closed out the move Qh7, with many good lines for white, but also some not so good. This move can at the best be called “unclear”.
Prof Bhat’s solution with 2.Qh7 is sound. Indeed, the same positions arise when white plays Qh8 at move 3 after 2.Qh7 (and black has retreated to f6 at move 2). Eventually, white can check with the queen from f5 and drive black back to the seventh rank and then deliver the killing blows starting with 7.Rc7:
1. Rf7 Kf7
2. Qh7 Kf6
3. Qh8 Kg6 (all else shorter #s)
4. Qg8 Kf6
5. Qf8
This is the move I never found in this line, if memory serves. Obvious in hindsight, but chess sometimes gives one serious and mysterious mind blocks, at least for me:
5. …..Kg6
6. Qf5 Kg7
7. Rc7 winning.
Also, I just noticed that an anonymous commenter found this line previously.