White to move and win. Can you find the best continuation for White?
This puzzle is quite complex. Can you solve it without computer assistance?
2r2b2/1b1N1pkp/1pNp2p1/3P4/4PQ1P/p1R3P1/1q3PK1/n7 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Complex Sunday Chess Tactic
1. Qf6+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Be7 3. Rc8+ Bc8 4. Qb2 with decisive material (Na1 is lost)
or
1. Qf6+ Kh6 2. g4 Bg7 3. g5+ Kh5
4. Qf3+ Kh4 5. Qf4+ Kh5 6. Rh3++
or
1. Qf6+ Kh6 2. g4 Qc3 3. Qc3 Bg7
4. Qe3+ g5 5. Qg5++
1.Qf6+ Kg8 (Kh6 2.Nd4) 2.Nd8
Qf6+ and Nce5
h
Rf3 1-0
1. Qf6+ Kf8 2. Nd8 threatens f7 as well, and I don’t see that 2…R:d8 3. Q:d8 Kg7 4. Q:f8+ Kf6 5. Rf3# helps any.
One idea is the following. Not sure if it’s the best.
1. Qf6+ Kg8
2. Nxf8 Bxc6
Now, white has several options, most of them seem to lose, but how about this:
3. dxc6 Kxf8
4. Qxd6+ Kg8
5. Rxa3
followed by Rf3.
if the black queen does not retreat to g7, then white can cut it off with e5, and put pressure on f7 and advancing the c-pawn.
—
These lines don’t work:
3. Nxg6+ hxg6 (threatening 4. Qh8#)
4. Qxe6+ Kg7
5. Rxc6 Rxc6
6. dxc6 a2
white might be able to get a draw from this (if that), but not a win.
or
3. Ne6 fxe6
4. Qxe6+ Kg7
5. Rf3 Rc7
6. dxc6 Qe5
seems to hold for black.
—
Somehow these lines don’t look like the solution. Need to look some more.
Rf3 wins
Took me a long time to crack this puzzle. Everyone seems to have got the first move, but the second is far from obvious:
1. Qf6+ Kg8
2. Nd8!!
The threat is 3. Qxf7+ leading to checkmate. Black can’t do anything about it. Say:
2… Rxd8
3. Qxd8 and there’s no escape.
The other option for black is 1… Kh6. I figured this would lead to the loss of black’s queen, but I think it will also lead to checkmate. Say:
1… Kh6
2. Nd4!! (threatening 3. Nf5 mate)
Now what? 2… Be7 or 2… Qd2? I’m not too sure, but I see things happening after:
3. Nf5+ Kh5
4. g4+ Kxg4
5. Rg3+ and with the concentration of white’s forces onto the black king, I don’t think checkmate can be avoided.