Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
My first thought is to try to get rid of that knight at f3, and might try Rf6:
1. …..Rf6 (threatens Rf3-Qh2)
2. Nce5
Seems forced to me since Nd2 loses instantly to Bd2. Continuing:
2. …..Re5
3. Qd8
Complicated position. I think 3.Ra8 followed by 4.Qd8 is probably the same (has the same threat), but Qb8 followed by Ra8 is different in that black has Rb5 as a counter a few moves in, but I haven’t gone deep into that line since Qd8 just looks better for white (covers f6 when it is black’s move at move 6 in the main line below), and since I am sitting in the Starbucks instead of at home where I don’t have web access due to Hurricane Irene’s wrath, I don’t have my chessboard with me today. Continuing:
3. …..Bf8 (Kg7?? 4.Ra8 mate net)
4. Ra8 Qh6
Black is one move too slow with his own mating net, so must defend with this move. Continuing:
5. h3
I am not seeing anything better for white here. The knight is tied to the defense of h2, and capturing at f6 or f8 is just going to leave white down a piece for two pawns by my count. Continuing:
5. …..Rf3 (Rh5 6.Nh4 unclear?)
6. hg4
And, though black has won a piece, I don’t see how he untangles the position. The queen is tied to the defense of f8, as is the king, and the rooks can’t be doubled on the e-file to break white’s threat on f8. I am guessing this is a likely draw. So, I am probably missing something with the first move, but right now, I don’t immediately see it.
1…Rf6
Ok, here is another idea. How about getting the king to g7 first? The basic idea for this is to prevent a check from the queen giving white the tempo he needed in my previous comment, and this works because by not moving the e6 rook on the first move, the maneuver of Ne5 doesn’t get the e8 rook off the back rank.
1. …..Kg7
The threat of Rf6 still stands like in my previous comment, but white won’t be able to tie up the position with Nce5 followed by the mate threat on the back rank because there is no check on Qd8- so black is one move further along with his plan of Rf3 and Qh2. So, what can white do on move 2? He could play Nce5 immediately, but this just concedes the piece for another pawn:
2. Nce5 Re5
3. Qd4 c5
I really can’t be sure this is good right now. It looks natural to me as a way to nullify Ra5.
I will have to get out my board when I get home. Right now, I like 1. …Kg7, but without a deeper look, I can’t say for sure that it is even winning. I don’t see a good defense for white right off the top but 2.Nce5.
I agree, Rf6. The white Knight on f3 is ‘in the way’!
Finally, after 5 days, I have power and my cable internet connection back, though I will miss the fine mocha lattes of Starbucks!!
I can see that Susan has, in fact, posted two comments that had the same idea of Rf6 as I suggested in my first comment, and with a chess board now at my disposal, I think I can safely conclude that this draws at best due to the weak back rank that arises after white plays 2.Nce5. This pulls the rook off the 8th rank, and white’s play of Qd8 with check, and Ra8 ties black up securely, even though black wins a knight for a pawn, and I have a hard time seeing more than a draw. As I wrote in my second comment, 1. …Kg7 saves black a tempo, and on further analysis, I really think this is the strongest move. Let’s look at the position in detail:
1. …..Kg7
2. Qc7 Rf6
3. Nce5 Re5
4. Qe5
The best move, I am pretty sure: [4.Rc6?? Rf3 and how do you prevent the mate?]; or [4.Qd8 Rf3 5.Qh4 Qh4 6.gh4 Rd3 and black is up two piece with an easy win]. Continuing:
4. …..Ne5
5. Ne5 and black is up a queen vs rook and two pawns. Not a trivial win, but manageable.
At move 2, I still think white does best with Nce5, but I find this to probably be losing:
1. …..Kg7
2. Nce5 Re5
3. Rfa1
I think my second comment adequately covered 3.Qd4. The idea of 3.Rfa1 is to give the king f1 to escape through (the queen covers f2 from b6), but black still wins easily:
3. …..Nh2!
4. Nh2 Rh5
5. Qd4 Ree5! and black will regain the piece edge, and should have a decisive advantage.
1… Nxh2
2. Nxh2 Bf4
if
3. Nf3 g5
and there is no defense against 4… Rh6
if
3. Ne3 Bxg3
(now 3…g5 4. Nf5 prevents 4…Rh6)
4. Nf3 Bf4
and the N on f3 falls, and black should win
1. .., Rf6 and White cannot defend it
2. Ne3, Bxe3
3. fxe3, Rxf3
4. Rxf3, Qxh2+
5. Kf1, Qh1+
6. Ke2, Qg2+
7. Kd2, Qxf3 and Black retains the advantage
Well, the problem I see with
1…Rf6 is
2.Ncxe5
If
2…Rxe5
3.Qe8+ Kg7 (or 3…Re8 4.Qxe8+)
4.Ra8 with an unstoppable mate on the next move.
So I think it might be better for black to exchange one of his rooks for a6 rook and then bring out the other rook to f6 with the same plan. But then d5 pawn will be unprotected and white can play Ncxe5 and be safe. Still trying to find the right answer 🙂
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,its a okay but interesting puzzle.
Already two of others(as of now,I could see at this web page)had given the best initial move for Black – Rf6.
I was about to give the same,what I could do now is,give my example set of moves for Black’s win.[ Variations exist ]
Example
=======
1… Rf6
2.Ne3 B*Ne3
3.f*Be3 R*Nf3
4.R*Rf3 Q*h2+
5.Kf1 Qh1+
6.Kd1 Qd2
7.Qc3 Nh2+
8.Kg1 N*Rf3+
9.Kf1 Nh2+
10.Kg1 Qe2
11.Qe1 Nf3+
12.Kh1 Qh2++ Mate.
Black wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,its nice to see that,as of now,only we three – I(Venky),Stan Vaughan,Trevor John had said “Rf6” initial Black’s move,will lead Black to win in this chess puzzle.
Its statisfying to know that I could give the complete set of example moves for this puzzle.[ Of course variations exist ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Ooooops,I had misread the initial position of White’s Queen of this chess puzzle – That is,I read it as White’s queen is at “Qc5” but actually it is at “Qb6”.
As I have to go to temple now,I will give alternate solution to this puzzle,after I return from the temple.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,as I said in my previous post,”Rf6″ initial move for Black wins the game.
Set of moves in support of my view[ Variations exist ]
Example one
===========
1… Rf6
2.Nc4*e5 Bf4
3.g*Bf4 R*f4
4.Q*c6 R*Ne5
5.Qc8+ Kg7
6.Ra8 R*Nf3
7.Qh8+ Kh6
8.Qf8+ Kh5
9.Qh8 Q*h2++ Mate
Example Two
===========
1…Rf6
2.Nc4*e5 Bf4
3.g*Bf4 R*f4
4.Ra5 R*Ne5
5.R*Re5 R*Nf3
6.Re8+ Kg7
7.Qd4+ Kh6
8.Ra1 Q*h2+
9.Kf1 N*f2
10.Ra5 N*d3+
11.Qf2 Q*Qf2++ Mate
Example Three
=============
1… Rf6
2.Nc4*e5 Bf4
3.Rfa1 B*Ne5
4.Ra8 Rf6*Nf3
5.R*Re8+ Kg7
6.Ra8 Q*h2+
7.Kf1 N*f2
8.Rg8+ Kh6
9.R*g6+ f*Rg6
10.Qe3+ R*Qe3
11.Rf8 N*d3
12.Rf2 Q*Rf2/Re1 ++ Mate
Black wins the game in ease,if the initial move is “Rf6” [ Variations exist ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Venky,
1. …Rf6 does not win. White’s counterattack provides enough to hold the draw at the very least. Let’s take the beginning from your last comment:
1. …..Rf6
2. Nce5 Bf4??
3. Ng4!
I have not completely analyzed 3.gf4, but I have a hard time visualizing the win for black after a move like 4.Ra5 (play it out, it is good practice for you). Continuing from move 3 above:
3. …..Qg4 (what else?)
4. Nd4
And tell me how black proceeds from here? Without the knight, black will need to push the h-pawn just to continue the attack, and this takes time, and I can’t even see how it might work. White is up two good pawns right now:
4. …..h5?!
5. Nc6
I am winging it here, but I can’t see how this move can hurt white since it carries a deadly threat. Continuing:
5. …..h4?? (in for a penny….)
6. Ne7
And the rook at f6 will fall. At move 5, black must try something else- even 5. …Ree6 fails due to the mate threat that starts with 6.Qd8+ (see my very first comment to get the flavor of this threat, or Pavan’s comment above).