Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Daily Chess Improvement: Clever Chess Tactic!
Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. … Bb5 2. Rxc3 bxc3 3. Bxb5 c2 wins
2. Ra8 b3 3. Bxb5 (cxb3 Rc1+ 4. Kh2 Ra1 wins the bishop) b2 4. Bd3 Rxd3 5. Rb8 Rd1+ 6. Kh2 b1Q 7. Rxb1 Rxb1
1. ….Bb5 looks ok to me, but after 2.Ra8, isn’t 2. ….Ra3 the killer move double attacking the now pinned bishop? For example:
1. ……….Bb5
2. Ra8 b3?
3. ab3! Ba6
4. Ra6 Rb3 and this has draw written all over it.
The most critical line, I think is
1. ………..Bb5
2. Bb7
Here, I think black can just exchange at c8 and attack the a-pawn with 3. …Bc4. More work to be done, but the won pawn is passed and the bishop ending is fairly straightforward.
1 .. Bb5 2. Bb7 Rxc8 3. Bxc8 Bc4 wins
and yes,
1 .. Bb5 2. Ra8 Ra3 3. Bb7 Rxa8 4. Bxa8 Bc4 is the right line.
The line I had in mind 2 .. b3 3. axb3 Rc1+ 4. Kh2 Ra1 fails to 5. Bb7
What after 1… Bb5 2. Bb5 !? ?
I think White is going to have to defend the a pawn with his bishop and the K side pawns with his K while Black can attack with a combination of R and K and I don’t think the bishop ending is faster to win but even if it is it’s a less certain win than the B vs R ending allowing for mistakes on average. So you should always go for the bishop ending with White in a real game.
1…Bb5 does seem correct. The tactics are straightforward enough on the immediate piece captures (BxB or RxR) but I had trouble seeing the power of the simple rook exchange after both 2.Bb7 or 2.Ra8
[A]
2. Bb7 Rxc8
3. Bxc8 Bc4 appears simple, straightforward, and correct as Yancey and Karthik have suggested. After Black wins the a-pawn, the Bishop also covers the Queening square.
[B]
2. Ra8 Ra3 (pinning)
3. Bb7 … Unpinning but the simple exchange followed by …Bc4 works again as above
… Rxa8
4. Bxa8 Bc4
1.— Bb5 2. Bb7 Rxc8 3. Bxc8 Bc4 and black wins the a-pawn. Black will win by moving the bishop Ba2–>Bb1–>Bc2 and then the b-pawn rolls in. White has to sacrifice his bishop.
3….Bc4 4.e5 Bxa2 5.Ba6 Bb1 6.Kf1 Bc2 7.Ke2 b3 8.Kd2 so
3….Kf6 looks better to me.
No that was too slow sorry, 5.Ba6 Bb1 6.Kf1 b3 so yes 6.Bc4 Bc2 and White does have to sacrifice the bishop.
key move – Be4?
Not too bad, 1….Bxe4 2.Rb8 Ra3 3.Bc4 Bb1 4.Rxb4 Bxa2 and Black is a solid pawn up.