White to move and win. This is a VERY DIFFICULT and long endgame. Please no computer analysis. See if you can understand or figure out the creative pattern.
8/8/7P/8/5Kpk/4N3/5p2/6r1 w – – 0 1
Ponziani, 1792
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Difficult brain teaser
The obvious loses:
1. h7 f1(Q)
2. Nf1 Rf1
3. Ke5 Rf8
I am tempted by:
1. Nf1 Rf1
2. h7 and the pawn cannot be stopped.
1. Nf1 must be the first move.
1. Nf1 Rf1
2. h7 Kh5 only move
3.Qh8+ ,etc
the black king is pretty locked inside with the White king on f4.
I would play Nf1 in the first move!
Doesn’t seem unreasonable to figure out
1. Nf1
in order to gain a tempo for the promotion of the ‘h’ pawn. White’ll queen even if black king moves immediately. Or is there a fortress? I can’t see any…
OK, but even with Nf1 and eventually after h8(Q), it is still a long way to go. Can White win?
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
Continuing with variations from that line:
1. Nf1 Kh3
2. h7 Kg2
3. Nf3 followed by mate.
1. Nf1 Kh3
2. h7 Rf1
3. h8(Q)Kg2
4. Qa8 Kh2
5. Kg4 Re1
6. Qa7 Kg1
7. Qg3 Kf1
8. Kf3? Re3 with a draw. It is difficult because there are a lot of variations to consider, but Nf1 is the correct first move, I think. I see nothing else.
The problem is that i can’t figure out the best defence for Black.
Crap, mistake on that last line, I meant 6. Qb8.
I only know Nf1 is the first move.
1. Nf1 Rxf1 2. h7 Kh3 (not Kh5) cause if play Kh5, I would expect a King and rook vs king and queen ending.
3. h8=Q Kg2 4. Qa8+ and I can’t calculate after that.. 🙁
P.S: A really nice puzzle.
1 Kf1 Rxf1
2 h7 Kh3
3 h=Q+ Kg2
4 Qa8+ Kh2
5 Qa7 Kg2
6 Qb7+ Kh2
7 Qb6 Kg2
8 Qc6+ Kh2
9 Qc5 Kg2
10 Qd5+ Kh2
11 Qd4 Kg2
12 Qe4+ Kh2
13 Qe3 Kg2
14 Qg3+ Kh2
15 Qh4+ Kg2
16 Qxg4+ Kh2
17 Kf3 wins Olimat
Dont give us difficult stuff,ok?
1.Nf1 Rxf1 2.h7 Kh3 3.h8Q+ Kg2 4.Qa8+ Kh2 (other moves lose) 5.Qa7 Kg2 6.Qb7+ Kh2 7.Qh7+ Kg2 8.Qe4+ Kh2 9.Qe2 Rg1 10.Qxf2+ Rg2 11.Qe1
and now it´s necessary to prove this position is a win but i have no time to do it
Continuing:
1. Nf1 Kh3
2. h7 Rf1
3. h8(Q)Kg2
4. Qh4 Re1
5. Qg4 Kf1
6. Qh3 Kg1
And I don’t see how white makes progress from here in this line- there is always the threat of Re3. Also,
1. Nf1 Kh3
2. h7 Rf1
3. h8(Q)Kg2
4. Qa8 Kg1
5. Kg3 Ra1
6. Qa1 f1(Q)
7. Qd4 Kh1
8. Qh8 Kg1
9. Qh2#
Now, does black have a better move than 5. ….Ra1? I don’t see one since the threat is Qf2 and black must make a move.
first attempt failed: 1. nf1 rxf1 2. h7 kh3 (what else?) 3. h8q kg2 4. kxg4 rh1 and no idea how to win here. It appeared that the queen could use a “ladder” 5. qa8 kg1 6. qa7 but black also has 6… rh7!? and here my lunchbreak ended
probably 4. qh4 may help. btw i doubt that an engine is of any real help, unless you have Nalimov installed (i don’t anyway)
btw i’m 100% sure 2. … kh5 loses. there must be a way to win the rook or maybe even to ckeckmate the black king right away. 2… kh3 is the only move
Since my comment do not appear, I repeat
it:
1Nf1 Rxf1
2 h7 Kh3
3 h=Q+ Kg2
4 Qa8+ Kh2
5 Qa7 Kg2
6 Qb7+ Kh2
7 Qb6 Kg2
8 Qc6+ Kh2
9 Qc5 Kg2
10 Qd5+ Kh2
11 Qd4 Kg2
12 Qe4+ Kh2
13 Qe3 Kg2
14 Qg3+ Kh1
15 Qh4+ Kg2
16 Qxg4+ Kh2
17 Kf3 wins
1.Nf1 Rh1 2.h7 Kh3 3.h8=Q+ Kf2 4.Qa1
with 1..Rh1 i think was the best line of defense for black but i don’t think that it would take too long for white to win..