White to move and win. Is it possible?
1N1R4/8/8/5K2/8/5p2/4k3/8 w – – 0 0
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White to move and win. Is it possible?
1N1R4/8/8/5K2/8/5p2/4k3/8 w – – 0 0
(having cheated)
Beautiful!
(also having cheated)
Nice rook mate in d2!;-)
If White can exchange the N for the f-pawn, then white has an easy R+K v K end game.
For starters:
1. Nc6 f2
2. Nd4+ [Kd1, Kd2, Kd3]
3. Nf3+ [Ke1, Ke2, Ke3]
exposed check from the d8 rook
4. Nh2 [Ke1, Ke2, Ke3]
if e8 and promotes, Nxe8 followed by Kxe8 and white has obtained the desired K+R v K end game. also, the h2 N, f5 K, and the f2 pawn form a wall against the black king
5. Re8+ [Kd1, Kd2, Kd3]
because of the wall, the black king is forced to move away from the pawn and can not cross the e-file so the white king can gather the pawn and we have a K+R+N v K end game.
So, black can not push the f-pawn because he must not let the white N check on move 2.
anonymous, it is not so easy. Black may oppose a stubborn resistance with:
1. Nc6 f2 2. Nd4+ Ke3 (which makes 3. Nf3+ impossible) 3. Nc2+ Kf3 4. Rd3+ Ke2 5. Re3+ Kd2 (5… Kd1 6. Rf3 Ke2 7. Nd4+ Ke1 8. Re3+ Kd2 9. Re2+ and wins) 6. Rf3 Ke2 7. Nd4+ Ke1 8. Re3+ Kd1 (if 8…Kd2 9. Re2+ as above) 9. Rd3+ Ke1 10. Nf3+ Ke2. And now? it seems that White cannot make progress in avoiding the promotion of the f2-pawn. But: 11. Ke4! and if 11… f1=Q 12. Rd2 mate. Black must underpromote with 11… f1=N, but the endgame K+R+N vs K+N is easily won (e.g. 12. Nd4+ Kf2 13. Rf3 Kg2 14. Kf4). The tactical point of this endgame is the mate in d2, 11 moves after the initial position. Without it, the endgame would be draw.
Didn’t expect it to be so easy. 🙂 Here are some other defensive attempts I had worked out. I was still working on the 3. .. Kf3 defense.
1. Nc6 f2
2. Nd4+ Ke1
3. Nf3+ Kf1
4. Kf4 Ke2
Kg2 is similar, the f3 N will hop opposite the king to cover the promotion square
5. Nh2
we’ve reached the same position as above with the N and pawn blockade, the rook will check and the rest is elementary
1. Nc6 f2
2. Nd4+ Ke3
3. Nc2+ Ke2
4. Re8+ [Kd1, Kd2, Kd3]
5. Ne3 Ke2
6. Re7 Kf3
7. Rg8+ Kh7
and white will collect the pawn and reach a won end game
after 6. Re7, black tries
6. .. Ke1
7. Kf4 Kd2
8. Re8 Ke1
9. Kf3 Kd2
10. Kg2 Ke1
11. Ng4+
exposed check from the Rook and white finally wins the pawn
**Didn’t expect it to be so easy. :)**
for a reason, because it wasn’t. you just didnt find the best moves for black. 3. nc2 kf3! and then what?
mauro, u nailed it. cool. I failed to find the checkmate
axel