Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
White is a piece up but black seems to have enviable position.My first impulse is 1…. Bxg5.Now
2RxBg5 drives the queen away from action but white may give the piece back and play Kb1. If black B takes Q he can also take Q by c pawn. Better for black seems to be
1…. Qxb4 allowing R and B to explore c3.I can not guess what white’s move will be since nothing seems to help the position.
1. BxN (a) QxB
2. Rxc3+ bxc
3. Qxc3+ (a1) Bc2
4. Qa1+ Bb1
5. Rc8#
3. … (a2) Kb1 or Kb2
4. Qb3+ Kc1 (if Ka1, Qa2#)
5. Rc8#
1. … (b) Kb1
2. BxQ cxd4
3. Bxb4
Maybe there’s more for black than I’m seeing, but black has a net gain of a knight and pawn.
Mark
1. Qxb4 Kb1 2. Bxc3 Qe2 3. Qb3 and mate can’t be prevented. if 2. .. Qc2 3. Qa5 bxc3 4. Rxc3 and mate can’t be prevented also.
Deflecting the White Queen away from defense of the c-pawn and the Bishop on d3 looks to be the best play for Black.
1. … Bxg5
2. Qxg5 or [2. Kb1 Bxd2 3. cxd4 Bxb4]
2. … Rxc3
3. bxc3 or [3. Bc2 Rxc2+ 4.Kxc2 Rc8+ 5.Kb1 Be4+ 6. Ka1 Qxb4 7. Qe3 Rc5 ]
3. … Qxc3+
4. Kb1 or [4. Bc2 Be4 5. Q (orR)d2 Qa1+ 6. Bb1 Qxb1+mate]
4. … Qxb4+
5. Kc1 or [5. Ka1 Qc3+ 6. Kb1 Rb8+ 7. Bb5 Rxb5+mate]
5. … Qc3+
6. Bc2 or [6. Kb1 Rb8+ ]
6. … Be4
7. R (or Q)d2 Qa1+
8. Bb1 Qxb1+mate
Bg5 looks very interesting as a way to deflect the white queen from the defense of c3:
1. …..Bg5
2. Qg5 Rc3
And now white seems to have only bad options- take the rook, move the king and lose the bishop at d3, or block the check with said bishop:
3. bc3 Qc3
4. Kb1
Or, taking advantage the threat of Qa1, black can defeat Bc2 with a mating net: [4.Bc2 Bb3 5.Rd2 Qa1 6.Bb1 Rc8 7.Rc2 Rc2 8.Kd1 Qb1 with mate on the next move]. Continuing:
4. …..Qb4!(to clear b-file for R)
5. Kc1
Or [5.Kc2 Bb3 6.Kb1 (or 6.Kc1 Rc8-+) 6. …Ba4 7.Ka2 (or 7.Ka1 Qa3 8.Kb1 Rb8-+) 7. …Qb3 8.Ka1 Qa3 9.Kb1 Rb8 with mate to follow]; or [5.Ka1 Qc3 6.Kb1 Rb8 with mate to follow]. Continuing:
5. …..Qc3
6. Bc2
Here, of course, Kb1 is now met by Rb8 with a quick mate- the point of Qb4 at move 4. Continuing:
6. …..Bb3 (I know I covered it)
7. Qd2
Of course, in the note earlier, we saw how Rd2 loses- Qd2 loses the same way. White could delay all of this with some sacrificial checks on the black king, but delay is all he can do. Continuing:
7. …..Qa1
8. Bb1 Rc8 with mate to follow.
Back at move 3, white does better to decline the rook offer, but I think he still ends up in a losing game:
3. Bc2 Rc2
I looked at a few options here in a cursory manner, but the attack on the queen at d4 seems to force this exchange sacrifice. A move like Qc4 just doesn’t work since white can now play bc3 with advantage since the arising position is the same as the lines in the earlier variation, but with white to move rather than black (queen at c3, bishop blocking at c2). In any case, the other black rook can now come to the party. Continuing:
4. Kc2 Rc8
5. Kb1 Be4
6. Ka1
Here, Ka2 is no better. Continuing:
6. …..Qb4
7. Qe3
To block the check from a3 with the queen. Preparing to block with Rh3 will fail by leaving the d1 rook unprotected against the black queen’s attack with check from a4. Continuing:
7. …..Rc5!
A natural reply to white’s last move, but not an easy one to spot for me. I had to look hard at this position before it hit me. This, of course, threatens Ra5. There isn’t a good reply, but white might have one last trick to play:
8. Rd3!?
Otherwise, white will have to give up the queen for black’s rook. This move tempts black to go astray, but black need not take the bait:
8. …..Rb5!
Here, it is tempting to capture at d3, but this throws away most or all of the edge: [8. …Bd3? 9.Qd3 Ra5 10.Kb1 and materially, it is a about even- black has three pawns for his piece]. Continuing:
9. Qc1
Here, 9.Qd2 loses to Qd2 followed by Ra5# if white recaptures the queen at d2; 9.Rd2 loses to Ra5 and white has to give up a full queen to stop the mate; and Rb1 loses to Bd3 followed by Ra5. Continuing:
9. …..Bd3
10.Qc8 Qf8
This is probably the only winning move for black since Kf7 is met by Qd7+ dropping the bishop at d3. Continuing:
11.Qc3
Or exchange the queens and go into the endgame down three pawns. Continuing:
11. ….Be4
And this should be sufficient for an easy win for black.
Or, at move 3:
3. Kd2 Rd3 and black has a multiple pawns, and an attack. Or
3. Kb1 Rd3 with multiple pawns, and an attack, too.
Now, the last loose thread is at move 2, where white takes the bishop at g5. He actually doesn’t have to since he can unpin the c-pawn by moving the king:
1. …..Bg5
2. Kb1 Bd2
3. cd4 Bb4 and black is up two health pawns.
I get the feeling I am missing something here.
Damn. Could Qb4 be better? Never even saw this move until now- I was too focused on winning back the piece immediately that I only considered Bg5.
1. …..Qb4
Black is still threatening Bg5 and also Rc3/Bc3, now, even if white moves the king to b1. About the best I can see for white is to give the king a hole at d1 by moving the rook to e1, f1, or g1:
2. Re1 Rc3
Here, Bc3 looks ok, but leads to a tedious endgame: [2. …Bc3 3.bc3 Rc3 4.Kd1 Rd3! 5.Qd3 Bb3 6.Ke2 (or 6.Kc1 Rc8 with mate soon to come) 6. …Bc4 7.Qc4 Qc4 8.Kf2 and black, with the extra pawns should have a decisive edge by pushing the e and d-pawns down white’s throat, but he will have to play quite carefully]. Continuing:
3. bc3
Nothing better than this, in my opinion. Continuing:
3. …..Bc3
4. Qe2
I am not 100% sure, but moves like Qf2 or Qc2 look no better to me after black replies with Bb3 like below, and Qe3 loses immediately to Qb2+. Continuing:
4. …..Bb3 and to prevent the mate starting with Qa3, white will have to concede his queen at a minimum.
Back at move 2, did white have anything better than Rde1? If he does, I am not seeing it.
I don’t have time to look at this line exhaustively, but from what I see, 1. …Qb4 looks superior to Bg5. If I have the time later today, I will take a deeper look at white’s options at move 2.
I looked the game up on Chessbomb. Black did play Bg5, and white replied with Qg5 and quickly lost. The computer analysis that was given prior to Bg5 suggested exactly that move as best, but suggested Kb1 as the reply, though it still evaluated that at -4.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,nice puzzle,very interesting,if I am representing Black piece,well my moves will differ from the others of this blog as of now,for this puzzle.
My moves will be
1. .. h6
2.Nf3 Q*Nh4
3.R*Qh4 B*Nf3
4.Kc2 B*Rd1+
5.Q*Bd1 B*Rh4 [ Well after these moves Black piece can win the game with little caution – rest of the moves are left for brainy minds of this blog – cool ]
Susan very interesting puzzle – nice.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
My move mirrors Venky. It’s Black to move, so…..h4 This threatens at once BxN and pins Q to K. After …h4 W plays KB1, and B wins with BxN!