i would play rook to the 8th, if queen takes, whites queen delivers mate in front of the king, and if the queen does not take the rook, the king makes its only legal move and is then forked by the knight losing his queen for a rook.
Obviously, the difference in the two positions is likely to be some sort of non-check move/s for white. I.e.- black cannot queen with check in the easy tactic. So, let’s do the easy one first. 1.Re8+ should jump out immediately:
1. Re8 Kf7 (Qe8 2.Qg7#) 2. Rh8
And black can’t queen with check in this problem, and white’s threats are multiple. I am not going to look at all the lines in the easy tactic, but black probably will do best to put the king on e7 immediately so that he can safely recapture the rook at d7:
2. …..Ke7 3. Rh7 Kd6 (or Kd8) 4. Rd7 Kd7 5. h7 and white will queen on the half move after black and have a decisive material edge, and I would guess there is a forced mate in here somewhere for white.
So, now let’s look at the hard tactic. Again, Re8+ seems like a good starting point, even if it is the wrong answer:
1. Re8 Kf7 2. Rh8
Again setting up the same threats. I looked at this a good long while, and I don’t see an alternative to the same threat as before, but in this problem, black will get an additional queen on the board before white can close the net on the black king:
2. …..c1(Q)
I don’t see a better alternative. Moves like 2. …Rf6 just lose to moves like either Ng5 or even Ne5 with check.
3. Kh2 Qc3
I don’t anything better here for black. Ke6 loses quickly to Qe5+ followed by Ng5. Also, Rf6 will lose to 4.Ng5+ followed by 5.Rh7, 6.Rxd7, and 7.h7 in that order (all forced moves). Continuing:
4. Rh7
I looked at Ng5+, but the best I can find in that line is a perpetual if black declines to put his king on d8 or d6 allowing white to capture at d7 with check, and then push h7 to win. For example: [4.Ng5 Ke7 5.Rh7 Kd8?? 6.Rd7! Kd7 7.Qd5 Kc7 8.h7+-]. Continuing:
A move unavailable in the parenthetical note above where white played 4.Ng5 first. 7.Ne5 threatens Qxc6 followed two moves later by h7 to win. It also threatens h7 immediately, or even Qf7+. I can’t imagine any better defense for black than to put the rook on d6:
7. …..Rd6 8. Qf7
Not sure if this is best, but it looks possibly winning. The other option I see is 8.Qa5. Continuing:
8. …..Kb6 (what else?) 9. h7 Qc8
I don’t think 9. …Rd8 is any better, but am less sure of it [9. …Rd8 10.Qf6 Kc7 11.Qe7 Kc8 12.Nf7! Rd7 13.Qe8 Kc7 14.h8Q looks decisive to me]. Continuing:
10.Qg7 Rd8 11.Qg6 Kc5 (K else Nf7 anyway) 12.Nf7 Rf8 (any better?) 13.Qh5 Kc6 14.h8Q Rh8 15.Nh8! and you tell me- is this decisive for white or not? I would certainly give only white winning chances. This makes me think I am missing either a better variation in the line above, or a completely different start at the beginning. If so, I am just not seeing it right now.
I see Re8+ Kf7 But I just can’t see a continuation & c1=Q is coming with a check. Or Ng5 first maybe? then: f1=Q+ Kh2. and Rc8 prevents all Re8+ ideas. This one is hard Susan!:) .
black is a rook up, but needs to protect mate on g7, potential back rank mates later, as well as a strong attack on the d5 pawn. e.g., if 5… Qd8 6. Nxg6 Qd7 7. Qh8+ Kf7 8. Ne5+ forks the queen, the h7 pawn will also fall, 1-0
if 5. … Qe6 6. Qa7 Qf6 7. Qa8+ Qf8 8. Qxd5+ Kh8 9. Nf7+ Kg8 10. Ng5+ Kh8 11. Ne6! 1-0 (if the black Q leaves the back rank, then Qa8+. else if the black Q leaves guard of g7 then Qd4+)
if 5. … Qe7 6. Qxd5+ Kf8 7. Qa8+ Qe8 8. Nxg6+ Kf7 (if black takes the N, then after q-exchange, h7 will queen 1-0) 9. Ne5+ Ke7 10. Qa7+ Ke6/d6
This should win for white. 11. Qxh7 is one option. …Qh5+ can be defended with Kg3, or if desired with a g4 first. black’s king is exposed, and also the h6 pawn is strong. I may have missed the most accurate line though.
Yancey….no board here to play with at the moment, but I’m thinking 4 Ne5+ gives white way more options than Ng5+ or Rh7+…line looks rather hairy to me, but I’d love to play with it over a board.
i would play rook to the 8th, if queen takes, whites queen delivers mate in front of the king, and if the queen does not take the rook, the king makes its only legal move and is then forked by the knight losing his queen for a rook.
If the King was on h2, Re8+ was clearly winning.
With the King on g1, c1=Q is a check also, so its not the same.
However, I still think first move will be Re8+ itself. Till now only able to find a draw.
1. Re8+ Kf7
2. Re1 Kg8
3. Re8+ and draw by perpetual
nice tactics you have, i will follow your blog for the next tactics
Obviously, the difference in the two positions is likely to be some sort of non-check move/s for white. I.e.- black cannot queen with check in the easy tactic. So, let’s do the easy one first. 1.Re8+ should jump out immediately:
1. Re8 Kf7 (Qe8 2.Qg7#)
2. Rh8
And black can’t queen with check in this problem, and white’s threats are multiple. I am not going to look at all the lines in the easy tactic, but black probably will do best to put the king on e7 immediately so that he can safely recapture the rook at d7:
2. …..Ke7
3. Rh7 Kd6 (or Kd8)
4. Rd7 Kd7
5. h7 and white will queen on the half move after black and have a decisive material edge, and I would guess there is a forced mate in here somewhere for white.
So, now let’s look at the hard tactic. Again, Re8+ seems like a good starting point, even if it is the wrong answer:
1. Re8 Kf7
2. Rh8
Again setting up the same threats. I looked at this a good long while, and I don’t see an alternative to the same threat as before, but in this problem, black will get an additional queen on the board before white can close the net on the black king:
2. …..c1(Q)
I don’t see a better alternative. Moves like 2. …Rf6 just lose to moves like either Ng5 or even Ne5 with check.
3. Kh2 Qc3
I don’t anything better here for black. Ke6 loses quickly to Qe5+ followed by Ng5. Also, Rf6 will lose to 4.Ng5+ followed by 5.Rh7, 6.Rxd7, and 7.h7 in that order (all forced moves). Continuing:
4. Rh7
I looked at Ng5+, but the best I can find in that line is a perpetual if black declines to put his king on d8 or d6 allowing white to capture at d7 with check, and then push h7 to win. For example: [4.Ng5 Ke7 5.Rh7 Kd8?? 6.Rd7! Kd7 7.Qd5 Kc7 8.h7+-]. Continuing:
4. …..Ke8 (any better??)
5. Rd7 Kd7
6. Qd5 Kc7
7. Ne5
A move unavailable in the parenthetical note above where white played 4.Ng5 first. 7.Ne5 threatens Qxc6 followed two moves later by h7 to win. It also threatens h7 immediately, or even Qf7+. I can’t imagine any better defense for black than to put the rook on d6:
7. …..Rd6
8. Qf7
Not sure if this is best, but it looks possibly winning. The other option I see is 8.Qa5. Continuing:
8. …..Kb6 (what else?)
9. h7 Qc8
I don’t think 9. …Rd8 is any better, but am less sure of it [9. …Rd8 10.Qf6 Kc7 11.Qe7 Kc8 12.Nf7! Rd7 13.Qe8 Kc7 14.h8Q looks decisive to me]. Continuing:
10.Qg7 Rd8
11.Qg6 Kc5 (K else Nf7 anyway)
12.Nf7 Rf8 (any better?)
13.Qh5 Kc6
14.h8Q Rh8
15.Nh8! and you tell me- is this decisive for white or not? I would certainly give only white winning chances. This makes me think I am missing either a better variation in the line above, or a completely different start at the beginning. If so, I am just not seeing it right now.
I see Re8+ Kf7
But I just can’t see a continuation & c1=Q is coming with a check.
Or Ng5 first maybe? then: f1=Q+
Kh2. and Rc8 prevents all Re8+ ideas.
This one is hard Susan!:) .
1. Re8+ Kf7 2. Rh8 c1Q+ 3. Kh2 Qc3 4. R:h7+ Ke8 5. R:d7 K:d7 5. Ne5+ and 6. N:c6 and white has a big advantage.
1. Re8+ Kf7
2. Re1 Kg8
3. Ne5 c1=Q
4. Rxc1 Rxc1+
5. Kh2
black is a rook up, but needs to protect mate on g7, potential back rank mates later, as well as a strong attack on the d5 pawn.
e.g.,
if 5… Qd8
6. Nxg6 Qd7
7. Qh8+ Kf7
8. Ne5+ forks the queen, the h7 pawn will also fall, 1-0
if 5… Qd6
6. Qa7 Qc7 (6… Rc7 7. Qa8+ mates)
7. Qa8+ Qc8
8. Qxd5+ Kh8
9. Nxg6+ hxg6
10. Qe5+ Kh7/g8
11. Qg7#
if 5. … Qe6
6. Qa7 Qf6
7. Qa8+ Qf8
8. Qxd5+ Kh8
9. Nf7+ Kg8
10. Ng5+ Kh8
11. Ne6!
1-0
(if the black Q leaves the back rank, then Qa8+. else if the black Q leaves guard of g7 then Qd4+)
if 5. … Qe7
6. Qxd5+ Kf8
7. Qa8+ Qe8
8. Nxg6+ Kf7
(if black takes the N, then after q-exchange, h7 will queen 1-0)
9. Ne5+ Ke7
10. Qa7+ Ke6/d6
This should win for white. 11. Qxh7 is one option. …Qh5+ can be defended with Kg3, or if desired with a g4 first. black’s king is exposed, and also the h6 pawn is strong. I may have missed the most accurate line though.
Yancey….no board here to play with at the moment, but I’m thinking 4 Ne5+ gives white way more options than Ng5+ or Rh7+…line looks rather hairy to me, but I’d love to play with it over a board.