White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Judit Chess Tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Well, Qh6 jumps out at me:
1. Qh6 g6
I looked at f5 and f6, but after ef6 by white, it looks a lot less secure to me than g6, but they have to be played in the main line below anyway. Continuing:
2. Rh3 f5
3. ef6 Qf7
This is a must since white is threatening Be7 cutting the queen off from protecting h7. Continuing:
4. Bd3
Piling on the pressure by threatening Bg6 and the bishop cannot be taken without allowing either Qh8# or Rg3 pinning and winning the queen. Continuing:
4. …..Nd4
With Bg6 in view, I really don’t see another move here that is better. Nd4 prevents Bg6 as seen in the note that follows. Continuing:
5. Bb2
Definitely not 5.Bg6 now: [5.Bg6?? Qg6! 6.Rg3? Ne2-+]. Continuing:
5. …..Nf5
I don’t know for sure this is the best move for black here- I simply haven’t looked at the alternatives more than a move or two deep, but this looks natural to me as a defensive move:
6. Qh7! Qh7 (Kf8 7.Qh8 Qg8 8.Ba3+-)
7. f7! Kf7 (Qf7 8.Rh8#)
8. Rh7 Kf8
9. Rb7 Rc6
And the black a-pawn should also fall. With the two powerful bishops and the extra two pawns, white should have a decisive edge with proper play.
I went and looked the game up since I wasn’t all that pleased with what I had found. Ms. Polgar found a better move than my 1.Qh6. Indeed, I had actually looked at 1.Rg7 briefly but couldn’t find more than a draw in that line after 2.Qg5 Kh8. Ms. Polgar’s solution to this problem was quite pretty. The actual game continued:
1. Bc6! bc6
2. Rg7!!Kg7
3. Qg5 Kh8
4. Be7! and to prevent the mate, black would have to give up the queen leaving white with a queen vs a rook and knight. Black resigned. And it matters not how black retakes at move 1- taking with the rook leaves the f8 square fatally weak and Qc6 leaves the seventh rank fatally weak.
1.Qh6.g6 2. Rh3 con mate inevitable
1.Dh6. g6 2. Th3 con mate inevitable
I don’t see a way to make an immediate sac work here, but it looks as if White can win in several ways.
The cleanest seems to be 1. Bc6:. If the Q or the R retakes, then Qh6 is immediately crushing, so Black must retake with the Pawn. Then 2. Rg7:+ works: Kg7:
3. Qg5+ Kh8 4. Be7 forces Black to give up the Queen, with a busted position and material down.
JUDIT DID IT
My first impulse was 1 Rxg7+ but after 1… Kxg7 I can not see proper continuation.
Correct seems to be sober
1 Bxc6
All three captures are inadequate.
1. …. Rxc6 2. Qh6 f5( 2… g6 3Qf8#)3. exf6 Rc7 4. Be7 wins
1. …. Qxc6 2. Qh6 g6 3. Rh3 Nd7 4. Qxh7#
1. …. bxc6 2. Rxg7+ Kxg7 3. Qg5+ Kh8 4. Be7
1… Qc7
black hopes to survive the crisis and recapture later.
2 Bc5 maintaians status co and threatens Bxb6 to deflect Q in some variations.
1. Bxc6 Qc7 2. Bc5 Nd7 3. Bxd7 Qxd7 4. Qh6 g6 5. Rc3 Rd8 6. Rh3 f6 7. exf6 Qf7 8. Qf4 Rc8 9. Rc3 Kh8 10. Qc1 Kg8 11. Be7 .No need to anayze further.
1. Qd2-h6
–br
Qh6?
1.Qh6 g6
2.Rh3 Kh8
3.Qxh7#