GM Anatoly Lein turns 80 today! Here was a good one from him back in 1980.
White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Lein tactic
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Thanks. I was lucky enough to beat GM Lein in 1976 in a simul game. Class guy, former US champ, and terrific player.
The d8 square is weak, as is the back rank- d8 guarded only by the queen and the knight, so 1.Be5, skewering the queen and the rook should be deadly:
1. Be5
And I don’t see a real defense for black- either Qe5 or Ne5 is mate starting with Qd8, and the queen can’t leave the guard on d8, so only Qd7 moves the queen out of peril. Black could create a threat on the white queen with either Rd7 or Be3. Let’s just play through these to be sure, but they all look losing to me due to the hanging rook at b8:
1. …..Be3
2. Bc7 Bd2
3. Bb8 and black can’t retake at b8 due the still pending mate threat- black will be down a full rook. Or
1. …..Rd7
2. Bc7 Rd2
3. Rd2 Rb7 (or Ra8)
4. Bg3 and white is still up a rook. Or
1. …..Qd7
2. Bb8
And, here, there are different continuations, but they all seem roughly the same same:
2. …..Qd2
3. Rd2 And, again, the mate threat prevents the recapture at b8, and black is down a rook. Or
2. …..Nb8
3. Qf4
Threatening Qf8#. Continuing:
3. …..Qe8 (Rf7 4.Rd7 Rf4 5.Rd8!)
4. Qb8 and white is still up a rook.
1.Bxe5 Qxe5
2.Qd8+ Nxd8
3.Rxd8+ Re8
4.Rxe8#
Black is almost mated with Qd8+, if only the queen or knight were displaced, and thus they are both pinned; hence the e5 pawn is hanging and white can take it with tempo:
1 Bxe5 Qd7
And now Bxb8 wins the rook for free. Or white could even try something more fancy with 2 Qf4, threatening black’s queen as well as Qf8#, though it gets a little complicated after black’s only try to stay in the game with …Rf7. Either way, white should be up a rook minimum.
Be5 crushes the smart ass whipper snapper
1. Bxe5 Q or Nxe5
2. Qd8+ Q or Nxd8
3. Rxd8 mate
1.Bxe5 wins
No hesitation: Bxe5
This kills Black’s protection of d8 square.
1.Bxe5!
Bxe5 to deflect one of the defenders of d8. And then Qd8+ leads to mate.
Tim Loves Tiffanie!!!
Simple but instructive. The key is examining the position and noting a potential back rank mate at d8 if either the Black Knight or Black Queen could not defend d8.
So simply 1. B*e5 overloads.
Taking with either the Queen or Knight or Queen moves away, leads to 2. Q*d8+ and after BQ or BN takes Q at d8
3. R*d8 forcing mate.
Psyche/anonymous.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,few good combination exist for this chess puzzle.
My Initial move for White piece will be – “Be5”,if Black piece replies with “qd7” then after few exchange,White Piece has advantage but I don’t see a forking tranquilizer with less exchange of pieces,in favor of White piece – does there exist any such combination of moves exist for this puzzle ?
Okay – awaiting,you bright minds reply.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
1.Bxe5 Q or Nxe5
2.Qd8+ Q or Nxd8
3.R+d8 mate
black’s weak back rank allows white to play
1. Bxe5 Qxe5/Nxe5/Qa7/Qb7
2. Qd8+ Qxd8/Nxd8
3. Rxd8 Re8
4. Rxe8+ Bf8
5. Rxf8#
best for black would probably be
1. … Qd7
2. Qxd7 Bxd7
3. Bxb8 Nxb8
this leaves white up a pawn and an exchange. greets, jan
Nd5 e x N
Q x d5+ Rf7
Bc4
My first intuition is that I perhaps should sack queen on d8, to mate with rook afterwards.
But of course it doesn’t work since black controls d8 with both queen and knight.
My next thougt is to deflect one of those two pieces. And certainly, one move is quite easy to see then:
1. Bxe5
and black would resign i suppose.
Weather he takes bishop with knight or with queen, or moves queen away, it all allows white to sack his queen on d8 and mate with rook next.
Quite easy to see when you are hinted there is a brilliant move in the situation. To find it in a game is something quite different….
1 Bxe5
1.Bxe5!!
As often before, I missed something in my first post.
Still I think first move Bxe5 is correct, but good moves have to follow as well, to make it splendid.
1. Bxe5!
A)
1. … Qd7 (I missed this option at first glance)
2. Qf4! (double threat on queen and king)
a1)
2. … Qe8
3. Bh5 g6
4. Qf6 mate next.
Or
a2)
2. … Rf7
3. Rxd7 Rxf4
4. Rxg7+ Kh8
5. Rxf4
B)
1. … Rd7 (the other option I also missed)
2. Bxc7 Rxd2
3. Rxd2 h6
4. Rd8+ Kh7
5. Bxb8 Nxb8
6. Rxc8
C)
1. … Bd6 (the third option I forgot to look at)
2. Bxd6 Qb7/a7/d8
3. Bxe7 Qxe7
4. Qd8+ Qxd8
5. Rxd8#
So my conclution is that 1. Bxe5 is absolutely crushing in all lines, though somewhat more complex than I thought at first.
And again, I have to correct myself.
A knight on c6 was vanished from my consiousness in a couple of my lines:
1. Bxe5 Rd7
2. Bxc7 Rxd2
3. Rxd2 is up with a rook.
1. Bxe5 Bd6
2. Bxd6 Qd8
3. Bxe7 Qxe7 is up with bishop+quality
All other lines seem to be worse for black, but this is bad enough…
Hmmm…
“Up with bishop and quality”
What is that?
Yes, a rook 🙂
From all lines I have been able to see, I certainly liked this the best:
1. Bxe5 Qd7
2. Qf4 Qe8
3. Bh5 g6
4. Qf6! gxh5
5. Qh8#
Down in flames, but at least white was challenged to find several presice moves in a row…
Steal a pawn with 1. Bxe5. Black can’t capture the bishop because of the back rank mate threat.
biHow about Bxe5? with the threat of backrank mate if knight or queen captures the bishop.
Bxe5 Nxe5
Qd8+
OR Bxe5 Qxe5
Qd8+ Nxd8
Rxd8 and mate next move
1 Bxe5!!
if 1…Nxe5
2 Qd8+ Qxd8
3 Rd8+ Re8
4 Rxe8++
if 1…Qxe5
2 Qd8 Nxd8
3 Rxd8+ Re8
4 Rxe8++
Bxe5, skewering the Q and R.
If either N or Q takes Be5, then Qd8 results in mate.
Well, maybe not mate as I said, but a lot of material gets lost in any case:)
GM Lein is a fixture at the local chess tournaments here in Ohio and this has given me a chance to talk with him on several occasions. I found him to be warm and funny and very generous with stories. I wish he and his wife well.
My attempt at the puzzle:
1) Bxe5! then if … Nxe5
2) Qd8+! Qxd8
3) Rxd8+ Bf8 (all moves to interpose simply delay the inevitable)
4)Rfxf8# Easy peasy
If 1) … Qxe5, the pattern is much the same
If 1) … Qx7 then
2) Qxd7 Bxd7
3) Bxb8 wins an exchange and a pawn at least
Brad H.
Bxe5, skewering the Q and R.
If either N or Q takes Be5, then Qd8 will result in mate one way or the other.
I think the shot is 1.B:e5
It gains control of d8 and any Nite or Queen move allows for 2.Qd8+ and mate.
Black can try other moves to stave off mate but with loss of material.
I like Bxe5 looking to deflect a defender of d8.
Bxe5 Nxe5 Qd8+ Qxd8 Rxd8+ Rc8 Rxc8#
Taking the bishop isn’t an option . But black can plug up the d-file
Bxe5 Rd7 Bxc7 (Qg5 doesn’t really threaten anything) Rxd2 will leave black up an exchange and the pawn. For instance Bxb8 Rxd1 Rxd1 Nxb8
But what if we move the queen off the d-file?
Bxe5 Rd7 Rf8+ Kxf8 Qf4+ Ke8 Bxc7
but then
Bxe5 Rd7 Rf8+ Kxf8 Qf4+ Rf7 is not so clear
Nd5 looks complicated as well.
after Bxe5 blak’s only chance is to play Qd7…loses material, saves a game for a while… white has advantage but is not winning immediately
Hi Susan Polgar,
Okay – so there isn’t any other forking combination that leads to clean sweep by White piece.
Conclusively,as I and others in this blog had said earlier,post for this puzzle “Be5” initial move for White piece has advantage .
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]