White to move. How should White proceed?
3qkb1r/Q2b1p2/p2pp2p/1p1Np3/2r5/5N2/PPP2PPP/2KRR3 w k – 0 1
Hess – Huschenbeth, 2005
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Middlegame play
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Queen takes on d7. White eventually wins a rook and a pawn for a knight
1. N:e5 de
2. Nf6+ gives Black the choice between 3. Q:d7# or R:d7+ winning the Q
Nxe5!
Nxe5 dxe5 Nf6 Qxf6 Qxd7#
Nxe5 dxe5 Nf6 Ke7 Nxd7
Nxe5 Rxc2+ Kxc2
Etc. Lots of variations, but nothing saves black.
1. Ne4! de
2. Nf6+
if
2. … Qf6
3. Qd7#
if
2. … Ke7
3. Rd7+
Nxe5!
Nb4?
can opener:
ne5 de5
nf6
1. Nxe5
(..dxe5, Nf6+) 1-0
1. Nxe5 dxe5
2. Nf6+
and white either checkmates if QxN
or black loses the queen, with
black moving Ke7, then
3. Re7+ Qxe7
4. Qxe7
Nxe5 works
1. Ne5 puts the pressure on black and leaves him with bad options:
1. …..ed5
2. Nc4 Be7
3. Nd6 with an overwhelming advantage.
1. …..de5
2. Nf6 Ke7 (Qf6?? 3. Qd7#)
3. Rd7 wins for white.
Other moves that ignore both knights don’t look any more promising to me.
okay, can opener var. 1:
1 ne5 rc8 (seeing that …de allows nf6)
2 nd7 qd7
3 nf6
if 2 …ra8
3 n(7)f6
1. Nxe5 wins
ne5
go colts by six
Some interesting pressure can be built up on the bishop at d7. Possibly a rook sac on e5 followed by moving the knight to f6 which the queen can’t defend at it is tied to defense of the d7 bishop.
Just some thoughts…
1. Ne5.
If de5 then 2.Nf6 wins.
If ed5 then 2.Nc4.
I like 1. Nxe5. Here are a few lines:
1. … dxe
2. Nf6+ QxN
3. QxB#
1. … dxe
2. Nf6+ Ke7
3. RxB+ QxR
4. QxQ+ KxN (White has traded R and 2 Ns for Q, B, and pawn)
or
3… KxN
4. RxQ (not better)
Now a different line involves Black not taking the Knight at the first move, but saving the Rook instead:
1. … Rc8
2. Nxf7 Kxf7
3. Rxe6 Kxe6
4. Qe3+ Kf7
5. Qf4+ and White should be able to run the King down
Mark
Nxe4!
1. Nxe5
1. … dxe5
2. Nf6+ Qxf6
3. Qxd7#
This is just one line. But rooks are menacing along d and e files.
1. Nxe5
Qxd7 Qxd7
Nf6+ Ke7
Nxd7 Kxd7
Nxe5+ Kc7
Nxc4 bxc4
1. Nxe5 dxe5 *
2. Nf6+ Ke7
(2. … Qxf6 3. Qxd7#)
3. Rxd7+ wins the queen
* if 1… Rc5
2. Nxd7 Qxd7
3. Nf6+ forks the queen
* so 1… Be7 is necessary, but then simply
2. Nxc4 bxc4
followed by either:
3. Nc7+ Kf8 4. Nxa6
or 3. Nxe7 Qxe7 4. Qxa6 and black’s d-pawn also falls.
Nxe5 looks good
okay, okay. can opener var. 2:
1 ne5 ed5
(i hadn’t even thought of this as a possibility — maybe instinct)
2 nc4
with a nasty discovered check that picks up material
2 ng6 may also be worth rolling out but after …Be6 i’m not sure what white has besides an overwhelming game
i guess white would follow with:
3 nxh8 which threatens Qxf7. also, the d5 pawn would be hanging. might be strong enough. might just.
okay, okay, (okay). can opener var. 3:
1 ne5 ed5
while ng6 (see can opener var. 2)is okay, picking up the h8 rook i don’t know how i overlooked
2 nc6 be6
3 nxd8 let’s go home, it’s late