White to move. How should White proceed? No computer analysis please 🙂
2b2r2/2p2R1p/1p4pk/p2B3r/1nPp3Q/1P4P1/6KP/1q6 w – – 0 1
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I like Rxh7+ followed by Qe7+ and mate in all lines. Lafferty probably would resign as while though.
1.Rxh7+ Kxh7 2.Qe7+! Rf7
(or 2…Kh6 3.Qxf8+ Kh7 [3….Kg5 4.Qf4 mate ! ] or 2….Kh8 3.Qxf8+ Kh7 and we will get more easily the exact same position than in the “promoted” variation ! )
3.Qxf7+ Kh8/h6 4.Qf8+! Kh7 5.Qg8+ Kh6 6.Qh8+ Kg5 7.h4+!
A) 7….Rxh4 8.Qxh4+ Kf5 9.Qf4 mate !
B) 7….Kg4 8.Qxd4+ Qe4 9.Qxe4 mate ! or 8….Kf5 9.Qf4 mate !
C) 7….Kf5 8.Qf8+ Ke5/g4 9.Qf4 mate !
Rxh7+, Kxh7
Qe7+ K move
Qxf8+
…if Kh7, Qg8+, Kh6, Qh8+, Kg5, h4+, Kg4 (Rxh4, Qxh4+ and Qf4++) Qxd4+ followed by Qf4++
…if Kg5, Qf4++
1. Rxh7+ Kxh7
2. Qe7+
From here
2 … Kh6
3. Qxf8+ Kg5
4. Qf4 #
OR
2. … Kh8
3. Qxf8+ Kh7
4. Bg8+ Kh8
5. Be6+ Kh7
6. Qg8+ Kh6
7. Qh8+ Kg5
8. h4+ Rxh4
9. Qxh4 #
Should be correct unless I visual wrongly. Lol.
Probably either a rook a sacrifice at h7 or a queen sacrifice at h5. Why? Most of these problems start with a sacrifice (and the rook and queen are both attacked anyway, so some sort of check is called for)! I don’t immediately see anything after 1.Qh5, nor do I see anything promising in the line that starts with Qf4+ since, after black blocks with the g-pawn, the black queen gets back into the defense at g6:
1. Qf4 g5
2. Qf6 Qg6
And, now, since white is already down a rook and a knight, it does him/her no good to to take at f8 or g6 since he will still be down a piece and two pawns after winning a rook back, and I don’t see any more attack with just the rook and bishop (which will be exchanged for the knight by force anyway). No, Rh7 seems to be the only realistic option, and it has an easily seen second move for white that, at least, gets the second rook back and lets the queen check the black king a few more times, at least.
1. Rh7 Kh7 (forced, obviously)
2. Qe7
Is there another move here? I see nothing but this check from e7. Continuing:
2. …..Kh8 (Kh6 below)
3. Qf8 Kh7
4. Qg8 Kh6
5. Qh8
Again, hard to see any other move here with the white king so exposed himself. Continuing:
5. …..Kg5
And, now, white has the black king withing range of the g and h-pawns. Here, again, it seems there is only one useful move, though 6.Qd8 Kh6 might be a draw by repetition if white persists with Qh8+. Continuing:
6. h4
And every reply by black here is a mate for white:
6. …..Rh4
7. Qh4 Kf5 (only move)
8. Qf4# Or
6. …..Kg4
7. Qc8 Rf5 (or Qf5)
8. Bf3# Or
6. …..Kf5
7. Qc8 Kf6 (Ke5 8.Qe6#)
8. Qf8 Ke5 (back into the hole!)
9. Qf4#
Back at move two, it won’t help black to play
2. …..Kh6 (Rf7 3.Qf7, of course)
3. Qf8 Kh7 (Kg5 4.Qf4#)
4. Qg8 and we have interpolated into the previous line that was a mate in 9 moves total.
1. Rh7+ Kh7
2. Qe7+
a) 2. … Kh8
3. Qf8+ Kh7
4. Qg8+ Kh6
5. Qh8+ Kg5
6. h4+
a1)6. … Kf4
7. Qf8+ and Qf4++
a2)6. … Kg4
7. Qd4+ and Qf4++
a3)6. … Rh4
7. Qh4+ and Qf4++
b) 2. … Kh6
3. Qf8+ Kh7 (not Kg5 Qf4++)
etc.
c) 2. … Tf7
3. … Qf7 and same as a)
1.Rxh7+ Kxf7
2.Qe7+ Kh6
3.Qxf8+ kg5
4.h4+ Rxh4
if ( 4… Kg4 then Bf3#)
5.gxh4+ Kxh4
6.Qf4+ Kh5
7.Bf3++
Can you see the mate in 9 from the original position? Strong players can, but how about the rest of us?
Instead, let’s get into the mind of a player of modest strength: Kaye (ELO 1525). Kaye can only see a few moves ahead. However, she knows that she’s down a rook, knight, and two pawns, and that her King is exposed to attack. She sees that her next move probably needs to be a check. 1 Qf4+ g5, 2 Qf6+ Qg6, 3 Rxf8 will get a Rook back, but then Black can trade Queens and the Knight for the Bishop, and she’ll be down a piece and two pawns. That’s no good. Since 1 Qg5+ is silly, the only other check is 1 Rxh7. Kaye understands that there’s nothing to lose by trying this, so she plays it:
1 Rxh7+! Kxh7
Now the only reasonable check is:
2 Qe7+ Rf7
Other moves transpose to the same line.
3 Qxf7+ Kh6
Not 3… Kh8, 3 Qg8#
Now Kaye can see that 4 Qf4+ g5, 5 Qf6+ Qg6 gets her nowhere, and 5 Qf8+ Kh7 also does nothing. With the pawn on g5, Black can also get his Queen back into play via g6 or h7.
What about 4 Qf8+ instead? Black can’t play Kg5 because of Qf4#. So Kaye knows that there’s nothing risked by playing:
4 Qf8+ Kh7
Now Kaye can pick up the Bishop, but she’ll still be down the Exchange and two pawns, which is no good. How about 5 Qg8+ instead? After Kh6, 6 Qh8+ Kg5, Black has f5 and g4 available to him and might escape. It would be nice if the Bishop were on e6 instead to cut off Black’s access to those squares. Then Kaye realizes that she can get the Bishop to e6 via two checks.
5 Bg8+
The computers, and most strong players, know that 5 Qg8+ mates a move sooner. Kaye and many players who are still learning don’t know that yet.
5…. Kh8
6 Be6+ Kh7
7 Qg8+ Kh6
Kaye already knows from earlier that she can play 8 Qf8+ with a perpetual, as Kg5 leads to 9 Qf4#. What about 8 Qh8+ Kg5 instead? Kaye can see that after 9 Qd8+, Black can only go back to h6. So there’s no risk in trying:
8 Qh8+ Kg5
Now Kaye can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With the Bishop in place, Black’s King has no moves to make, so:
9 h4+! Rxh4
10 Qxh4#
And thus, Kaye, who can only see 2 or 3 moves ahead, can find the win (although not the fastest possible mate) simply by understanding, at each move:
1: Down a lot of material with an exposed King, there’s nothing to lose by playing Rxh7+
2&3: The only reasonable moves.
4: No risk with Qf8+ as Kg5 mates next.
5&6: No risk with Bg8+ and Be6+, and the Bishop cuts off Black’s exit later.
7: No risk with Qg8+ as she can revert with Qf8+ next move, and Black still can’t play Kg5 because of the same Qf4# as before.
8: No risk with Qh8+ since she can force Black back to h6 by Qe8+ if needed.
9: A simple mate in 2.
By examining each position logically, Kaye can feel her way along to a win without risking anything, and without the need to see far ahead.
It’s still helpful to be able to analyze several moves ahead. If you’re not able to do that yet, then you have to use what you have and take your best shot.
1.Rxh7+! Kxh7 2.Qe7+ Kh6 (2…Rf7 3.Qxf7+ and 2…Kh8 3.Qxf8+ transpose to the main line) 3.Qxf8+ Kh7 (3…Kg5? 4.Qf4#) 4.Bg8+! Kh8 5.Be6+! (cutting off f5 and g4 as escape squares for Black’s king; not 5.Bf7+ Kh7 6.Qg8+ Kh6 7.Qxg6+?? Qxg6) Kh7 6.Qg8+! Kh6 7.Qh8+ Kg5 8.h4+ Rxh4 9.Qxh4#
I directly looked at 1.Rxh7+! Kxh7
2.Qe7+ Kh6(h8) 3.Qxf8+ Kh7
(3…Kg5 leads to 4.Qf4#)
(Also 2…Rf7 3.Qxf7+ Kh6
4.Qf8+ Kh7 leads to this position.)
Now first I looked at 4.Bg8+ Kh8
5.Bf7+ but g6 is defended by the black Queen.
So I found 4.Qg8+! Kh6 5.Qh8+ Kg5
and now 6.h4+!
if Black takes this pawn with the rook 6…Rxh4 7.Qxh4+ Kf5 8.Qf4# is mate.
So the king have to choose between g4 and f5.
After 6…Kg4 there is 7.Qxd4+ Kf5 8.Qf4#
After 6…Kf5 follows 7.Qf8+
(7.Qxc8+ also is mate)
7…Kf5 (or Kg4) 8.Qf4# it is mate again.
1. Rxh7+ Kxa7 2. Qe7+ Kh6 3. Qxf8+ Kg5 4. Qf4 mate or if 3. …. Kh7 4. Bg8+ Kh8 draw as there is no checkmate
i think a mate can be forced:
1. Rxh7+ Kxh7
2. Qe7+ Kh6
3. Qxf8+ Kh7
4. Bg8+ Kh8
5. Be6+ Kh7
6. Qg8+ Kh6
7. Qh8+ Kg5
8. h4+ Rxh4
9. Qxh4#
other lines will lead to a similar pattern. i think this is the longest one. greets, jan
I was thinking this line but couldn’t calculate it end in my head.
1. Rxh7+ Kxh7
2. Qe7+ Kh6
3. Qxf8+ Kh7 (…Kg5 4.Qf4++ mate)
4. Bg8+ Kh8
5. Be6+ Kh7 And with possible repetition
6. Qg8+ ?!
Rxh7 KxR;Qe7 Kh6;QxRf8 Kh5;Qf4
Rxh7 must work
Rh7+