White to move. How should White proceed? How can White save this game? No computer analysis please.
Hint: This is quite tricky and it requires serious calculation 🙂
q4r1k/5pp1/1p1p1N1p/2pP2NQ/2Pn4/7P/6PK/r1R5 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
1. Qxf7 Ra7 2. Ra1 Qe8 (2. … gxf6 3. Rxa7 Rxf7 4. Nxf7+ with an easy win; 2. … R(any)xf7 3. Nxf7+ Rxf7 4. Rxa8+ mates.)
Now I’m not sure if there’s an immediate win for White. The best I can find is 3. Qxe8 Rxe8 4. Rxa7 gxf6 5. Nf7+ followed by Nxh6+, Nf7+, Nxd6 which is winning.
In view of the hint that this is tricky I may have missed something. But it seems to me that white can win with
1. Rxa2 Qxa2 (otherwise black will just be a piece down)
2. Qxf7 Qa8
3. Qg6 and mate on h7.
The only tricky bit I see is that
1. Qxf7 fails to Ra7
2. Qg6 gxf6 and now h7 is covered by the R on a7 so there is no mate.
1.Qxf7 Nf3+
[1…Rxf7 2.Nxf7#]
[1…gxf6 2.Qh7#]
[1…Rxc1 2.Qg8+ Rxg8 3.Nf7#]
2.gxf3 Ra2+ 3.Kg3 -+ mate follows shortly
– SS
1.Qxf7 Rxc1 (1…Nf3 2.gxf3 Qa2+ 3.Kg3) 2.Qg8+ Rxg8 3.Nf7#
Sure looks like white can force mate.
My analysis runs with 1 Qxf7! ..Nf3+ 2 gxf3 …Ra2+ 3 Kh4 ..Rg8 ( if 3..Rxf7 then Nxf7 is mother mate) 4 Qg6! and mate is inevitable for if 4..hxg5 the q mates on h file
1.Qxf7 (threathens Qg8+) Ra7 2. Ra1! +- not 1. Rxa1? Qxa1 2. Qxf7 Nf3+!
It’s really tricky. I will give one line, but maybe there is a failure in it.
1. Qxf7 Ra7 (all other lines are won for White, as the thread is Qg6 and Nf3+ does not lead to a perpetual; 1. Rxa1 however is bad, as after Qxa1 Nf3+ will lead to perpetual at least (probably Black is won then)
2. Ra1! and now after 2. Rxa1 Qg6 is winning as after Nf3+ the rook has no perpetual and the Queen does not come with check on the first ranks.
2. … gxf6
3. Rxa7 and White wins
Is that reasonable? I am waiting for your other and probably better suggestions …
Appears to be simple.
Rxa1,Qxa1(2)Qxf7,Rxf7(3)Nxf7#
Actually this is not that simple.
If 2…Nxf3+(3)gxf3,Qe5+(4)Kh1,Qxf6
(5)Qxf6,Rxf6(6)Ne4,Rg6
Advantage to black.
White should start aggresively but play safely.
2)Nxf7+,Rxf7
3)Qxf7,Nf3+(If 3)… gxf6(4)Qf8+,Kh7(5)Qf7+ Leads to Draw)
4)Kg3,Qxf6
5)Qxf6,gxf6
6)Kxf3,Position is equal.
Final Verdict: DRAW
S.Krishnamurthy
Q:f7
Q:f7
Qxf7 wins in all variations if the rook does not take the white queen and the black quenn is not sacrified then :
Qg8 RxQ
Nf7++
1. Qxf7!!
Now if 1… Rxf7 2. Nxf7 mate and if 1. … Rg8 (to stop 2. Qg8 Rxg8 3. Nxf7) 2. Qg6 threatening mate on h7 and wins..
Arvind says:
1. Qxf7 Ra7 2. Ra1 Qe8
Now I’m not sure if there’s an immediate win for White. The best I can find is 3. Qxe8 Rxe8 4. Rxa7 gxf6 5. Nf7+ followed by Nxh6+, Nf7+, Nxd6 which is winning.
Why not
3. Rxa7! Now R or Qxf7 looses by
4. Nxf7+ R/Qxf7
5. Ra8 with mate
And after
3. … hxg5
4. Ra8 Qxa8
5. Qh5 or
3. … Rxf7
4. Rxe8 with mate
Something wrong?
1. Qxf7 Ra7 2. Ra1 Qe8 3. Qxe8 Rxe8 4. Rxa7 gxf6 5. Nf7+ Kg8 6. Nxh6+ Kh8 7. Nf7+ Kg8 8. Nxd6 Re2 9. Kg3 +-
I just add to all comments here the nicest mate in the line:
1. Qxf7 Ra7
2. Ra1!! Qe8
3. Rxa7! Rxf7
4. Ra8!! Rf8
5. Rxe8 Rxe8
6. Nf7 mate
If 1. Qxf7 Ra7 2. Ra1 Qe8 3. Rxa7 then 3. … Qe5+ with perpetual.