White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Monday morning chess tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Ne7! is a good try.
Ne7 seems pretty obvious to me. It threatens the rook directly along with Ng6 which is mate if the rook leaves the sixth rank. The best defense I can come up with is to block the white bishop with the knight after checking with the rook first:
1. Ne7 Rc1
Keeping the rook on the sixth rank is no real options since the passed pawn at g6 is even more deadly since black will have to give up the bishop to stop the immediate mate: [1. …Rf6 2.Ng6 Rg6 3.hg6 Bg7(forced by the threat of Rh7#) 4.Rd8 wins with ease]. Continuing:
2. Kh2 Nc4 (to give g8 to K)
3. Ng6 Kg8
4. ab5 Rc3 (what else better?)
5. Ba2
And black is tied up in knots- the king can’t move, the pinned knight can’t move and the b-pawn is about to go marching to b8. Black might try the following, but it loses two pieces minimum:
5. …..Ba3 (only defense vs b8)
6. b6 Bc5 (going to a7)
7. b7 Ba7
8. Rd8 Kg7
9. Ra8! Ne5 (what else?)
10.Ra7 Nb7
11.Rb7 wins two pieces anyway.
1. a x b5 N x b5
2. Ba4
If black’s R leaves 6th rank then white Nf6 and Rh7#
1. axb5! Nxb5 (alternative below)
2. Ba4! Rc5? (or the knight or rook falls, knight sack with Re6 seems only move here)
3. Nf6! any
4. Rh7#
or
1. … Re6
2. b6 Be5 (Rxb6? Nxb6, Rc8? Nf6!!)
3. b7 any
4. Rd8+
and black shall lose his bishop on b8.
1.Ne7 (threatening Ng6#) Rc1+
2.Kh2 Be5+
3.g3 Nc4
4.Bxc4 Rxc4
5.Ng6+ Kg8
6.Nxe5 Rxa4
Out of 5 posts, three recommended 1. Ne7, and two recommended 1. axb (idea building on the threat Nf6 and Rh7#).
Two very different approaches.
Which one is the better?
Edngo,
I think axb5 is inferior. The two comments suggested black must reply with Nb5, but this is in error, I believe, though I do think it still wins for white:
1. ab5?! Rc1!
2. Kh2 Rb1!
Probably a forced move, anyway. Black can’t play Nc4 now: [2. …Nc4? 3.Bc4! Rc4 4.b6! and how does black prevent b7-Rd8+-b8Q- he must lose a piece to prevent the queen.]. Continuing, but in a more speculative manner since I don’t have a lot of time for this right now and must just outline the clearest looking line my eye:
3. Ba2
I can’t quite make 3.b6 work in my head, though it might be a superior move- I just don’t have the time to investigate the black reply of Be5+. The point of 3.Ba2 is to drive the rook off of b1 so that b6 can be played.
3. …..Ra1 (what else better?)
4. b6 Be5 (what else?)
5. f4! gf4
6. Re7 Bd6
7. Re6 Bb8
8. Re8 Kg7
9. Rb8 Ra2
10.Rb7 Kf8
11.Rc7 f3
12.b7 Rg2
13.Kh3 Rb2
14.Rc8 Kf7
15.b8Q Rb8
16.Rb8 and white should now win this since the passed pawns of black can’t be held against the white pieces and king.
I just like the the line 1.Ne7 much better- it is cleaner, and has less holes than this line I outlined above by virtue of being shorter.