Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1…Na4+ and 2…Rb6 with a simple win
Rd2+ Bxd2
Qxd2+ Ka3
Nxc4+ bxc4
Qb4++
This took 10 minutes this time.. usually i can get these faster. i was messing around with the knight for the first move then tried the rook..
Na4+ bxa4
Rb6+ Ka3
Bc6 Bb4
Qc1+ Qb2
cxb4 Kb3
Bxa4+ Kxa4
Qb2 c5
Qa3++
i went back to my original knight sac.. that was hard..didnt think it would be that difficult..
After
1.Nxc4 bc 2.Rb6+
there are two mate variants:
2. … Bb4
3.Rxb4+ Ka3
4.Qa4#
2. … Ka3
3.Qc1+ Ka4
4.Bc6#
Rd2 only leads to a perpetual I think :
1. Rd2+ Bxd2
2. Qxd2+ Kb1 (Ka3?? then Nxc4+ etc)
3. Qd1+ Kb2, etc
So let’s try this:
1. … Na4+
If:
2. bxa4 Rb6+
3. Ka3 Bc6
and I don’t think Qxa4# can be stopped.
If:
2. Ka3 Qc1+
3. Bb2 Nxb2
Threatening a murderous double check (followed by Qa3), and if Qxb2 then Ra6#.
4. Qxc5 Nd3+
Picks up the Q and it’s mate pretty quick anyway.
Or:
2. Ka3 Qc1+
3. Kxa4 Bc6+
4. Ka5 Qa3#
Sacrificing the knight at c4 is the first thing I would look at. The idea is that the knight must be taken with the b-pawn, and this opens the file on the white king for black’s rook:
1. …..Nc4
2. bc4
If otherwise, white loses his queen. Continuing:
2. …..Rb6 (the point of Nc4)
3. Ka3
I will discuss 3.Bb4 at the end. Continuing:
3. …..Bc6
And, now, the threat of Qa4# seems basically unstoppable to me. White could give up his queen for the bishop by playing 4.Qe8 followed by 5.Ne8, but black will probably mate the white king anyway starting with 5. ….Qc1+.
Back at move 3 for white, Bb4 offers black the chance to miss the mate, but he will mate in shorter order by not taking the bait:
3. Bb4 Qd2!
Here, black will still win with Rb4, but after the white king skeddadles through c3 and d3, black will have to work a bit harder: [3. …Rb4 4.Kc3 Qc1 5.Kd3 Qa3 6.Kd2 (6.Qc3 Be4) Rb2 7.Qb2 (else is mate in 3 or 4 more move) Qb2 will win]. Continuing:
4. Kb3
Every other possible move is a shorter mate. Now, with Kc3 no longer possible for white, black can kill the king with high efficiency:
4. …..Rb4
5. Ka8 Qc1
6. Qb2 Qb2#
LOL!!! I just realized I forgot the bishop at f1! Hilarious!
my name is Brian L and i have no clue about this puzzle or anything else for that matter
Yikes!! Ok, back to the other option for checking the white king with the knight!
1. …..Na4
2. Ka3
I will discuss bc4 below. Continuing:
2. …..Qc1
Odd looking, I know, but white can’t block with the bishop due to the threat of Ra6:
3. Bb2
Here 3.Ka4 is mate in 2 after Bc6+ followed by Qa3#. Continuing:
3. …..Nb2
4. Qe8
Everything is mate, I think, unless I am overlooking another white piece like the patzer I am. Obviously, Qb2 is mate after Ra6. White can take the c5 pawn, but this is still mate: [4.Qc5 Ra6 5.Kb4 (5.Qa5 Ra5 6.Kb4 Qd2#)Qd2 6.Kb5 Qa5#]; or [4.Qd6 Nc4! 5.Ka4 Qa3 6.Kb5 Qb4#]; or [4.b4 Nc4 5.Kb3 (5.Ka4 Qa3 6.Kb5 Qb4#) Qb1 6.Kc3 Qb2 7.Kc4 Qb4#]. Continuing:
4. …..Bc8
5. Qb5
Everything else looks like shorter mates. Continuing:
5. …..Rb6 (Ka8 is ok)
And mate will follow- there is literally no answer the threat of Nc4 with double check. The longest lines seem to be Qc5, which we saw a variation of above, and
6. Qb6 cb6
7. g3
Or anything else but 7.b4 (which is mate after Qc3), and
7. …..Nc4
8. Ka4 Bd7#
Now, hopefully I am not still blind today.
Wolverine,
This is funny. We both overlooked the same piece.
1. … Na4+
2. (a) bxa Rb6+
3. Ka3 Qc1+
4. Bb2 QxB#
2. (b) Ka3 Qc1+
3. KxN Ra6+
4. Ba5 Bc6#
Mark
A bit tricky:
1…. Na4
2. Ka3 Qc8
3. Ka4 Ra6
4. Ba5 Ra5
5. Ka5 Qa3
6. Kb5 Qb4#
if
2. ba Rb6
3. Ka3 Bc6 and mate next
if on first line:
3. Bb2 Nb2
4. Qb2 Ra6#
Lets analysis this:
1- … Nxc4+
2- Bxc4 QxR
3- Qe8+ Bc8
4- Be6 Qxg+
5- Ka3 Ra6#
on
2- bxN Rb6
3- Ka3 Bc6
and mate sooner on Qa4
for example:
3- Qe8 Kb7
4- … Qa4#
Hope its the right answer
1…Nxc4
2.bxc4 Rb6+
3.Ka3 Bc6
4.Qe8+ Bxe8
5.Nxe8 Qc1+
6.Bb2 Qe3+
7.Ka4 Qxe8+
8.Ka3 Rb4
9.Bc3 Qa4#
– High skill from MR KO (Malaysian)
Na4+
1. … Na4+! Black has two responses.
If 2. bxN, then
3. … Rb6+
4. Ka3 Bc6! Black has no way to defend a4 and Qxa4# follows.
If 2. Ka3, then
3. … Qc1+
if
4. Bb2 NxB
5. QxB Ra6#.
if
4. KxN Ra6+
5. Kb5 c6#
My previous solution was wrong. This is the correct one:
1. … Na4+
A) if 2. bxN then
2. … Rb6+
3. Ka3 Bc6
4. Bb4 Qc1+
5. Qb2 cxb4+
6. Kb3 Bxa4+
7. KxB QxQ mate next move.
B) if 2. Ka3 then
2. … NxB
3. QxN Qb1
4. Qa5 stopping Ra6#
4. … Qc1
5. Ka4 Rb6 threatening Bc6#
6. Qb5 Bc6
7. Bd3 Qb2
8. Ra1 a6
9. QxB Rb4+!
10. Ka5 Qa4+
11. Qa5 RxQ
12. bxR Qb4+
13. Kxa6 Qb6#
Could not find out a win.
Missed the ‘f1’ bishop for very long.
But I think that
1…. Na4+!
2. bxa4 Rb6+
3. Ka3 Bc6! should work for black.
Rd2+ Bxd2
Qxd2+ Ka3
Qc1+ & Mate