White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
If white could clear the c1/h6 diagonal with force, he could take advantage of the bishop on bishop pin to play Qh6 with multiple threats like Qg7#, Ng5 with Qh7# etc., and if black takes at f6, the white pawn still attacks g7. There are different ways to do this, but let’s look at the one I would consider first:
1. Ng6 Ng6 (alternatives below)
2. Qh6 Bf6 (Rg8 might be ok, too)
3. ef6 Rg8 (only move now)
4. Ng5 Nf8 (only move)
5. Rg3
I find nothing better than this threat of bringing the rook to the h-file. Continuing:
5. …..Qe8
Here, Ba4 looks a little dicey after white plays b3 followed by Nh7 (with the threat of Rh3 attacking the pinned knight if black captures at h7, and threatening mate). The idea behind Qe8 is bring the queen to g8 after, let’s say, Rg6. Continuing:
6. Nh7
The only way to justify the material already sacrificed. Continuing:
6. …..Rg6! (Nh7?? 7.Rh3+-)
Here, Rg6 is probably the only move. I can find only mates awaiting black with any other conceivable move.
7. Qf8
I find nothing better. If white retreats the queen to h5, then black can take at h7 and protect the knight with a subsequent Qg8. Continuing:
7. …..Qf8
8. Nf8 Rf6
Necessary. Black has a weak bishop at c6 that is threatened with a pin, and black needs to have the resource of e5 to protect it with the kingside rook. On a move like Rh6, white plays g5 and Rc1 with Rgc3 threatened. Continuing:
9. Rc1
Here, 9.Rh3 might be playable: [9.Rh3 Kg7 10.Nh7 Rf2 11.Rc1 Rb2 12.Ng5 Rb4, I think black is clearly better]. Continuing:
9. …..Kg7
10.Kg2 Kf8
11.Rgc3 e5!
12.de5 d4 and black is definitely winning here, but I will not this isn’t an exhaustive analysis.
However, having gone through the above analysis, it quickly became apparent that black does even better to capture on move 1 with the f-pawn:
1. Ng6 fg6!
And, now, Qh6 isn’t possible due to the threat of Rf6. In fact, I think white will have to exchange at g7 to avoid losing another pawn:
2. Bg7 Kg7
3. Rg3
Threatening Rh3 and Qh6, but this is going to be far too slow now:
3. …..Ng8 (closing the door)
4. Rh3 h6 (preventing Ng5)
And I can’t see any compensation for the sacrificed material.
Clearly, if the plan of threatening Qh6 is going to work, white cannot open up the path with Ng6. In my next comment, I will consider the other obvious knight move.
In my previous comment, I took a brief look at 1.Ng6 with the idea of playing Qh6, but black definitely foils that plan with fg6 forcing white to liquidate his bishop and giving black a comfortable position up a piece. The other obvious opening of the c1/h6 diagonal was to play Nh5- threatening the g7 bishop with capture. Let’s take a look at what might happen here:
1. Nh5 gh5 (alternatives below)
2. Qh6
Here, gh5 is probably good, but I can actually see the mate coming with 2.Qh6:
2. …..Bf6
Everything is mate- on Nf5, white mates starting with gf5; on Rg8, white mates starting with Ng5 and followed with Qh7. Continuing:
3. Qf8
The quickest mate, I think, but am not 100% sure. I can see a mate in 4 after Qf6, and a mate in 5 after ef6, but Qf8 is preferable due to the simplicity of analysis, even if it weren’t shortest:
3. …..Ng8
4. ef6 and nothing can stop 5.Qg7#.
Back at move 1, black could try a move like Rg8 protecting the bishop a second time, or he could just exchange at f6, but both are material losers:
1. …..Rg8
2. Ng7 Rg7
3. Qh6 and mate can only be delayed. Or
1. …..Bf6
2. Nf6
And black will have to give up the queen since
2. …..Qc8/d8
3. Qh6 will be followed by Qh7#.
So, white clearly wins with 1.Nh5.
1. Nh5 gxh5 2. Qh6 followed by Ng5 should mate.
1. Bxg7+ Kxg7
2. Nh5+! gxh5
3. Qg5+! Ng6
4. h6+ Kg8
5. Qf6 is mate.
(If 2……. Kg8, 3. Nf6 wins Queen)
(If 2……. Kh8
3. Qh6! gxh5
4. gxh5 Ng6
5. hxg6 with mate)
Nh5 Whack Smack
1.b3 defends a4, and keeps Black’s pieces away from the critical c4 outpost.
1. Nh5 leaves black with no good move. 1….gh 2. Qh6 mates quickly (2….B:f6 3. ef Rg8 4. Ng5 R:g5 5. Q:g5.
1. Nh5 gxh5
2. Qh6 Bxf6
3. exf6 Rg8
4. Ng5 & I don’t see a good answer to
the mate threat on h7
If … 2. Rg8
3. Ng5 again black is in serious trouble
White should play 1.a5! either black plays b5 and his bishop is hemmed in, or bxa, which makes a6 a target.