White to move. How should white proceed?
2r1k3/3p1r2/p1bRp1Q1/5pB1/1p2q3/8/PPP4P/1K1R4 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Not so easy tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
2r1k3/3p1r2/p1bRp1Q1/5pB1/1p2q3/8/PPP4P/1K1R4 w – – 0 1
Qg8
Here I first tried a direct attack, but couldn’t make it work.
Then I notice a certain “stiffness” in the black position and this makes me think that a “slow” idea could be “fast enough”. What about:
1. h4
Does black have good moves here?
If
1. … Bd5?
2. R6xd5 fxd5
3. Qxa6
then I think black is in trouble
One of the best tactic’s puzzle ever posted here, in my opinion. It is in my notes twice- from October 2008 and from January 2012. Looking over those notes from two years ago, I still don’t have a clear grasp on what line is best for white.
How about the following:
1. Bh6! (threatening 2. Qg8+ and after 2…Rf8 3. Qxf8#).
Black’s only escape is 1…Kd8 which loses the rook 2. Qxf7.
1. Rxe6+ Qxe6 2. Qg8+ Rf8 3. Qxe6+ d7xe6 4. Rd8+ Rxd8 5. Rxd8 checkmate
nice puzzle, I had to use a chess program to see what to play. I was completely out of ideas.
After working this out, I see that Houdini gives a solution different from mine. The version of Houdini that I have gave 1. Bh6 as the beginning of its solution. My effort begins with 1. R6d4, and I’m going to stand by it. If anyone has holes to poke in it, I’d like to hear about it. In any case, I think that both of these first moves I’ve mentioned will win. Both envision, in some variations, a sacrifice on the e6-square, and in order to make this possible, the Black queen needs to be deflected from protecting e6.
1. R6d4 The idea behind this move is two-fold. To try to deflect the Black queen away from the protection of e6, and also to threaten the deadly Rh4.
If Black plays 1. .. Qg2, then White will simply play 2. Rh4 and game over.
Black can prevent Rh4, by playing 1. .. Qf3, but that loosens the protection of the e6-square, making the queen sacrifice on e6 possible: 2. Qxe6+ Kf8 (2. .. dxe6 3. Rd8+ Rxd8 4. Rxd8#) 3. Bh6+ Kg8 4. Rg1+ Qg2 (4. .. Kh8 5. Qxf7) 5. Rxg2+ Bxg2 6. Qg6+ Kh8 7. Qxf7
Black can keep an eye on e6, and prevent Rh4 by playing 1. .. Qe2, but that will be met by 2. Bh6, threatening 3. Qg8+ Ke7 4. Bg5+ Rf6 5. Qg7+ Ke8 6. Bxf6. So Black is forced into
2. .. Qg2 3. Qxg2 Bxg2 4. Rg1 Be4 (4. .. e5 5. Rxb4 Rh7 6. Rxg2 Rxh6 7. Rg8+ Ke7 8. Rxc8 Rxh2 9. Kc1) 5. Rg8+ Ke7 6. Bg5+ Rf6 7. Rxc8
The best defense for Black, after 1. R6d4 looks to be 1. .. Qe5, but Black is still losing. After 2. Bh6, White is threatening 3. Qg8+ Ke7 4. Bg5+ Rf6 5. Qxc8. If Black tries to prevent the queen check on g8 with 2. .. Qh8, then White plays 3. Rd6, threatening 4. Rxe6+ dxe6 5. Qxe6+ Re7 6. Qxc8+ Kf7 7. Qxh8. Black would run into mate with 3. .. Rb8 4. Rxe6+ dxe6 5. Qxe6+ Re7 6. Qg6+ Rf7 7. Qxc6+ Ke7 8. Qd7+ Kf6 9. Qd6#. Black could also try here 3. .. Rc7 4. Rxe6+ dxe6 5. Qxe6+ Rfe7 6. Qg6+ Rf7 7. Bg5 Kf8 (7. .. Rc8 8. Qxc6+ Kf8 9. Bh6+ Kg8 10. Rg1+ Qg7 11. Qxc8+) 8. Rd8+ Be8 9. Bh6+ Qxh6 10. Qxh6+ Rg7 11. Qh8+ Rg8 12. Rxe8+ Kxe8 13. Qxg8+
Probably Black’s best defense after 1. R6d4 Qe5 2. Bh6 is 2. .. Qf6 3. Qg8+ Ke7 4. Qxc8 Qxh6 5. h4, but White is still winning.
To Pranav Dandekar:
I looked at the idea Bh6 myself, but found that black answers Ke7.
He will simply move between e7 and e8, never go to d8, and I only got a repetition out of this.
To Yancey Ward:
I have not seen this puzzle before.
What do you think about my h4 idea?
How will black stop the h-pawn?
Can black go in h-file with his queen, or is it stuck in e-file to protect e6 perhaps?
1.Bh6 Ke7 2. Qg5+ Rf6 3. Bg7 Qe5 4. Bxf6 Qxf6 5. Rxd7 Bxd7 6. Rxd7 Kxd7 7. Qxf6 1:0
Best response is 1. … Qg4 which leaves whites with 1 pawn more and open position of black king
Tomk
pht,
My notes are from October 22, 2008 and January 19, 2012. Since I usually find the puzzles here the day I work on them, they are probably on those dates in Susan’s archive, or possibly the day before.
As for 1. h4, I think black is ok with the move you suggested of Bd5:
1. h4 Bd5
2. R6d5 ed5
And here you suggested Qxa6, but…
3. Qa6?? Qc2 with mate to follow.
The only good move at move 3 for white I can see is the check from g8:
3. Qg8 Rf8
4. Qg6
What else? White doesn’t have time for any other move but Qxd5, but that just leaves black with the upper hand. White must take the draw by repetition just to avoid losing, I think.
Lucymarie,
I got no real holes to poke with 1.R6d4- it was my preferred choice 5 years ago and two years ago. I never spotted Bh6 until another commenter pointed it out, and I got no holes to poke with that move either. Both seem to leave white with a near decisive edge.
I found the links in Susan’s archives for the previous postings of this puzzle:
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/10/find-right-continuation.html
and
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2012/01/chess-tactic-review.html