White to move. How should white proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Overnight tactical review
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Well, Nh6 is the first move that jumps out at you. It is easy to see that gxh6 is going to be a quick mate:
1. Nh6 gh6
2. Qe6 Kg7 (Kh8 3.Qh6 Kg8 4.Qh7#)
3. Qf7 Kh8
4. Qh7#
Slightly more difficult to solve is the reply when black declines the knight:
1. Nh6 Kh8
2. Nf7 Kg8
Now, you have to figure out how to get at the king. I first looked at Qh5, but black can defend with Nf6 which covers h7 and breaks the protection of the knight at f7 by the rook, but this led me immediately to sacrificing the bishop so that Qh5 could be played with check:
3. Bh7 Kf8 (Kh7 4.Qh5 Kg8 5.Qh8#)
4. Nh8 and no matter what black does to block the check, white will play 5.Ng6+ followed by 6.Qe7#.
1. Nh6+
If
1. …. gxh6
2. Qe6+ Kh8 (Kg7 3. Qf7+ Kh8 4. Qh7#)
3. Qh6+ Kg8
4. Qh7#
If
1. … Kh8
2. Qe6 Nf6
3. Qg8+ Ng8 or Rg8
4. Nf7#
Nh6+ Wins
My attempt:
1.Nxh6+ Kh8 (taking leads to mate)
2.Nf7+ Kg8
3.Bh7+ Kf8 (taking leads to mate)
4.Ne5+ Bf6 (or other)
5.Ng6+ Kf7
6.Qe7+ mate
1. Qe6 threatening smothered mate seems attractive, but Black has a way out:
1. … Bxg2+
a) 2. Kxg2 Qc6+ and White must swap queens and will lose.
If White wants to avoid taking the bishop:
b) 2. Kh2 Qc7+
3. Kg1 Bc5+
4. Rf2 a1=Q+ and wins
c) 2. Kg1 Qc5+
3. Kh2 Qd6+ and wins
So, White must take more rigid actions:
1. Nxh6+! Kh8
The knight cannot be taken:
1. … gxh6
2. Qe6+ Kh8/Kg7
3. Qxh6+/Qf7+ and mate next turn
2. Nf7+ Kg8 Now the white queen can use the opened h-file:
3. Bh7+ Kxh7
3. … Kf8 isn’t better:
4. Nh8+! Nf6/Bf6/Qf6/Bf3
5. Ng6+ Kf7
6. Q(x)e7#
4. Qh5+ Kg8
5. Qh8#
Hmm, I see a 1.Nxh6+ Kh8 (gxh6 2.Qe6+ Kh8 3. Qxh6+ Kg8 4. Qh7#) 2.Nf7 Kg8 3.Bh7+ Kf8 (Kxh7 4.Qh5+ Kg8 5.Qh8#) 4.Nh8+ Q/B/Nf6 5.Ng6+ Kf7 6.Q(x)e7#. Hope I didn’t miss anything.
i think, it would be sonething like this:
1. Nxh6+ gxh6
2. Qe6+ Kg7
3. Rf7+ Kh8
4. Qxh6#
2. … Kh8
3. Qxh6+ Kg8
4. Qh7#
1. … Kh8
2. Nf7+ Kg8
3. Bh7+ Kxh7
4. Qh5+ Kg8
5. Qh8#
3. … Kf8
4. Ne5+ B/Nf6
5. Ng6+ Ke8/f7
6. Qe7#
greets, jan
1.Nxh6+ Kh8
(1.-gxh6 2.Qe6+ Kg7 3.Qg6+ Kh8 4.Qh7++)
(1.-gxh6 2.Qe6+ Kh8 3.Qxh6+ Kg8 4.Qh7++)
2.Rf8+ Bxf8 3.Nf7+ Kg8 4.Bh7+ Kxh7 5.Qh5+ Kg8 6.Qh8++
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,White wins the game.
{ Susan,may be a good training for your students )
Anxious to see others move for this puzzle.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
I could find a draw by perpetual check.
1.Nxh6+ Kh8 (taking the knight loses to 2. Qe6+, Kg7, 3. Qg6+, Kh8 4. Kh7# or 2. .., Kh8 3. Qxh6+, Kg8 4. Qh7#)
2. Nf7+, Kg8
3. Nxh6+, Kh8
1Nxh6+ Kh8
1…. gxh6 2Qe6+ Kg7(2… Kh8 3Qxh6#)3Qf7+ Kh8 4 Qh7#
2Nf7+ Kg8
3Bh7+ Kf8
4Ne5+ Nf6
(4… Bf6 5Ng6+ Kf7 6Qe7#)
5Ng6+ Ke8 or Kf7
6Qxe7#
Come on Venky what is the answer?! we are all waiting for you to put your moves in first this time
Oops. Just realized my “solution” was completely wrong. After sacking the rook, there’s nothing protecting the knight anymore and Black can just play KxN.
1.qe6. Classic mate with Knight at f7 after Nh6++, Qg8+ else black queen is lost after QxB.
I first saw
1. Nxh6+ gxh6
2. Qe6+ Kg7
3. Qg6+ Kh8
4. Qh7#
For
1. Nxh6+ Kh8,I was stuck with
2. Qe6!? (with the idea of Qg8 mate)
If black replies
2……. Nf6 I was planning on
3. Qg8+! Rxg8
4. Nf7# the classic smothered mate!
But then I saw that
1. Nxh6+ Kh8
2. Qe6!? Bxg2+!
3. Kxg2 Qc6+!
4. Qxc6 Rxc6 -+ is winning for black.
So, I had to find out a variation where all of black’s moves are forced:
1. Nxh6+! Kh8
2. Nf7+ KKg8
3. Bh7+! Kf8!
4. Nh8+! Bf6
5. Ng6+ Kf7
6. Qe7#!
Nice one!
1. Qe6
threatening 2. Nxh6+ Kh8 3. Qg8+ Rxg8 4. Nf7#
So the defense must be:
1. …. Bxg2+
now if 2. Kxg2, Qc6+ and even though black has sac-ed a piece, the black a-pawn provides compensation.
So:
2. Kh2! Bd6+
3. Nxd6+ Kh8
4. Nf7+ Kg8
5. Nh6+ Kh8
6. Qg8+ Rxg8
7. Nf7#
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,solution for this puzzle had been posted by “Haridaran”(The last option of his post ) – nothing to add further:Good.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]