White to move. Which side is better? How would you continue as White?
This was an actual game between 2 amateur players.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Practical chess improvement
About Author
yes, I could tell these were amateur players because black castled wrong.
ROFL
I tried to make Nc7 work – but failed. Thus, as white I would take the perpetual and draw. However, I must miss something here as otherwise you would not have posted it… 😉
How about 1.Kg4 Qa3 2.Qc7!
Now black cannot move queen because of mate on e7 and have to move their pawn f or g and white will win soon.
Kg4 looks strong
Yes.There is something wrong in this position.
Looks like 1.kg4 at a glimpse
how about 1. Nc7 (with threats of 2. Qe8++ and 2. Ne6++). But black has 1. … Ra8+ and white play 2. Kg4. Of course black can keep trying checks with 2. … f5+. Now if 3. exf5 you open up the kingside to the queen, which is a bad idea. So, instead 3. Kg5! Now 3. … Rh5+ and then 4. Kxg6. If 4. … Rh6+ then 5. Kg5 and no more checks. But what about 4. … Qb6+? (since the N is not on d4 anymore but on c7). Doesn’t that allow the black Q to get to the kingside. That would be bad. But white then has 5. Ne6+ blocking the queen check and checking black back, followed by 6. Qxg7 mate!
The idea 1.Kg4 Qa3 2.Qc7 is very interesting but black can wait with 2…Ke8 and there is no progress
1.Kg4 and if 1….f5+ intending to complicate matters maybe best is 2.Kg5 and if 2….Qc1+ then not 3.Kxg6 with further complications after 3….Qh6+ but 3.f4 whereafter the Blackies have to defend e7 once again maybe with 3….Qc5 and now 4.Kxg6 is very prosaic and the black Queen cannot defend e7 and f7 at the same time. if after 1.Kg4 Black does nothing maybe like 1….Qa3 then instead of 2.Qd8+ Kf7 3.Qxa5 Re8 freeing the rook better should be 2.Qc7 with zugzwang and after 2….Ke8 capturing the pawn 3.Qxa5 the rook still inprisoned and play on calmly and patiently
I think the problem with 1. Nc7 is what to do after 1… Qe7.
The problem with 1. Nc7 is
1. — Rh8+
2. Kg4 Qe7
which forces a trade of queens and allows black’s rook to dominate white’s knight and the a4 pawn will soon fall.
So Nc7 cannot be the answer.
The best White can do is a perpetual check with 1.Qd8+ Kf7 2.Qd7+ Kf8 3.Qd8+ etc. 1.Nc7 (threatening mate in e8) fails for 1…Qe7 and White cannot make any improvement.