Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Practical chess tactic
About Author
Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
How about exchange queens at e3 and throw away a perfectly good pawn to boot.
Then, throw away your bishop for the pawn on b2.
Then move a3 and the knight can’t stop the pawn from queening and the King is out of the box.
A quick look says 1. … Qe3+ 2. Qxe3 dxe3+.
Then if 3. Kxe3 Bxb2 4. Nxb2 a3 and White can’t stop the pawn. But since the N has e1 covered, 3. Kc2 is possible and while black still has an advantage, I don’t see any shortcuts so it will be a long slog to win.
So I’m thinking there must be something better here that I’m not seeing.
The knight can’t stop the pawn from b2 if black is to move at that point- this suggests to me the forced line to win the b-pawn:
1. …..Qe3!
2. Qe3 de3
3. Ke3 Bb2!
4. Kd2
Here, Nb2 loses much more quickly: [4.Nb2 a3 5.Kd2 (only trick left) 5. …a2! and the pawn is unstoppable].
Now, the question is this- how easy is this position to win for black? I really can’t tell. Black will need to bring the king forward and attack the white kingside pawns from behind, or use the king to support the a-pawn while then using the bishop to attack the kingside pawns. Either the knight or the white king will have to guard against the a-pawn and will be tied down, but it isn’t clear to me the right approach from move 4 for black. I would play Kg7/Kf6/Ke5 next, but there are numerous lines from here depending on white’s replies.
Qe3 Qe3
e3 Ke3
Bb2 Nb2a3
GM Yancy
Qe3+, QxQ, de+, Kxe3,Bxb2, Nxb2, A3
1 qe3 After exchange of queens
black bishop takes b2 pawn & a
pawn queens
1…Qe3+! 2.Qxe3 dxe3+ 3.Kxe3 Bxb2! 4.Nxb2 (4.Nb4! avoids immediate defeat, but I doubt White can survive with his knight stuck on a2 forever) a3 0-1.
White can try 3.Kc2 instead, but that also looks hopeless after 3…e2 intending …Bd4, …Bf2 etc.
GM Ward says:
Qe3
Qe3 e3
Kc2 (not Ke3, Bb2!) e2
Kb1 K
Ka2 Bf8
b3 a3 and the Black King strolls in for the kill
Qe3, followed by e3, Bb2 and a3.
1. Qe3+ Qxe3
2. dxe+ Kxe3
3. Bxb2 Nxb2
4. a3 and wins
Black’s best play seems to be 1. , Qe3+ 2. Qxe3 , dXe3 3. KXe3 (doesn’t matter even if White plays something else) , B X b2 4. N X b2 (not taking the bishop doesn’t help White) , a3 5. Nc4 , b2 and White cannot prevent the pawn from queening
Qe3+ – Qxe3, dxe+ – Kxe3, Bxb2 – Nxb2, a3 and how is white ever going to stop that a-pawn?!
There are a couple of other variations, but it seems to me that they all boil down to the same thing.
I would enforce a queen exchange here, then sack my bishop:
1. Qe3+ Qxe3
2. dxe3 Kxe3
3. Bxb2! Nb4 (Nxb2 a3 ->Q)
4. Bc3 Na2 (must stay here and block the a pawn)
5. Be1 Kf3 (must stay here and protect the g pawn)
6. Kg7
and king is going to take knight, the a pawn will queen.
Terrible endgame opportunity for black.
1…..Qe3+
2Qxe3 dxe3
Now
(a)3 Kxe3 Bxb2
4 Nxb3 a3 and the pawn cannot be stopped.
If white K does not take e pawn and goes to defend b2 and eventually take black’s a4 pawn, black will advance e pawn and capture N for the pawn and will have enough time to take g3 and f4 pawns before giving its life to prevent white’s “b” pawn from queening.
I appreciate Yancey’s move 3Kxe3 Bxb2 4Kd2 coming within pawn’s square..Even now B is safe and black can play K but more powerful seems to be 4…Bd4 denying c5 for N and threatening … Bg1.e.g
4… Bd4
5Nc1 (to support g3 pawn from e2) a3
drawing the K away
6Kc2 a2
7Nxa2 Bf2 I think no need to analyse further.
I think the critical line is:
1. … Qe3
2. Qxe3 dxe3
3. Kxe3 Bb2
4. Kd2 Bd4!
Threats Bd4-g1-h2-g3.
Knight can’t prevent this, since any knight move leads to Bf2!
White king must return.
5. Ke2
Now black will not continue the mentioned bishop plan, since the bishop should be trapped on h2 and victim to the king. But bishop can remain where it is, and white king must also remain on kingside to avoid a disaster on g3.
For this reason knigt must stay near the a-pawn.
Now black king walks Kh7-g7-f7-e6-d5-c4-b3, and the a-pawn is played, knight is finished.
The win looks simple to me, though it takes many moves. Is there something wrong with this plan?
pht is right in that 5Ke2 thwarts B’s aggressive plan but nails N to defend Q side queening.Black K can take his own time to arrive at the scene.White has only passive defence and no counter attack.He can not plan to attack g6 square.Black K can move to Q side and with the help of B can drive out N and queen “a” pawn or capture N for the P.he has right color B to attack white pawns.