White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
r4rk1/1p1n2bp/3p1q2/p1pPp1pP/2P1B3/1P2B1P1/5PK1/2RQ3R w – – 0 1
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Rh6 gives black little option than to capture with the bishop opening the h file with fairly devastating consequences in a few moves.
1. h6 is the best move I found.
1. h6 can’t be the whole truth.
Black still has several options which must be calculated.
The alternative 1. Qg4 attacking g5 and d7 must be considered, too. As long as the bishop e3 has to defend f2 white it seems as if black could defend against Qg4 so h6 could be the preparing move.
Let’s look at the two possibilities:
1. -, Bh8 and 1. -, Bxh6
1. -, Bxh6 2. Qh5? Kg7 seems to survive, but perhaps 2. Rxh6!, Qxh6 3. Rh1 can make the day.
I have to rethink here later perhaps with the help of a board.
I don’t think it’s over yet.
1. -, Bh8 seems to be worse because now 2. Qg4! should be possible.
2. -, Nb6 (what else? on the first glance Rad8 could be an alternative – black doesn’t have many possibilities as the queen should protect g5 and attack f2; Rd8 keeps a defender close to the king (Nd7) but Bxg5 will be an even bigger threat then so I prefer Nb6) 3. Bxg5!? (though!), Qxf2+ Kh3 and what now?
Just some of my cents to the problem. I hope I find some time to find some more cents later. 😉
Regards
Jochen
Haven’t looked at one of these in a while as I’ve been really busy. Jochen’s analysis looks mostly right with one major correction:
“1. h6 can’t be the whole truth….
Let’s look at the two possibilities:
Let’s look at the two possibilities:
1. -, Bh8 and 1. -, Bxh6
1. -, Bxh6 2. Qh5? Kg7 seems to survive, but perhaps 2. Rxh6!, Qxh6 3. Rh1 can make the day. I have to rethink here later perhaps with the help of a board.”
I agree about 1…Bh8 losing to 2 Bxh6, but after:
1 h6 Bxh6 2 Qh5! Kg7 3 Qg4! wins. Simply retreating the queen to g4 makes it much like the Bh8 variation.
If as you suggest, 1 h6 Bxh6 2 Rxh6?! Qxh6, then 3 Rh1 as you suggest is impossible because you forgot the queen is in the way on d1.
But your move Rxh6 works in the 3 Qg4! line:
1 h6 Bxh6
2 Qh5 Kg7
3 Qg4 Nb6 (else 4 QxN)
4 Rxh6! Qxh6
5 Bxg5! and the queen is lost
You had all the ideas but without the board in front of you didn’t quite put it all together. Easy with a board, but this would be tough to find in a game.
for the sake of completeness:
after
1.h6! bxh6
2.qh5 kg7
the simple
3.qxh6+ qxh6
4,rxh6 kxh6
5.rh1+ kg7
6.rxh7+ kf6
7.rxd7 is a clear and easy win for white :))
of course
3.qg4! is much stronger and much more obvious than 3.qxh6+ and reveals an even more clear and of course more spectacular win for white :))
indeed!
1. Kh3!! with the threat of 2.Kg4 is winning. I can’t see how black can hold both g5 as well as the penetration of white’s king.