Black to move. How should Black proceed?
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Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Bxh3 followed by Rf8 then Rf2 winning
bxh3!
Bxh3 sure looks strong with the threat of bringing the rook to f8 with tempo
…Bxh3 gxh3 Rf8 and then Rf2+
1. … B:h3 with the threat 2. … Rf8 looks very powerful.
1. … Bxh3 followed by 2. … Rf8 and 3. … Rf2 will win the game for Black.
1) …..bxh3 freeing up black’s rook to go to f8. Zugswang to follow
1. … Bxh3!!
White cannot take the Bishop due to Rf8 leading to loss of queen.
1. … ♝xh3, threatening
2. … ♜f8,
3. … ♜f2 etc.
2. gxh3 ♜f8
3. ♕b5 or ♕d1 or ♕g1 or ♕h1 or ♕g2 ♜f2(+) etc.
1. … Bxh3!
2. gxh3? (alternative below) Rf8
3. Qg1 Rf2+
4. Qxf2 (Kh1 Qf3#) Qxf2+
5. Kh1 Qxb2
or
3. Qxf8 Kxf8
4. Na3 Qe2+
Is total crush.
Another variety (critical?):
1. … Bxh3
2. Qg2! Qe2 (any better?)
3. Kxh3 Qxb2
4. Na3 Qxa3
5. Qc1
is just up with 2 pawns, but looks winning.
I will have missed something better here?
Bxh3
Sacrifice the bishop to attempt to activate the rook and to bust up the king’s defense:
1. …..Bh3!
2. gh3? Rf8!
And where can white put the queen that is safe, but doesn’t allow black to mate? At a minimum, white must lose the queen and two pawns for rook and bishop.
So, white must decline the bishop with a move like Na3/d2 or Qf3:
1. …..Bh3
2. Nd2 Qd2 (any better?)
3. Kh3 Qb2
4. Qe1 Qc2 (white threat Rb1)
5. Qe6 Kh7 (or Kh8)
And white can’t even take at d5 without losing the rook to Qc3. Black should consolidate and win this fairly easily.
Or
2. Na3 Bd7 and black has won a pawn cleanly.
2. Qf3 Qf3
3. gf3 Bd7
4. Nd2 Re8 and, again, black has won a clean pawn. Overall, I prefer the line with the queens still on the board, if I were white.
1.Bxh3 keeps White with at least one pawn down and an exposed king.
1…gxh3 will lose to 2.Rf8 with irresistible attack.
1. Bxh3 and 2. Rf8
Wouldn’t we all just play 1…B:h3 here? White’s K looks mighty lonesome after that, with Rf8-f2 in the air. For example:
1. …B:h3
2. gh Rf8
3. Qg1 Rf2+
4. Kh1 Qf3+ and mate next
Bxh3! followed by Rf8 0-1
1…Bxh3+ leads to mayhem for White by opening black’s back rank for his Rook to attack the f-file next move, with check at f2.
1. .. Bxh3
2. Qf3 Qxf3
3. gxf3 Bd7
4. Nd2 Re8
Black is only a pawn up and controls e file for now.
This is not sufficient for a win.
So is the puzzle wrong?
I personally have not seen a puzzle where the solution is a pawn capture