White to move. Assess the position. Which side is better and how should White continue?
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White to move. Assess the position. Which side is better and how should White continue?
1.Bxh5 Bxh5
2.Pg4
1. Bxh5 Bxh5
2. Rg3!
3. Rg6+
4. Rxh5 mate
1Bh5 Kg5
(yay I get an opportunity to provide a solution…)
Variation poined out by Robert Beatty:
1. Bh5 Kg5
2. Rg3+ Kxh4
3. Bxf7
4. Rg4 mate
Rgds M.
bh5 kg7
rg3 kf8
bf7 kf7
rh7 kf8
rg7 ab
i’m not sure white can mate
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Yes, mate in all cases after 1.Bxh5: Black has three choices, Bxh5, Kg5 and Kg7. The first two were convincingly shown to lead to mate by earlier posters. Here’s an interesting mate from the third variation: 1… Kg7 2.Rg3+ Kf8 3.Bxf7 Kxf7 4.Rh7+ Kf8 5.Rh8+ Kf7 6.hRg8! and 7.3Rg7 mate is unavoidable. In this line black can refuse to capture the B, but then mate follows soon after 4.Bd5. Two rooks nicely trapping the king, with or without the help of the B.
Greetings,
1. Bxh5! Rxb3
(1…Kg5 2.Rg3+! Kxh4 Bxf7! with Rg4 mate to follow;
1…Bxh5 2.Rg3! and Rg6+ and Rh5 mate cannot be stopped;
1…Kg7 2. Rg3+ Kf8 3. Bxf7 Kxf7 [3…Rxb3 4.Rg6!; 3…axb3 4.Bd5!]4. Rh7+ Kf8 5.Rh8+ Kf7 6.Rhg8! and Rgg7 will mate.)
2.Bd1+! (2.Bxf7+!? Kg7 3.Bd5 may also be possible but looks a little unlear to me because of the ‘a’ pawn)
2…Kg5
(2…Kg7 3.Bxb3 axb3 4.Rxb3! Rxc4
[4…Bxc4 transposes to main line]
5.Rg3+ Kf8 6.Rh8+ Kf7 7.Rg7 with Rhh7 to follow and the Bishop is lost.)
3.Rg4+ Kh6
4.Bxb3 axb3
5.Rh4+! ( 5.Rxb3? Kh5!)
5…Kg7(5…Bh5 6.Rg3 and mate in two)
6.Rxb3 Bxc4
[6…Rxc4 will lose the Bishop as shown above]
7.Rg3+ Kf7
8.Rh7+ Kf8
9.Ra3! is decisive.
My Regards
King.