Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. … Qa3 and Black wins a rook. White can’t take the Queen, beacause of 2. … Rd1#. 0-1
Qa3!
e3
Na4, followed by Qc3+ and Qxa1#
Qa3!
And rook has nowhere to go. If Rxa3 then Rd1#. Rook can not leave first row but a1, b1, c1 and d1 all four squares are attacked by black and rook is trapped.
1. Qa5
1. Qa3! Qxe5+
2. Ka8 Rb1
Only playable option. Rxa3? Rd1#.
3. Qb2!
Sacking queen is real fun!
3. … f3 (Qxc3 Qxc3+ goes down faster)
4. Qxb1+ Kf2
5. Qxc2 Kg1
6. Rd1
Up with quality and pawn and strong attack, this looks hopeless for white.
Nd1
Qa3
I would be most interested in Qa5 here. The move sets up a discovered check, keeps black’s eye on protecting e5 and threatens the rook on a1. White cannot take at a5 without allowing Rd1#:
1. …..Qa5 (Qa3 probably good too)
2. Rc1 Nb1!
3. c3
If Ke2, then Qd2 is mate. Continuing:
3. …..Qa2!
And mate is unavoidable.
At move 2, white might do better with a move like Nd3 or Bd3:
1. …..Qa5
2. Nd3 ed3!
3. Bd3
If 3.Ra5, black mates with d2. Continuing:
3. …..Qa1 with a 2 rook edge.
Or, probably best at move 2:
2. Bd3 Qa1
3. Kd2 Qh1
4. Kc3 Qa1 with an easy win.
Qa5!
Qa3!! is a winning move
Qa5 looks nice, If Rxa5 Rd1++
I like Qa5
How about Qa3?
Qa3!
O, fandango! Well, I want to mate on d1 with my rook, so I attack the White rook with my queen. Take me! But with 1. .. Qa5 or with 1. .. Qa3 Hmmm???
Do I have all day to figure which is best? Well, probably. But if I’m playing rapids, heaven forbid, I play 1. .. Qa3, because I can see rather quickly that 2. Qxe5+ Ka8 3. Rb1?! Qb2!? 4. Qb5 Rd1+ 5. Rxd1 Nxb5 is good enough to win.
But after 1. .. Qa3 2. Qxe5+ Ka8 3. Rb1?!, Black can do better with
3. .. Nxb1. From there it can get real pretty with 4. Ne2 Qb4+ 5. c3 Na3! 6. f3 e3! 7. Qxe3 Rxg2! 8. Bxg2 Qh4+ 9. Ng3 Nc2+ 10. Kf2 Nxe3
Other 4th move alternatives for White (in this sequence) are:
4. Nd3 Rxd3 5. Bxd3 Qc1+ 6. Ke2 Qd2+ 7. Kf1 Qd1#
4. Bd3 Qc1+ 5. Ke2 Qd2+ 6. Kf1 Qd1#
4. f3 Qe3+ 5. Ne2 (5. Be2 Rd1+ 6. Kxd1 Qd2#) 5. .. Rd1+ 6. Kxd1 Qd2#
After 1. … Qa3 2. Qxe5+ Ka8, White doesn’t have to play 3. Rb1. White can also try:
3. Nd3 Rxd3! 4. Bxd3 (4. cxd3 Qxa1+ 5. Kd2 Qb2+ 6. Ke3 Qc1+ 7. Kd4 Rd8+ 8. Kc5 (8. Kc4 Qa3 9. Qg5 b5+ 10. Qxb5 Nxb5) 8. .. Na2+ 9. Kb5 Qc6+ 10. Ka5 Qa6#) 4. .. Qxa1+ 5. Kd2 Nb1+ 6. Rxb1 Qxe5
or the weaker
3. Bd3 Qxa1+ 4. Kd2 Nb1+ 5. Rxb1 Qxe5
Of course, White doesn’t have to check on e5 after 1. .. Qa3. White can try 2. f3, or 2. Nd3, or 2. Bd3
2. Bd3 Qxa1+ 3. Kd2 Qxh1 is over quickly.
2. f3 Qxa1+ 3. Kf2 Nd1+ 4. Kg1 (4. Ke1 Qc3+ 5. Ke2 Qd2#) (4. Ke2 exf3+ 5. gxf3 (5. Kxf3 Qd4 6. Nd5 Qf2+ 7. Ke4 Qe1+ 8. Be2 (8. Kd3 8. .. Nb2#) (8. Kf3 Rg3#) 8. .. Qxe2+ 9. Ne3 Qxe3#) 5. .. exf4) 4. .. Ne3 5. Qxe4 (5. Kh2 Nxf5) 5. .. Qxf1+ 6. Kh2 Rxg2+ 7. Nxg2 Qxg2#
2. Nd3 2. .. Qxa1+ 3. Kd2 Qd1+ 4. Ke3 (4. Kxc3 Rc8+ 5. Kb2 (5. Kb3 Qxc2+ 6. Kb4 Rc4+ 7. Kb5 Qa4#) (5. Kb4 Qb1+ 6. Ka3 Rc3+ 7. Ka4 b5+ 8. Ka5 Ra3#) (5. Nc5 Rxc5+ 6. Bc4 Qd4+ 7. Kb3 Qxc4+ 8. Kb2 Qc3+ 9. Kb1 Qxc2+ 10. Ka1 Ra5#) 5. .. Rxc2+ 6. Ka3 Rc3+ 7. Kb4 (7. Ka2 7. .. Qa4+ 8. Kb1 Qc2+ 9. Ka1 Ra3#) (7. Kb2 Qc2+ 8. Ka1 Ra3#) 7. .. Qb3+ 8. Ka5 b6+ 9. Ka6 Qa4#) 4. .. Qxc2
Well, I’m glad that I looked at 1. ,. Qa3 rather than 1. Qa5, because otherwise I wouldn’t have stumbled onto:
1. .. Qa3 2. Qxe5+ Ka8 3. Rb1?! Nxb1 4. Ne2 Qb4+ 5. c3 Na3! 6. f3 e3! 7. Qxe3 Rxg2! 8. Bxg2 Qh4+ 9. Ng3 Nc2+ 10. Kf2 Nxe3. Just beautiful.
pht,
After Qb2, white can defend better with Qb5. Still loses the exchange for white, but better than most other lines for white after 1. …Qa3.
To Yancey Ward (and Lucymarie also):
I simply didn’t see Qb5 for white.
Thanks for telling.