White to move. Can you find the brilliant continuation to this game?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. Can you find the brilliant continuation to this game?
Source: ChessToday.net
nf6+ pxN bxb QxB Qe3+
My first thought was the fairly obvious Nf6+ followed by Qe3, with a clear path to e7 and the threat of Bxb7 to pull black’s Queen off the back rank, so black would have to lose the Rook. But then I realized that gxf6 opens up an escape route off the back rank for the black King, making Bxb7 ineffective.
Not sure where to look next.
Clearing the e-file for a queen check from e3 was pretty obvious, but how to do it correctly wasn’t immediately obvious to me. I kept thinking that 1.Nf6 with check had to be the right method, but black can defend:
1. Nf6? gf6
2. Qe3 Kf8 (Kd8?? 3.Qe7#)
3. Qe7 Kg7
And there is no way to continue the attack. After much trial and error, I eventually realized that Ng5 was the right way because it also opens an important file for white in some lines:
1. Ng5!
Threatens 2.Qe3+ followed by Qe7 and Qxf7#. Now, I saw this move within about a half minute of looking at this puzzle, but dismissed it because I wasn’t paying attention to the white rook at f1. I erroneously thought that hxg5 parried the threat, but it doesn’t:
1. …..hg5 (alternatives later)
2. Qe3! Kf8
3. Qe7 Kg8
4. fg5!
And now the rook is eyeing f7, too. There is only one real defense now:
4. …..Qf8
Or [4. …f6 5.gf6 Qf8 6.f7 Kh7 7.Qh4 Kg6 8.Qg4 Kh6 9.Rf5 g6 10.Rf6+-]. Continuing:
5. Qf8 Kf8
6. Bb7 wins a rook.
Now, at move 1, black does have better defenses than to take the offered knight:
1. Ng5! Nc6
In the previous line, white wins by diverting the black queen from protecting b7- Nc6 takes care of this part of the threat, and the threat of Qe7+ later on in some lines, but not all of it:
2. Qe3 Kf8 (Kd8 3.Nf7#!)
3. Bc6! hg5 (B/Q/dc6 4.Qe7+-)
4. Qe7 Kg8
5. Bd7!
I think this is the only move that might win. I worked awhile on fg5, but when black takes at c6 with the queen threatening his own mating net, white is forced to bailout into a draw by repetition starting with 6.Qxf7+. Continuing:
5. …..Qf8
6. fg5
Now this move works better. Continuing:
6. …..Bd5 (Qe7 7.de7 wins exchan)
7. g6 Rh6 (f6?? 8.Be6 Be6 9.Qe6)
8. gf7 Bf7 (anything else?)
And I am not quite sure what is absolutely best for white here, but I would continue the attack with Rad1 to support the passed d-pawn, or threaten Rd8 in some lines. I think white is clearly better, but the killer line from here is not obvious to me.
I was first trying with Nf6, but the problem was that it frees the king via g7, protecting the pawn on f6.
But Ng5 threatens also to support mate in f7.
1. Ng5 .. hxg5
2. Qe3+ .. Kf8
3. Qe7+ .. Kg8
4. Bxb7, and if Black captures, White plays Qe8+ followed by Qxf7+, fxg5+ and the rook joins the battle for a checkmate.
If 1 .. Qd8, Black will stay down the exchange…
If 1 .. Bxg2, White will mate in e7 or f7.
The key of the position is mate in the back rank.
So 1. Nf6+,gxf 2. Qc3!!.
for ex : 2… Bxg2 3. Qxf6 and it is impossible to avoid the mate on h8 and e7. So 2. …Qd8 4. Bxb7 and after Bxa8 Black is piece down.
So 1. Nf6+,gxf 2. Qc3!!.
for ex : 2… Bxg2 3. Qxf6 and it is impossible to avoid the mate on h8 and e7. So 2. …Qd8 4. Bxb7 and after Bxa8 Black is piece down.
So 1. Nf6+,gxf 2. Qc3!!.
for ex : 2… Bxg2 3. Qxf6 and it is impossible to avoid the mate on h8 and e7. So 2. …Qd8 4. Bxb7 and after Bxa8 Black is piece down.
So 1. Nf6+,gxf 2. Qc3!!.
for ex : 2… Bxg2 3. Qxf6 and it is impossible to avoid the mate on h8 and e7. So 2. …Qd8 4. Bxb7 and after Bxa8 Black is piece down.
1 Ng5 should win.
It threatens 2Qe3+ Kf8 3Qe7+ Kg8 4Qf7#. If 1… hxg5 2fxg5 opens f file.
1…. Nc6
2Qe3+ Kf8
3Bxc6 hxg5
4Qe7+ Kg8
5Bxd7 and wins.
Nc5 with threats of Qe3 and Nxb7
I note my comment did not post yesterday so I repeat it but with less detailed analysis.
Yancy has pointed out an excellent line but then concluded that it may be difficult to win.
First it’s clear that taking the N at g5 wins easily for white so I concentrate on the better line that appears less clear.
So I concentrate on the better line that appears less clear. So after his analysis of:
1. Ng5! Nc6
2. Qe3 Kf8 (Kd8 3.Nf7#!)
3. Bc6! hg5 (B/Q/dc6 4.Qe7+-)
4. Qe7 Kg8
5. Bd7! Qf8
6. fg56 Bd5 (Qe7 7.de7 wins exchan)
7. g6 Rh6! (f6?? 8.Be6 Be6 9.Qe6)
Yancy suggests 8. gf7 Bf7. But the problem is 9.Rf7 Qf7 10. Be6 does not win because of the Rook attacking.
The logic then is to get the WB onto the a2-g8 diagonal but protected so the pin of the queen can work.
8. e4! Bc4 (needs to cover that diagonal)
9. Bc6 Rc8 or b8 (if 9. …Q*e7, 10 d6*e7, Rc1, 11 e8 =Q, R*e8 12. B*e8 up a Rook).
10. g*f7+ (now works as B*f7, 11. R*f7 Q*f7, 12. Bd5 pins queen ) Kh7 and then not 11. Q*f1 R*f1 but
11. Be8! wins.
Psyche
I will try to post again, possibly third time lucky.
Yancy’s beautiful analysis may have missed a better move for white late which wins.
Yancy has pointed out an excellent line but then concluded that it may be difficult to win.
First it’s clear that taking the N at g5 wins easily for white so I concentrate on the better line that appears less clear. So after his analysis of.
His main line refuses the sacrifice and runs:
1. Ng5! Nc6
2. Qe3 Kf8 (Kd8 3.Nf7#!)
3. Bc6! hg5 (B/Q/dc6 4.Qe7+-)
4. Qe7 Kg8
5. Bd7 Qf8
6. fg5 Bd5 (Qe7 7.de7 wins exchan)
7. g6 Rh6 (!)
Now here Yancy suggests
8. gf7? Bf7 and white is better but does not have a clear win.
The essence of this position is 9. R*f7 B*f7 cannot have the pin B-e6 because the rook at h3 is covering. Therefore one has to move the White Bishop to d5 where the pin works. So instead of gf7 get the Black Bishop off the diagonal and the White Bishop on.
8. e4! Bc4 (needs to cover that diagonal — must cover f7)
9. Bc6 Rc8 or b8 (if 9. …Q*e7, 10 d6*e7, Rc1, 11 e8 =Q, R*e8 12. B*e8 up a Rook).
10. g*f7+ (now works as B*f7, 11. R*f7 Q*f7, 12. Bd5 pins queen ) Kh7 (and then not 11. Q*f1 R*f1) but
11. Be8! wins. (11. Q*f8 or even d7 may wins but most exotic may be 11. B-d8! gaining a whole queen.)
Very beautiful!
Psyche
Psyche,
What about black playing Rg6 after white has played 9.Bc6?
9. Bc6 Rg6
I agree with your analysis of moving the a8 rook, but this g6 capture looks more defensive to me:
10.Ba8 Bf1
I am not really doing much looking here, but this line seems more or less forcing for both players at this point. Continuing:
11.Qf8 Kf8
12.Rd1 Bb5 (what else better?)
13.d7 Bd7 (forced)
14.Rd7
So, white is up a piece for a pawn, so this looks definitely more decisive than my line. Nice job with 8.e4!