White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
This took me about 20 minutes, and is among the nicest chases I have seen. It should be noted that white has a weak first rank where black is threatening checkmate, so all his moves are checks here.
1. Re7+ Kf6 (1… Kh6? 2. Qh8+ Kg6 3. Qh7+ Kf6 4. Qg7#)
Black cannot interpose, as after the exchanges are over, the a pawn cannot be stopped.
2. Qf8+ Kg6
I was stumped here – couldn’t see any decent way forward after 3. Qg7+ Kh6 4. Qh7+ Kg4. Took me a while to spot the winning move (all of black’s moves are forced from this point):
3. Rg7+!! Kh6
4. Qh8+ Kg4
5. Qh4+!
The point of white’s third move. Now the g pawn is pinned, so the queen is safe.
5… Kf3
6. Qh5+ Ke4
7. Re7+!
Once again, interposing leads to exchange of both queens and rooks leaving white with an unstoppable passed pawn on a5, so:
7… Kd4
Now white has the black king and queen aligned along the same file, to deliver the killer blow:
8. Rd7!!
Black has to give up his queen for the rook.
8… Qxd7
9. Qd1+ Kc4
10. Qxd7
If White does not want to get a drawish position with 1.Qe4 or 1.Qe7+ Kg8 2.Qe6+ Qxe6 3.Rxe6 Rxa5= or 1.Qe7+ Kh8 2.Qe8+ Kg7, then there is only one move left to consider:
1.Re7+ Kf6
Alternatives:
1. … Rf7
2. Qxf7+ Qxf7
3. Rxf7+ Kxf7
4. a6 and the a-pawn queens.
1. … Kh6
2. Qh8+ Kg6
3. Qh7+ Kf6
4. Qe7#
Now the black king is hunted all over the board:
2. Qf8+ Kg6
3. Rg7+ Kh5 (Kh6 4.Qh8#)
4. Qh8+ Kg4
5. Qh4+ Kf3
6. Qh5+ Ke4 (g4 7.Qxg4#)
7. Qe2+ Kd4
8. Rd7!! Qxd7 (what else?)
Qd2+ winning the queen and the game.
1.Re7+
1…Rf7 2.Qxf7+ Qxf7 3.Rxf7 Kxf7 4.a6;
1…Kh6 2.Qh8+ Kg6 3.Qh7+ Kf6 4.Qg7#;
1…Kf6 2.Qf8+ Kg6 3.Rg7+ Kh5 4.Qh8+ Kg4 5.Qh4+! Kf3 6.Qh5+ Ke4 (6…g4 7.Qxg4#) 7.Re8+ Kd4 (7…Re5 8.Rxe5+ and now 8…Qxe5 9.Qe2+ or 8…Kxe5 9.Qxg5+, followed by trading queens and 11.a6, wins) 8.Rd8! Qxd8 9.Qd1+ K moves 10.Qxd8 and wins.
The first move is 1. f3!
Without that, the black queen escapes to f3. Now, if black captures on f3, that loses (both 1… Qxf3 and 1… Rxf3). Otherwise, too the threat is 2. Re7+.
1. f3 Qxf3
2. Re7+ Kf6
3. Qf8+ Kg6
4. Rg7+ Kh5
5. Qh8+ Kg4
6. Qh4#
Or
1. f3 Rxf3
2. Re7+ Kf6
3. Qf8+ Kg6
4. Rg7+ Kh5
5. Qh8+ Kg4
6. Qh4+ Kf5
7. Rxg5+ wins the q for the rook. 1-0
The best for black might be
1. f3 Rf7
2. Qe5+ Qxe5
3. Rxe5 Kg6
4. Kf2
Taking stock of situation
(1)Black threatens mate at g2.White’s moves have to be checks.
(2)White has passed P at a5 superior to black’s passed P at c6.
(3)Black can not exchange both Q and R.
(4) White’s Q and R occupy strategic positions.
1. Re7+ Kf6
1…. Kh6 2.Qh8+ Kg6 3. Qh7+ Kf6 4. Qg7#
2. Qf8+ Kg6 3.Rg7+ Kh5
3…. Kh6 4.Qh8#
4. Qe8+ Kg4 5. Qe2+ Rf3 6. Re7
White can have the luxury of quiet move since black Q can not check from anywhere.
6. … Qd3
Black plans to exchange only Q’s.
7. Qe6+ Rf5 8. Qe4+ Qxe4 9. Rxe4+ Kf3 10. Re3+ Kg4 11. f3+ Kh5
11…. Rxf3 12. Rxf3 Kxf3 white’s a5 P queens.
12. g4+ and wins
White seems to have alternative on 4th move.
1. Re7+ Kf6 2. Qf8+ Kg6 3. Rg7+ Kh5 4. Qh8+ Kg4 5. Qh4+ Kf3 6. Qh5+ Ke4 7. Qe2+ Kd4 8. Rd7 and wins Q for a R.May be the first solution may be better since it clearly shows the win and Q vs. R ending may not always be easy.Here there may not be a problem since passed P is also present.
With the mate threat of Qg2 facing him, white needs to either mate or force the exchange of queens with Qe4. On 1.Qe4, the exchange drops the pawn at a5, and the result is likely going to be a draw. So, white has to start with a check, but which one to win? I would play Re7 almost without thinking about it since it is the most flexible, but it is easy to see how white can take advantage of that a5 pawn. Other than that, this turned out to be far more difficult than I expected with black’s best defense.
1. Re7 Kf6
Every other reply loses too. Blocking the check with Rf7 (or even Qf7) loses immediately to Rxf7+ since the exchanges of the heavy pieces at f7 leaves white free to queen the a-pawn without hindrance and three moves ahead of black’s c-pawn. The other king move is mate: [1. …Kh6 2.Qh8 Kg6 3.Qh7 Kf6 4.Qg7#]. Continuing:
2. Qf8 Kg6
3. Rg7
The hardest move to find, in my opinion (it provides the critical pin at move move 5 below). It is so tempting to play Qg7 here, but this will lose, I now think: [3.Qg7?? Kh5 4.Qh8 Kg4 5.f3 Kf3! (here, I think Qf3 is going to allow white to escape with a perpetual after 6.Qd4+, and Rxf3 is going to allow white to play Qe5 with what looks very unclear to me) 6.Qc3 (or 6.Qh5 g4! 7.Qe8 Qc5! (to guard c6! at move 9) 8.Kh1 Qc2! 9.Re3 Kf2 and mate will now follow) 6. …Kg4 7.Qb4 Rf4!! and the rook can’t be taken by the pawn due to the still potent mate threats of Qg2 and Qd1- white will lose the queen at a minimum]. Continuing:
3. …..Kh5 (Kh6 4.Qh8#)
4. Qh8 Kg4
5. Qh4! Kf3
6. Qh5! Ke4 (g4 7.Qg4#)
7. Re7 Re5
Here, either Kd3 or Kd4 loses, too: [7. …Kd3/d4 8.Rd7! Qd7 9.Qd1 Kanywhere 10.Qd7+-]. Continuing:
8. Qe2 Kd4
Here, Kf5 loses very similarly after 9.Re5+. Continuing:
9. Qe5!
Taking one last advantage of that a5 pawn. Continuing:
9. …..Qe5
10.Re5 Ke5
11.a6 and the pawn will queen.
I first thought Re7 and subsequent moves would do it. But White cannot stop King from escaping through g4. The best that occurs to me then is
1. Re4, Black cannot move the King or the g pawn. Moving the rook away from f5 can make White exchange the queens and make use of the a5 pawn. Moving the Queen away from d5 and White can bring his rook forward and close the game quickly.
1. Re7+ should do it. Black is threatening mate, so trade off everything and queen that a-pawn!
1. Re7+ then if Black moves the King he is quickly mated and if he moves the rook the white pawn will queen much faster than black’s. Pretty easy compared to other puzzles here, not that I’m complaining. 🙂
It seems quite easy… Re7+ 1-0!
This one was a lot of work. (And I thought I was retired!)
1. Re7+ Kf6
(1. .. Kh6 2. Qh8+ Kg6 3. Qh7+ Kf6 4. Qg7#)
2. Qf8+ Kg6
3. Rg7+ Kh5
4. Qe8+ Kg4
(4. .. Kh6 5. Qg6#)
(4. .. Rf7 5. Qxf7+ {winning rook and forcing queen exchange})
5. Qe2+ Rf3
(5. .. Qf3 6. Qc4+ Rf4
(6. .. Kh5 7. Rh7+ Kg6 8. Qg8+ Kf6 9. Qg7+ Ke6 10. Qd7+ Ke5
(10. .. Kf6 11. Qd6#)
11. Re7+ Kf6 12. Qe6#)
7. Qxf4+ Qxf4 8. gxf4 Kxf4 9. a6)
6. Re7! {Threat: Re4+ winning Black rook, as after Black king moves, White takes rook with check..} Qd3
(6. .. Kh5 7. Re3 g4 8. Re5+)
(6. .. Kf5 7. Rf7+ Kg4
(7. .. Qxf7 8. Qxf3+ Kg6 9. Qxf7+ Kxf7 10. a6)
8. Qxf3+ Qxf3 9. Rxf3 Kxf3 10. a6)
7. Qe6+ Qf5
(7. .. Kh5 8. Qxh3+ Kg6 9. Qh7+ Kf6 10. Qf7#)
(7. .. Rf5 8. Qe4+ Qxe4 9. Rxe4+)
8. Qxf5+ Kxf5
(8. .. Rxf5 9. Re4+ Kf3
(9. .. Kh5 10. g4+)
10. Re3+ Kg4 11. f3+ Rxf3
(11. .. Kh5 12. g4+)
12. Rxf3 Kxf3 13. a6)
9. Rf7+ Kg4
10. Rxf3 Kxf3
11. a6
This one was a lot of work. (And I thought I was retired!)
1. Re7+ Kf6
(1. .. Kh6 2. Qh8+ Kg6 3. Qh7+ Kf6 4. Qg7#)
2. Qf8+ Kg6
3. Rg7+ Kh5
4. Qe8+ Kg4
(4. .. Kh6 5. Qg6#)
(4. .. Rf7 5. Qxf7+ {winning rook and forcing queen exchange})
5. Qe2+ Rf3
(5. .. Qf3 6. Qc4+ Rf4
(6. .. Kh5 7. Rh7+ Kg6 8. Qg8+ Kf6 9. Qg7+ Ke6 10. Qd7+ Ke5
(10. .. Kf6 11. Qd6#)
11. Re7+ Kf6 12. Qe6#)
7. Qxf4+ Qxf4 8. gxf4 Kxf4 9. a6)
6. Re7! {Threat: Re4+ winning Black rook, as after Black king moves, White takes rook with check..} Qd3
(6. .. Kh5 7. Re3 g4 8. Re5+)
(6. .. Kf5 7. Rf7+ Kg4
(7. .. Qxf7 8. Qxf3+ Kg6 9. Qxf7+ Kxf7 10. a6)
8. Qxf3+ Qxf3 9. Rxf3 Kxf3 10. a6)
7. Qe6+ Qf5
(7. .. Kh5 8. Qxh3+ Kg6 9. Qh7+ Kf6 10. Qf7#)
(7. .. Rf5 8. Qe4+ Qxe4 9. Rxe4+)
8. Qxf5+ Kxf5
(8. .. Rxf5 9. Re4+ Kf3
(9. .. Kh5 10. g4+)
10. Re3+ Kg4 11. f3+ Rxf3
(11. .. Kh5 12. g4+)
12. Rxf3 Kxf3 13. a6)
9. Rf7+ Kg4
10. Rxf3 Kxf3
11. a6