White to move. What is the most accurate continuation for White?
3n2b1/2r1r2k/1p2pQpp/n1p5/5PP1/p1P2K2/B6R/2b5 w – – 0 1
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Saturday chess tactic
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1. Bb1
A. ..Bf7, Rxh6+ and Qh8#
B. ..Rg7, Rxh6+ and Qh4#
1. g5 h5 (1…Bf7 2. Rxh6+ and 3. Qh8#. Anything else, 2. Rxh6#) 2. Rxh5+ gxh5 3. Qxh5#
I’d go with Qg5 with all kinds of threats.
Bb1
then rook takes h6
queen h8 mate
or queen h4 mate
Hi from Finland! I would try 1. Bb1 threatenin mate. If Rg7, then Rxh6+ and Qh4 mate. If Bf7, then again Rxh6 and Qh8 mate.
qf8 looks like it gives black the most problems. d8 knight is hanging and h6 is very soft.
did not look at specific lines, though
David,
1. g5 Nf7 holds, I think.
1.Bb1 (threatening Bg6#)
If Rg7 2.Rh6 and Qh4#
If Bf7 2.Rh6 and Qh8#
If h5 2.Rh5#
1. Bb2 Rg7 (Bf7 2. g5 per David)
2. g5 Nf7
3. gh6
1Bb1 threatening Bxg6++
1..Bf7 2Rxh6+Kxh6(Kg8 3Rh8++)3Qh8++
1..Rg7 2Rxh6+ and 3Qh4++
Bb1! is strongest and mates in three.
1. g5 is strong, but after 1… Nf7 white has to go back to the Bb1 idea anyway and takes five moves to mate instead of three.
Main variations:
1. Bb1 Bf7 (1… Rg7 2. Rxh6+ Kxh6 3. Qh4#) 2. Rxh6+ Kxh6 3. Qh8#
Bb1 forces mate.
1. Bb1 Rg7
2. g5 h5
3. Rh5##
1. Bb1 Rg7
2. g5 Bf7
3. Rh6 Kg8
4. Qd8
1. Bb1 Bf7
2. Rh6 Kh6
3. Qh8##
“What is the most accurate continuation for White?”
There is more than one forced mate line. Is mate in 5 less accurate than mate in 3?
This was posted long before. Last time it was a mate in 3 problem. As mate in 3 the solution is unique:
1. Bb1! (#3)
Jochen
PS: 1. g5, Nf7 2. Bb1, Ne5+ (Nxg5+) 3. dxe5, Bf7 only mates in 5.
Bishop b1 iwill play
First, I found:
1. g5 Nf7
2. Bb1 Nxg5+
3. fxg5 Bf7
4. Rxh6+ Kg8
5. Rh8#
Faster:
1. Bb1 Bf7
2. Rxh6+ Kxh6
3. Qh8#
I don’t think 1.g5 is the cleanest, as after 1…Nf7 White may have to play 2. Bb1 (the move I want to begin with) anyway.
I prefer 1.Bb1 (threatening Bxg6#) and now (a) 1…Bf7 2.g5 h5
3.Rxh5+ Kg8 (g-pawn is pinned)
4.Rh8# or
(b) 1…Rg7 2.Rxh6+ Kxh6 3.Qh4#.
i would go with g5! if h5 then Rx h5 ….and Bb1#
if Nf7 then Bb1 forcing a mate..
Both 1. Rxh6 followed by Bb1 and 1. Bb1 followed by Rxh6 win in three… am i missing something?
Wasn’t there a similar problem before?
1. Bb1 Bf7
2. g5 h5
3. Rxh5+ Kg8
4. Rh8#
or
1. … Rg7
2. Rxh6+ Kxh6
3. Qh4#
or if black does nothing, then 2. Bxg6#
1. Rxh6 Kxh6 2.Qh8 mate
Bb1
1. Rxh6+ Kxh6 2. Qh8 mate
1. Rxh6 Kxh6 2. Qh8 mate
sorry wrong calculation
David, you’ve missed 1… Nf7…
1.Bb1 is better anyway
1. g5 h5
2. Rxh5+ gxh5
3. Qh6#
susan
could i make a suggestion. how about strategic/positional tests? tactics are nice, but the heart of the game is strategic/positional play.
would generate gobs of debate. gobsb
‘mate in two’ is okay, but…
I think 1 g5 works although 1 g5 Ng7 complicates it a bit.
The more accurate move may be:
1 Bb1 threatening Bxg6#
If 1 … Bf7 2 Qh8#
If 1 … Rg7 2 Rxh6+ Kxh6 3 Qh4#
if 1 … h5 2 Rxh5#
i like Qf8 (see 6th comment)
looking at it some more i like Qh4 (there are issues i haven’t worked out, though)
here’s the cake variation:
1 Qh4 h5
2 gh5 g5
3 Bb1+
but 1 … Nf7 or … Bxf5 give black opportunities
okay. let’s try:
1 g5 Nf7
2 Bb1
if
2 … Ne5+ (or Ng5+)
3 fe5 (or fg5) Rf7
4 Rh6#
2 … Ng5+
3 fg5 Bg5
4 Qg5 Rf7+
5 Kg2 with mate following
black could try:
5 … Kg7 but then
6 Qh6#
other lines are:
1 g5 Bf7
2 Rh6 Kg8
3 Qh8#
and, what seems most likely and is certainly the prettiest:
1 g5 h5
2 Rxh5+ gh5
3 Bb1#
that’s all i’m giving it on a sunday morning. in practical terms i still like Qf8 or Qh4.
nice puzzle