Black to move. How should Black proceed?
1K2Bn2/6b1/8/1p4R1/k7/P7/p7/8 b – – 0 2
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Black to move. How should Black proceed?
1K2Bn2/6b1/8/1p4R1/k7/P7/p7/8 b – – 0 2
b-e5 ch
Lets get the obviously wrong out of the way, first:
1. …..a1(Q)
2. Rb5 and black’s brand new queen has nowhere to hide from the discovered check. The less obvious lines are
2. …..Qa3
3. Rb7 Ka5
4. Ra7 wins the queen for the rook. Or
2. …..Qa2
3. Rc5 Ka3 (Kb3 4.Bf7+)
4. Ra5 Or
2. …..Be5
3. Kc8 and where can her majesty hide?
It took me a bit of time to figure this one out. I could see no obvious ways to queen the pawn and protect the queen at the same time. Then it occurred to me that blocking the bishop check with Nd7 might be a solution, but then I run into the problem of Bd7. When I hit on this line, though, the solution hits like a thunderbolt- Nd7+ is effective if the queen is at h8 pinning the knight! Black must clear the bishop off the diagonal with check:
1. …..Be5!
And white must take, otherwise he can’t play Rb5, but this now doesn’t matter:
2. Re5 a1(Q)
3. Rb5 Qh8!
And, now the discovered check doesn’t work:
4. Rh5
The worst of white’s moves, ironically:
4. …..Nd7+
5. Kc7 Qe8 and it is over.
It does white no good to move the king at move 4:
4. Kb7 Ka3 and black will win.
I’d call this a study. Who’s the composer?
I’m assuming the orientation is correct, and black’s pawn is about to queen. In that case, the only move is to queen the pawn while you’ve got the chance:
1 …a2-a1/Q
White can now play 2 Rxb5, threatening a nasty double-check, but if black simply blocks the queen from attack by the double-check, white can’t do too much damage:
2 … Bb2
3 Rxb2+ Kxa3
And now black can win easily with queen and knight against rook and bishop.
1 … a1Q
2 Rxb5 Bb2
3 Rc5+
you can’t take in a3 and if Kb3, Bf7+
1. … Be5+
(1. … a1=Q, 2. Rxb5 Bb2 3. Rc5+ Kb3 4. Bf7+)
2. Rxe5 a1=Q
3. Rxb5 Qh8
4. Rh5+ Nd7+
5. Kc7 Qxe8
Nice interference theme
Re the 1… a1=q
2 Rxb5 Bb2 line
white has the tricky
3. Rc5+ Kb3
4. Bf7+ and black cannot avoid repitition or Kxa3 allowing Ra5 with a draw
This I think is a line clearance problem. The double line clearance with Bd5 and Nd7+ does not seem to work. I thought there might be mating net with 1… Bd5 2.Rxd5 Nd7+ 3.Bxd7 a1=q 4.Bxb5 Ka5 but 5. Rh5 seems to hold.
But the single line clearnace does appear to work.
1… Bd5
2.Rxd5 a1=Q
3.Rxb5 Qh8
and now 4. Rh5 is met by Nh7 and white just picks up the a-pawn.
I assume Q+N beats R+B. I haven’t tired to prove that for the reuslting positions.
Wow! Yancey and RU, very nice analysis. You’re right! White has a perpetual check if black queens first, but throwing away the bishop to allow …Qh8!! is brilliant, with the discovered check being countered with a double-check!
What a wonderful puzzle. I felt like I was missing something when I wanted to play the ‘obvious’ move, of queening a pawn for free, and I thought the bishop block on b2 was the puzzle part; but I never even considered clearing the line for such a wild backward zip from a1 to h8, followed by a double check. What a puzzle, and what an awesome solution that completely evaded me. Awesome puzzle, Susan, and awesome job solving it, you guys!
I don’t understand:
1. …..Be5!+
2. Re5 a1(Q)
3. Rb5 Qh8!
4. Rh5 Nd7+
Why not 5. Bd7+ and take the queen?
I don’t understand:
1. …..Be5!+
2. Re5 a1(Q)
3. Rb5 Qh8!
4. Rh5 Nd7+
Why not 5. Bd7+ and take the queen?
how come can 5. Bd7+? The White King will be attacked by Black Queen at h8!