White to move. How can White save this game? No computer analysis please.
1k1r4/b4R2/pr1q4/1p2p2p/4B1p1/3pP3/Q5P1/2R4K w – – 0 1
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Qh6!!!
1. Qxa6 e.g. 1…Rxa6 2. Rb7+ Ka8 3. Rb6+ Qd5 4. Rc8+ Rxc8 5. Bxd5 mate
Qxa6 wins
if .. Rxa6
Rb7+ Ka8
Rb6+
if now Qd5
Rc8+ Rxc8
Bxd5+ Rc6
Bxc6 mate
Qa6 seems pretty obvious to me as a way to deflect the black rook from covering b7:
1. Qa6 Ra6
2. Rb7 Ka8
3. Rb6 Qd5 (only move to extend)
4. Bd5 Rd5
5. Rc8 Bb8
6. Rcb8 Ka7
7. R6b7#
So, black cannot take the queen with his first move, but with white threatening Qa7# black must either protect a7 with the queen or a rook. The rook at d8 cannot leave the back rank due to the threat of Qc8# or Rc8#, the rook at b6 cannot leave the b-file without allowing Qb7#. So, this leaves only queen moves, but they are shorter mates than the one I outlined first:
1. Qa6 Qc6
2. Qa7 Kc8
3. Qa8 Rb8
4. Rc6# Or
1. Qa6 Qc7
2. Rfc7 Ra6 (other moves # in 1)
3. Rb7 Ka8
4. Rb6 Rd5
5. Bd5# Or
1. Qa6 Qd7
2. Rd7 and there are nothing but mates on the next white move, the least obvious being:
2. …..Rd7
3. Rc8#
2. …..Ra6
3. Rd8#
Or
1. Qa6 Qe7
2. Re7 Ra6 and the rest is the same as above.
1. RB7+ RxB7
2. BxB7 KxB7
3. Qf7+ KB8
There’s nothing to save, only to win with 1. Qxa6 and horrible threats in all lines. One possible line:
1.-Rxa6 2. Rb7+ Ka8 3. Rxb5+ Qd5 and so on. Not very easy to find, when you know that there should be a solution, possibly hard to find in a real game, even harder to see the line in order reach the position…
1. RB7+ RxB7
2. BxB7 KxB7
3. Qf7 KB8
Qa6!
Qxa6!
1. Qa6! Ra6
2. Rb7+ Ka8
3. Rb6+ Qd5
4. Bd5+ Rd5
5. Rc8+ Bb8
6. Rcb8+ Ka7
7. R6b7++
Queen takes on a6
Qa6!!!
i failed to see this at first, but 1. Qxa6 is incredibly strong:
1. … Rxa6
2. Rb7+ Ka8
3. Rb6+ Qd5
4. Bxd5+ Rxd5
5. Rc8#
if 1. … Rd7, then
2. Rc8#
if 1. … Qd7, then
2. Rxd7 Rxd7
3. Rc8#
other variations obviously end up with the queen mating on a7 or b7. so it’s a forced mate. greets, jan
Q-b3, with the threat of Q-a4
1 Qxa6 threatens Qxa7 =/=
if 1… Rxa&
then
2. Rb7+
1. Qxa6! Rxa6 2. Rb7+ Ka8 3. Rb6+ and only Qd5 avoids mate. After Bxd5 rook must take but then Rc8+ is deadly
Qa6 RxQ
Rb7+ Ka8
Rb6+ Qd5
BxQ RxB
Rc8++
Yes, this was fun:
1. Qxa6 Rxa6
2. Rb7+ Ka8
3. Rb6+ Qd5
4. Bxd5+ Rxd5
5. Rc8+ Bb8
6. Rcxb8+ Ka7
7. R6b7#