White to move. How should white proceed? (no computer please)
2bnk2N/rppqn2Q/6p1/3N4/2B1P3/2b4P/p1r2PP1/2B1R1K1 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Sunday morning chess challenge
About Author
Nf6+,Kf8
Bh6+ checkmate
1.Nf6+ Bxf6 2.Bf7+ Kf8 3.Bh6+ Bg7 4.Qxg7#
knf+
Nf6+ Bf6
Bf7+ Nf7
Qf7 Ke8
Qf8 Qd8
Re1+ Be7
Nf7 Kc8
Qd8+ Bd8
Re8++
1. Nf3+, Bxf3
2. Bf7+, Nxf7
3. Qf7+, Kd8
4. Qf8+, Qe8
5. Rd1+, Bd7
6. Nf7+, Kc8
7. QxQ+, BxQ
8. Rd8 checkmate
It took me a while to realize that the bishop at c4 was the real key to the position. The attack on f7 is where white is strongest, but he needs one other piece to take advantage of it- the way to do this quickly enough (black has lots of threats of his own) is to clear the line for the c4 bishop, and the way to do that is to move the knight at d5 with force. The rest isn’t too difficult (a lot of it is forced by only moves and quick alternative mates) if you just walk through it carefully, though there are some side tracks that are interesting and difficult:
1. Nf6 Bf6 (Kf8 2.Bh6#)
2. Bf7! Nf7 (Kf8 2.Bh6 Bg7 3.Qg7#)
3. Qf7 Kd8 (only move)
4. Qf8 Qe8 (only move)
5. Rd1
After the beginning move, this is the first critical juncture for white. White has two reasonable looking moves- Nf7 and Rd1, both with check. I think Nf7 might win, too, but I am not completely sure (not even 75% sure) since black’s king gets out of the back rank hole he is in: [5.Nf7 Kd7 6.Rd1 Kc6 (or 6. …Ke6 7.Qe8 Ra5!? 8.Bf4! with Nd8 coming) 7.Qe8 Kb6 8.Be3 Rc5 (or 8. …c5 9.Qd8 Ka6 10.Qd3+-) 9.Rc1 Ra5 10.e5! should be a win, maybe?]. There are just too many variations in that line for me to be sure without a lot of extra work. In any case, Rd1 is easier to work out, even if you can’t see the mate coming from this point forward:
5. …..Bd7
Black can delay this by playing sacrificial moves like Rd2 and/or Bd4. Nd5 without a previous Bd4 is a bit different, and I will cover it at the end. Continuing:
6. Nf7 Kc8 (only move)
7. Qe8
Capped off with a nice little queen sacrifice. This is also the only winning move, but an easy one to spot:
7. …..Be8
8. Rd8#
Now, back at move 5, black had a blocking move with Nd5. This is different because it clears the line for the f6 bishop to cover d8, and so the mate with Rd8 isn’t possible. White still wins, however:
5. …..Nd5
6. Nf7
Here, 6.Rd5 actually loses: [6.Rd5?? Bf7 7.Nf7 Kc8 and now white has nothing but a huge material deficit]. Also, 6.Qf6 might win, but I am not completely sure. At the end, I will attach the partial analysis I did on that variation, but I didn’t finish it because it became more and more speculative near the end, and I could see the mate coming anyway with 6.Nf7. Continuing:
6. …..Kd7
7. Rd5 Ke6 (Kc6 8.Qe8 Kb6 9.Qb5#)
8. Qe8 Be7
9. Nd8 Kf6
10.Qf7#
Above, I had mentioned 6.Qf6 might win for white, but I will let others judge it:
6. Qf6 Qe7 (Kd7 7.Rd5#)
7. Rd5 Bd7
Or [7. …Ke8 8.Qg6 Kf8 9.Bh6 Qg7 10.Qf7#]. Continuing:
8. Nf7 Kc8
Or [8. …Ke8 9.Re5 Rc1 10.Kh2 Qe5 11.Ne5! Rh1 12.Kg3! (not 12.Kh1? a1Q! 13.Kh2 Qd1 14.Qh8 Ke7 15.Ng6 and it is unclear to me if white can win this, and might well lose it if the black king can hide from the queen and knight) 12. …Ra3 13.f3 Rd1 (to protect d7) 14.Ng6 (threatening Qe7#)14. …Rf3 15.gf3! Rg1 16.Kf2 Rg6 17.Qg6 should win easily]. And I stopped there because I couldn’t see a clearly winning line after Kc8 either, though I still think white will find a win.
1.Nf6+ Bxf6 2.Bf7+ Nxf7 3.Qxf7 Kd8 4.Qf8+ Qe8 5.Rd1+ Bd7 6.Nf7+ Kc8 7.Qxe8+ Bxe8 8.Rd8+ mate
Another variation 1. Nf6+ Bxf6 2. Bf7+ Nxf7 3. Qxf7 Kd8 4. Qf8+ Qe8 5. Rd1+ Nd5 5. Nf7+ Kd7 6. Rxd5 Kc6 7. Qxe8+ Kb6 8. Be3+ Ka6 Qa4+ mate
Susan…I mean seriously..you should put these problems on the kid pages for heavens sake. haha… The last three can be solved a simple glance..You should not underestimate your fans.
1. Nf6+ Kf8 2. Bh6#
I am curious; give you solution.
Susan
1. Nf6+ Bxf6
2. Bf7+ Kf8
3. Bh6+ Bg7
4. Qxg7#
TimLovesTiffanie
I am not the same anonymous. But somehow I feel stupid when somebody tells me that something can be solved very simply. As it is hard for me to solve these puzzles and I am adult. I used to feel same when Math books used to tell me that it can be easily deduced from above and give some fancy equation. I have never understood those either. Susan these are good puzzles. Please keep them.
I don’t know, it was easy once I solved it, but it was only hard in the beginning because one of the pieces was invisible to my brain for quite a while. The puzzles, yesterday, were really simple, but then you would be amazed at the simple things even strong players overlook.
1. Nf6ch BxN
2. Bf7ch NxB
3. QxNch Kd8
4. Qf8ch Qe8
5. Nf7ch Kd7
6. Rd1ch (if the king goes to c6, then the black queen get taken with check. If the king instead goes to e6, then Ng5 forces mate in a couple of moves–I think)
Yancey, if it was so simple for you to see, please show us your line, ’cause it tok me a while to find all the right moves.
Anyway, I found a forced mate.
1.Nf6+ BxN
2.Bf7+ NxB
3.Qxf7+ Kd8
4.Qf8+ Qe8
5.Rd1+ Bd7
6.Nf7+ Kc8
7.QxQ+ BxQ
8. Rd8#
1, Nf6+ BxN
2. Bf7+ NxB
3. QxN+ Kd8
4. Qf8+ Qe8
5. Rd1+ Bd7
6. Nf7+ Kc8
7. QxQ+ BxQ
8. Rd8#
Mark
White doesn’t have a lot of things to try; it seems everything has to be check. Therefore,
1. Nf6+ Bf6:
2. Bf7+ Nf7:
3. Qf7+ Kd8
4. Qf8+ Qe8
5. Rd1+ etc.
This is actually a mate in 11. Black has some pieces to put in front of the king.
1. Nf6+ Bxf6
2. Bf7+ Nxf7
3. Qxf7 Kd8
4. Qf8+ Qe8
5. Rd1+ Rd2
6. Rxd2 Nd5
7. Nf7+ Kd7
8. Rxd5+ Ke6
9. Qxe8+ Be7
10. Ng5+ Kf6
11. Bb2#
Not elementary indeed.