White to move. How should white proceed?
Svidler – Zapata (NY, 95)
3bkn1r/1b6/p1q1pp2/1p5p/7P/2N1BN2/PPP2QP1/1K1R4 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Svidler chess tactic
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I like Rxd8+. If the king takes the rook, then white can play Nd4 with tempo on the black queen and also threatening Qxf6+ to pick up a rook.
There are a couple of other variations, but white should come out ahead as long as care is taken to avoid a back rank mate.
I have a feeling that there’s something more forcing (better) that I’m missing. I’ll take a deeper look tomorrow when it’s not 3am.
Rxbch is the 1st move
RxB KxR Ne4 attacking the queen and discovering an attack on the pawn on f6, leads to a material advantage.
It seems that white must win a bishop with:
1. Rxd8+ Kxd8
2. Nd4 Qxg2 (or somewhere)
3. Qxf6+
and Rh8 falls.
1. Rxd8+, Kxd8 (not taking is worse. Kf7 loses the Queen through a knight fork at e5 and Ke8 transposes due to Bc5+)
2. Ne5 and Black cannot protect his Queen and the knight fork at f7 and the Queen attacking the rook through Qf6+
2. .., fxe5
3. Qf6+, Kc7
4. Qxh8,
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,Nice puzzle.
White wins the game[ Interesting Variations exist,based on players strength ]
To me,initial move for White [ Ne5 / Bg5 ] wins the game,even “Rd8+” can be tried if over ambitious.
Example [ If Black is middle level player ]
==================
1.Bg5 f*Bg5
2.Ne5 Qc7
3.Rd7 N*Rd7
4.Qf7++ Mate
Example [ When Black not equivalent to White’s skill but skilled player ]
===================
1.Bg5 Bb6
2.Qe2 f*Bg5
3.Qe5 Rg8
4.N*g5 b4
5.Nd5 b3
6.a*b Rg6
7.N*Bb6 Q*g2
8.Qb8+ Ke7
9.Qd8++ Mate
When both the players are strong.
Example [ Variations exist ]
===========
1.Ne5 f*Ne5
2.R*d8+ K*Rd8
3.Qf6+ Kc8
4.Q*Rh8 Qe8
5.Ba7 Qd8
6.Q*e5 Nd7
7.Q*e6 Q*h4
8.Qe8+ Kc7
9.b3 b4
10.Na4 Be4
11.Qf7 Qe1+
12.Kb2 Qd2
13.Bb6+ Kc6
14.Qc4+ Kd6
15.Bc7+ Ke7
16.Q*Be4+ Kf7
17.Qf5+ Nf6
18.Be5 Qd7
19.Q*Nf6+ Ke8
20.Nb6 Qe7
21.Qc6+ Kf8
22.Bd6 a5
23.B*Qe7+ K*Be7
24.Qg6 a4
25.N*a4 h4
26.Qg5+ Ke6
27.Q*h4 Kf7
28.g4 Kg6
29.Qh5+ Kf6
30.g5+ Kf5
31.f6+ Kf4
32.f7 Ke4
33.f8(Q) Kd4
32.Qgg4++ Mate
White wins the game [ Interesting variations exist ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Took me a while to spot this one. Rd8 is the first move I thought of but I missed the discovered attack on f6 for many, many minutes:
1. Rd8 Kd8 (or concede piece)
2. Nd4
Attacking the black queen and threatening Qf6 with a double attack on the rook and king. There is no way to protect f6 with the queen. The best I can see is to take at g2, but white’s back rank is safe enough with the bishop retreat to c1 if necessary:
2. …..Qg2
3. Qf6 Ke8
4. Qh8 and white has won a piece.
It seems that after
1. Rxd8+ Kxd8
2. Nd4 Black cannot protect square f6 and will thus lose his rook after e.g.
2. … Qxg2
3. Qxf6+ Ke8
4. Qxh8
White is a piece up while h5 and e6 are under attack, he should therefore win easily.