White to move. What is the best continuation for white?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tactical precision
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White to move. What is the best continuation for white?
1. Rxa6+! bxa6 2. Bc6+ Ka7 3. Nb5+! axb5 4. Ra1+ Ba3 5. Rxa3#
1. Rxa6+ bxa6
2. Bc6+ Ka7
3. Nb5+ axb5
4. Ra1#
1.Rxa6+ bxa6
2.Bc6+ Ka7
3.Nb5+ axb5
4.Ra1+ Ba3
5.Rxa3#
1. Ra6+ ba 2. Bc6+ Ka7 3. Nb5+ ab 4. Ra1+ Ba3 5. ra3#
It’s almost a cliche: two pieces in take, down a pawn, opponent’s king loose.. of course it’s a sac for mate.
1. Rxa6+ bxa6
2. Bc6+ Ka7
3. Nb5+ axb5
4. Ra1+ Ba3
5. Rxa3 mate
Mate in 5!
1.Rxa6+.bxa6.2.Bc6+.Ka7.3.Nb5+.axb5.4.Ra1+.Ba3.5.Rxa3#
Harry
Rxa6+,bxa6; Bc6+,Ka7; Nb5+,axb5; Ra1
1.Rxa6 bxa6 2.Bc6+ Ka7 3.Nb5+ axb5 4.Ra1# should be the mate sequence.
1.Rxa6+ bxa6 2.Bc6+ Ka7 3.Cb5+ axb5 4.Ra1++
1.Rxa6+ bxa6 2.Bc6+ Ka7 3.Cb5+ axb5 4.Ra1++
Rook takes pawn to A6+.
1.Ra6+ ba6 2.Bc6+ Ka7 3.Ra1(..Ka7 4.Nb5+ ka8 5.Ra6#) Rc7 4.Ra6+ Kb8 5.ra8#
Rxa6+ bxa6
Bc6+ Ka7
Nb5+ axb5
Ra1+
It may be natural to look along the e-file for something decisive because of the doubled-Rooks but the invasion squares seem adequately covered and even though the King is somewhat hemmed in, there’s no back rank mate if Black were simply allowed to take the Bishop…Rxc7
A clue to the fatal weakness in Black’s position may be hinted at by noticing that Black’s a-pawn could be “positionally pinned” in the sense that if, say, White plays 1) Bb5 axb5?? 2)Ra1 mates But of course Black isn’t forced to open up the a-file in that line.
However 1) Rxa6 does the trick
1. Rxa6+ bxa6 Forced as White’s dark-squared Bishop guards the only potential flight square
2. Bc6+ Ka7
3. Nb5+ axb5 Forced again; the Bishops work together to form a barrier to the enemy King. But now the a-file has been forced open!
4. Ra1+ …. Mate can’t be avoided.
I find, again, this is a position where it sure helps to know there’s a tactic to be found. The question is, could I have foreseen this enough to play for this position where White is both a pawn down and has two pieces en prise?
Having been given this position, it’s easy enough to say, Examine all captures or Examine all checks. In this case, at least it helps that, because of the White Bishop’s covering the flight square, the first move for Black is absolutely forced. Black must recapture. Then it’s easy to see the nice looking check at c6.
At this point, it helps if experience has shown you how the two bishops side by side effectively form a barrier to the King and keep him from running in their direction. But in the meantime, throughout this whole sequence, the Bishop on c7 has been en prise. I wonder if I could’ve foreseen a few moves earlier that the attack would succeed in spite of that.
– Craigaroo
1. Rxa6+ bxa6 2. Bc6+ Ka7 3. Nb5+ axb5 4. Ra1#
1. Rxa6+ bxa6
2. Bc6+ Ka7
3. Nb5+ axb5
4. Ra1+ Ba3
5. Rxa3 mate
Nakamura is better than this puzzle.
Rxa6 Bc6 Knb5 Ra1
Rxa6 Bc6 Knb5 Ra1
Rxa6 Bc6 Knb5 Ra1
Rxa6 Bc6 Knb5 Ra1
Rxa6 Bc6 Knb5 Ra1
1.Rxa6+, 2.Bc6+, 3.Nb5+, 4.Ra1+ followed by mate
Easy, since all is forced
Rxa6+ bxa6
Bc6+ Ka7
Nb5+ axb5
Ra1#