White to move. How would you assess this position? How would you continue as White?
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White to move. How would you assess this position? How would you continue as White?
N-F6 leaves King with only two squares to move to (neither bishop nor rook can take knight, revealing check).
Then, if King moves left, Q-E8 is mate. Else, Rook to H4 forces Black to block with Bishop, RxB K-G7, N-E8+, K-F8 R-H8 mate!
Considering the two pins on the bishop and the rook at g7 and f7, I would look at Nf6+ first:
1. Nf6 Kf8
Mate follows on Kh8: [1. …Kh8 2.Rh4 Bh6 (or 2. …Rh5 3.Rh5 etc.) 3.Rb8 Qb8 4.Rh6 Kg7 5.Rh7 Kg6 (or 5. …Kf8 6.Rf7#) 6.Qf7 Kf5 (or 6. …Kg5 7.Qh5 Kf6 8.Rf7 Ke6 9.Qg6#) 7.Rh5 Kf4 8.Nd5 Ke4 9.Qf3 Kd4 10.Rh4 Re4 11.Re4#]. Continuing:
2. Nd7! Kg8
Again, mate follows on the alternatives: [2. …Qd7 3.Rb8 with mate on the next move]; or [2. …Rd7 3.Rf4! Rf7 (black can delay with Rf5 and/or Bf6) 4.Rb8 with mate on the next move]. Continuing:
3. Ne5 Nb1 (anything else here?)
4. Nf7 Qf7 (mate otherwise)
So, was this right move for white at move 1? I am not really sure at this point. Here, white must keep the queens on the board. He could try to pick up the knight with a move like Qe5 threatening Qb8+ or Qb2, but then black moves the knight to a3 or d2, and I am not quite sure how to take advantage of white’s initiative. Right now, I can see possible ways to win the knight anyway, but this is going to take a lot more work. For now, 1.Nf6 is the best I see for white. Hopefully later I will have a deeper analysis ready for the position following black’s 4th move above, unless I suddenly find something better than white’s first move.
Ok, if 1.Nf6 is the correct first move (still not sure on that), then the following line is the critical one that I outlined in my previous comment:
1. Nf6 Kf8
2. Nd7 Kg8
3. Ne5 Nb1
4. Nf7 Qf7
It is still possible that white had better moves at moves 1, 2, and 3, but if he does, I am just not seeing them right now. I actually pretty confident this line is best for white if the first move is the best. The main idea for continuing here seems to be winning the knight. Of the moves white might make here, one stands out to me:
5. Qe5
This has a double threat- Qb8+ attacking the knight at b1, and Qb2 trapping the knight on b1 and winning it. So, black seems to have to move the knight on move 5:
5. …..Nd2 (I cover Na3 later)
6. Qd6!
Keeps the pressure on the knight who has no safe square except c4. Black could try attacking the rook with a move like Qf5 but Qd8+ followed by Rh4+ should bag the knight at d2:
6. …..Nc4
7. Qd8 Qf8 (Kh7 8.Qd3 Kg8 9.Qc4)
8. Qf8 Kf8
9. Rc4 Bd4
10.Ra4 Ke7
11.Ra6 Kd6
12.Kf1 and this should be won for white as black cannot hold up all three white passers with the king and bishop against the king and rook.
Now, back at move 5, black could have played Na3:
5. …..Na3
6. Qb8 Qf8
Here, Kh7 might be a bit better, but I am not sure: [6. …Kh7 7.Qb3 Nb5 8.Qc2 Kg8 9.cb5 cb5 10.Qc5 Qa2? 11.Qc8 Kh7 12.Rh4 and black will lose the bishop at a minimum, so white should retain his a-pawn at move 10 here]. Continuing:
7. Qb2 Nc4 (Nb5 like note above)
8. Qb3 and the knight will fall.
In all of these lines, I think white’s edge is decisive with proper play.
White should follow the saying of Nimzovich to “restrain, blockade and destroy,” by Rd1!!, intending Rd6! to win Black’s crippled pawn.
Hmmm… I guess there is something better than 1.Nf6 if my comment appeared so quickly. Ok, I will take another look.
Nice article, thanks for the information.
Other way
1. Nf6, Kh8
2. Qe8, Rf8
3. Qxf8!!, BxQ
4. Rg8 check mate
Well, I have to admit defeat on this one. Can’t wait to see the solution.
1. Nf6+ Kf8
2. Nd7+ Kg8
3. Nxe5 Nxb1
4. Rf4 Qxe5
5. Qxf7+ Kh8 (Kh7)
6. Rh5+ mates
1. Nf6+ Kf8
2. Nd7+ Kg8
3. Nxe5 Nxb1
4. Rf4 Qxe5
5. Qxf7+ Kh8 (Kh7)
6. Rh4+ mates
1. Nf6, Kf8
2. Nd7, Kg8
3. Nxe5, Nb1
4. Qe8+, Kh7 (4 .., Rf8 loses to 5. Nf6+, Kh8 6. Rh4+, Bh6 7. Rxh6+)
5. Ng5+, Kh6 (or 5. .., Kg6 6. Nxf7+, and the White Queen takes the Black Bishop and ends the game)
6. Nxf7+, Kh5
7. Qxg7 and Black has lost all his pieces and the game
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well – Others had already given the required set of moves,nothing needs to be added from my side.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
To the Anonymous commenter at 10:02 p.m. CDT:
1. Nf6 Kf8
2. Nd7 Kg8
3. Ne5 Nb1
4. Rf4 Be5 holds for black in my opinion. At least, I don’t see any mates here for white.
Ravi:
1. Nf6 Kf8
2. Nd7 Kg8
3. Ne5 Nb1
4. Qe8 Rf8
Does hold for black as far as I can tell (at least if white doesn’t fall back to Qe6+ and then proceed with the variation I outlined earlier). Your suggestion of 5.Nf6+ is not a legal move in this position as the knight is on e5 on move 3.
Yancey. I agree. My mistake. Qe8 doesn’t seem to be winning.