White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Nxd6 1-0
…with the continuation 1. … Nxd5 2. Rxc3 bxc3 3. Bxc3+ Re5 4. Bxe5+ Rf6 5. Bxf6#
If black responds 2. … h5 then 3. Rcg3+ Kh7 4. Rg7 Kh6 5. R2g6#
1. N:d6
if
1 … N:d6
2 R:c3 and if
2 … bc
3 B:c3+ and mate soon follows
so
1 … Re5
2 Nb5
and black has lost an important pawn and is still in trouble.
Note that if:
1. N:c3 bc
2. R:c3 Nf6
and black has still lost a pawn, but isn’t in as much trouble.
1. Nxd6 Nxd6
2. Rxc3 bxc3
3. Bxc3+ Re5
4. Bxe5+ Rf6
5. Bxf6#
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Clearly, White would like to open up the long diagonal for his Bishop. The Bishop on b2 and the Rook on the open g-file would then be a killer combo. That suggests 1. Nxd6, and among other points, the protection of an interposing black Rook on e5 has been eliminated:
1. Nxd6 Nxd6 2. Rxc3 bxc3 3. Bxc3+
And if Black plays 2. .. Rf6 then 3. Re3 is poisonous.
1. Nd6: Nd6:
2. Rc3: and Black has no next move.
Nxc3 or Rxc3 look tempting. But the correct continuation is:
1. Nxd6!! Re7/Re5 (forced)
2. Nxe4! Rxe4 (forced)
3. Rxc3!! bxc3 (forced again)
4. Bxc3+ Rd4
5. Bxd4+ cxd4
6. Rf2 1-0 (Easy endgame for white)
1.Nxd6
1…Nxd6 2.Rxc3 Re4 3.Rd3+ Rd4 4.Rxd4 h6 5.Rg4+ Kh7 6.Rg7+ Kh8 7.Rg8+ Kh7 8.R1g7#
1…Re7 2.Nxe4 Rxe4 3.Rxc3 Rd4 4.Rd3 h6 5.Rxd4 cxd4 6.Bxd4+ Kh7 7.Rg7+ Kh8 8.Rf7+ Kg8 9.Rxf8+
4.Rd3 f3 5.Rxd4 fxg2 6.Rg4+ Rf6 7.Bxf6#
1. Nxd6! Nxd6 (alternative below)
2. Rxc3! h5
(2. … bxc3 4. Bxc3+ Re5 5. Bxe5 Rf6 6. Bxf6#)
3. Rg3+! Kh7
4. Rg7+ Kh8 (4. … Kh6 5. R2g6#)
5. Rf7+ Re5
6. Bxe5#
1. … Re5
2. Nxe4 Rxe4
3. Rxc3 h5
4. Rg3+ etc. looks like mate in 7.
1.Nxd6 Nxd6 2.Rxc3 Re4 3.Rd3+ Rd4 4.Rxd4 h6 5.Rxf4+ Kh7 6.Rg7+ Kh8 7.Rxf8#