Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
My first thought is to play Rd3 to cut the communication between the white queen and her rook:
1. …..Rd3
2. Bd3
Forced since cd3 will lose a piece: [2.cd3 Qe3 3.Kh1 (or 3.Kf1 Qf4-+) 3. …Qf4 4.d4 Qe4-+]. Continuing:
2. …..Qe3
3. Kh1
Here, Kf1 is much like the subvariation in the note after white’s second move. Continuing:
3. …..Qf4
4. Rf1
I am not sure what is best for white here. 4.Ba6 definitely loses a rook after 4. …Be5. The other option I see is to support the knight with Re1, but this seems to be a bit worse to my eye: [4.Re1 Bd3 5.cd3 Rb5 6.d4 Be5 7.de5 Qf2 and black has a pawn and a strong initiative in that the rook can now threaten the queen and weaken her protection of the rook and the corresponding back rank. I think white will have to expend a move to either protect a1, or give the king a hole, but a full analysis would be required for this, and I don’t have the time this afternoon. Continuing:
4. …..Qe5
5. Qe5 Be5
6. Ba6 Rd8
7. Bd3
And black is up a pawn, but this is hardly decisive at a glance. So, I will go back and look for something better in the starting position.
In my previous comment, I discussed black playing Rd3 cutting the communication between the queen and the pinned rook at e3. This wins black a pawn, I think, but leads to a drawish looking position in my cursory analysis. One of the problems in that line is that the bishop at a6 is left unprotected at a key juncture, and white is able to keep from falling down a piece. This suggested to me to actually look at using the bishop for the interposition at d3:
1. …..Bd3
2. Re1
Now that I am looking at it, I realize that 1. …Bd3 should have been my first idea since it seems to win at the very least an exchange for black. If white plays Bd3 or cd3, black plays Qe3+ followed by Qf4 winning the pinned knight at e5 (or the bishop still at e4 in the second line) and nets a full rook. The other reasonable looking options for white are Qd2/e1 and Kf2 to keep protecting the rook (these were why I was initially more interested in 1. …Rd3). However, these options still just drop the bishop at e4 outright. So, all in all, I think supporting the rook with Re1 makes far more sense because of the potential skewer from the f6 bishop. Continuing:
2. …..Re4
3. Kh1 Be5
4. fe5
Here, clearly Qe5 loses to the weak back rank (maybe argues for 3.Kf1 instead). In any case, black is up an entire piece and should win.
1.. Rd3
The pinned rook is supported by Q.There are 2 options to cut off support. 1…. Rd3 and 1… Bd3
1… Rd3 appears strong. It attacks Q and R and gives no time to bring additional support.However it is captured in the process. so it is R for R but black seems to get attack going,removing f4 pawn supporting N but black bishop itself is hanging and gives trouble.
e.g.
1….. Rd3
2Bxd3 QxRe3+
3Kh1 Bxd3(If B were not hanging 3….Qxf4 was possible.)
4Rf1 Instead of capturing B immediately white supports pawn first.B will not run away.
4… Bxe5
5fxe5 Rd8
6cxd3 Qxd3
7Qxd3 Rxd3 Black stands superior with extra pawn and may win eventually.
But better variation is
1… Bd3 which I had first thought as inferior.
2Re1 Bxe4
3Kh1 Bxe5
4fxe5 Bf4 winning neatly a piece.
1. … Rd3! 2.cxd3 Qxe3+ and Qxf4 wins a figure.