White to move. How can White save this game?
5nk1/2p5/5R2/1pb1NNp1/4PpP1/p1P2P2/6r1/3K4 w – – 0 1
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White to move. How can White save this game?
5nk1/2p5/5R2/1pb1NNp1/4PpP1/p1P2P2/6r1/3K4 w – – 0 1
1. Rf7
then black cannot escape from the Rg7+ and Nf7 check-mate sequence.
This game was played out there in the chess olympiad lately, but I forgot who. Am I right? I re-played too many games in a row day by day…
Hard to spot a non-checking move when Black is ready to chase White off the board, but
1. Rf7 (threatening Rg7+ and Nf7#)
1. … Kh8
2. Rg7 and Black can chase, but can’t catch, the king before
Nf7#
1. … Ne6
2. Nh6+ Kh8
3. Ng6#
Or, the pawn doesn’t have enough time:
1. … a2
2. Rg7+ Kh8
3. Nf7#
White escapes checks in these lines:
1. … Rg1+
2. Ke2 Rg2+
3. Kd3 then only a couple of desperadoes remain:
3. … Rd2+
4. Kxd2 Be3+
5. Kd3
rf7 looks good
han
Rf7. No defense against Rg7 and Nf7… there’s Nh6 if black tries to cover the f7 square.
1. Rf7! with the idea Nh6, Ng6# and Rg7, Nf7#
hm, Rf7 ?! run your king to d3 and mate in two, right ? or maybe i miss it, of course
Rf7
1.Rf7 threatening the unstoppable Rg7+ and Nf7 mate.
if Ne6 then Nh6+ and Ng6 mate
Rf7 and mate is inevitable!
I don’t see a good answer to 1.Rf7 with the threat of Rg7 followed by Nf7#. 1…Ne6 fails to 2.Nh6+ followed by Ng6#. Black has no mating sequence that is in time. Phil
Not an easy puzzle since I suffer from knight blindness, but for one thing- the first move is almost the only move that doesn’t show itself to be an immediate loser. Moves like Ra6 stop the a-pawn lose quickly-
1. Ra6 a2
And how does white not lose the rook- black is threatening Rg1+ and a1(Q)? He can try attacking the bishop with Nd3, but black just plays Be3 and the rook is still going to have to sacrifice itself for the pawn.
This pretty much leaves attempts at mate or perpetual check on the king, but with black two moves from mate himself and with the squares of g6, d7, e7, and h7 covered by the minor black pieces, this leaves basically the following as white’s first moves- Nf7, Nh6, Rh6, Rf7.
1. Nf7 a2 (keep pressure on white)
2. N7h6 Kh7
3. Rf7
Either this or Ra6 and give up the rook for the pawn. Continuing:
3. …..Kg6
4. Rg7 Kf6
5. Rf7
(If 5.Ng8 Ke5 still wins) Continuing:
5. …..Ke5 and white is out of checks. At move two, white loses even more quickly with
2. N5h6 Kg7 and white is left with only Ra6. Or, back at move 1
1. Nh6 Kh7 (clearest to my eye)
2. Nef7 a2
3. Ng5 Kg7 and there is no answer to the double attack on the two white pieces. Or, at move 1
1. Rh6 a2 and white has no checks and must play Ra6 to stop the mate or just start sacrificing material to delay.
Having eliminated all the other possible/plausible moves, we are left with only
1. Rf7
Here, white is threatening Rg7 and Nf7#. Black has few options to stop this. Trying for his own perpetual seems to be the most likely defense:
1. …..Rg1
2. Kc2 Rg2 (Kh8 is same-see below)
3. Kd3 and black is out of moves to delay the mating attack. The other first move options are losers:
1. Rf7 Ne6 (to cover g7)
2. Nh6 Kh8
3. Ng6#
The last move only lasts a bit longer and only by delay tactics:
1. Rf7 Kh8
2. Rg7 and black is left with the two rook checks on the white king we saw above, or material sacrificial delays as the black knight can’t cover both f7 and g6 to prevent mate.
Rf7!