Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Thursday chess tactic
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Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Ng4 jumps out. hxg4 Ng4 and then f4 would be a good defense but the pawn is pinned. A clue! So Ng4 hxg4 Nxg4 g3 Bxf2+ Qf2 (Rxf2 Qxg3+ mate follows) Nxf2 Rxf2 Qg3+ and black is up material
No clue. Seems even.
knight to h5
Ng4!
Nf3+
1. Nf3+ gxf3
2. Qg3+ Kh1
3. Qxf3+ Kg1
4. Qg3+ Kh1
5. Qxh3 Kg1
6. Ng4, and 7. Qh2#
1. …Nf3 is definitely the move, though mate comes quicker if you ignore the f3 pawn at move 3 for black:
1. …..Nf3
2. gf3 Qg3
3. Kh1 Qh3
4. Bd6! and I see nothing but mates in 2 more moves here. If white pushes e5, black takes at f3 with the bishop and Qg2 can’t be stopped, and if white pushes f4, then Ng4 is played followed by Qh2#.
The other line has a complicating defense, though it is clearly won for black anyway:
1. …..Nf3
2. gf3 Qg3
3. Kh1 Qf3
4. Kg1 Qg3
5. Kh1 Qh3
6. Kg1 Ng4!
Here, Bd6 no longer works since white pushes f4 both stopping the mate at h2 with the queen/bishop combo, and clearing the 2nd rank to allow the the white queen to guard h2 against the knight if black brings that to g4. So, black must continue with Ng4 immediately:
7. Bf4
I see no other move that can stop the mate on the next move. Continuing:
7. …..g5
Not sure there is another winning move for black here. 7. …e5 might win, too, but is more complicated. Continuing:
8. Be5 and I think black will have to take the bishop. However, he will continue to push the g-pawn on the helpless king, and I think this is clearly won for black, and might even be a force mate.
1.Neg4 (threatens Qh2#)hxg4
2.Nxg4 g3
3.Qxg3+ Kh1
4.Qh2#
Neg4 is much faster and simpler than those Nf3 lines given …, for instance hxg4, Nxg4 and no defence …
1. Neg4, hxg4
2. Nxg4, g3
3.Qxg3+ and it’s over pretty soon
I don’t see Neg4 working here, guys:
1. …..Nge4
2. hg4 Ng4
3. e5!
If you can find a win for black, here, I would like to see it, and I have spent the last 30 minutes looking at the position in detail.