White to move. How should White proceed?
8/8/1p1k4/4p2R/8/3P3p/pPK5/3B4 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Unusual tactic
About Author
White to move. How should White proceed?
8/8/1p1k4/4p2R/8/3P3p/pPK5/3B4 w – – 0 1
Rh6+
If K moves to 7th rank, Rh7+ followed by Ra7 and Rxa2 or Rxa1.
If Kc5, b4+ followed by Kb2 and Kxa2 or Kxa.
If Kd5, then Bf3+…Kd4(forced), followed by Rh4…Ke3, then Ra4 with Rxa2 or Rxa1 to follow.
1. Rh6+ Kc7
2. Rh7+ Kb8
3. Rb8+ Kb7
4. Rh7+
If ever … Ka6, then Rh8; if then Kb4 or Ka5, then Ra8; if then …Kb7 or …Ka7, then Rh7+
If
1 … Kd5
2 Bf3+ Kc5
3 b4+ and Kb2 wins
If
1 … Kd5
2 Bf3+ Kd4
3 Rh4+ Ke3
4 Ra4 K:f3
5 R:a2 h2
6 Ra1 Kg2
7 Kd2 h1=Q
8 R:h1 K:h1
9 Ke3 Kg2
10 Ke4 Kf2
11 K:e5 wins
If 1 … Kc5
2 b4+ K:b4
3 Kb2 wins
D3?
D4?
D4?
D4
D4?
D4?
1. Rh6+ Kc5
2. b4+ K**
3. Kb2 1-0
1. Rh6+ Kd5
2. Bf3+ Kd4
3. Rh4+ Ke3
4. Ra4 Kxf3
5. Rxa2 h2
6. Ra1 1-0
Rh6+
If the king moves to the 7th rank, a rook check on h7 would allow Ra7, stopping black’s a pawn.
If the king moves to c5, b4+! allows the Kb2 on the next move, again stopping the a pawn.
Finally, if the king moves to d5, it allows Bf3+. This line is more complicated, but I think any line that avoids an immediate mate leads to a won endgame for white.
Rh6 Kd4
Bf3 Ke4
Rh4 Ke3
Ra4 Kf3
Ra2 h2
Ra1 Kg2
Ke2 h1
Rh1 Kh1
Ke3 Kg2
Ke4 Kf2
Ke5 Ke3
d4
Ra4 Kc7
Rh7 Kb8
Rh8 Ka7
Bf3 Ka6
Bc6 Ka4
b4 Kb4
Kg2
1. Rh6+
if
1… Kc7 (trying to prevent the R from gaining entry into A-file)
2. Rh7+ Kb8
3. Rh8+ Ka7
4. Bf3 a1(Q)
5. Ra8+
and both a and h files are saved. 1-0.
if
1. … Kc5
3. b4+
and
4. Kb2
1-0
if
1. … Kd5
2. Bf3+ Kd4
3. Rh4+
and
4. Ra4
and both a and h files are defended
1-0
aside: Candidates R12: which games will have a result? vote! http://goo.gl/t3Q07
who will win the candidates given the current situation? http://goo.gl/AaNa9
1) Rh6+ Kc7
[if 1)…Kc5 then b4+ and Kb2 catches the a-pawn]
[if 1)…Kd5 2) Bf3+ Kd4 3) Rh4+ Kc5 and 4)Ra4 wins]
2) Rh7+ Kb8
3) Rh8+ Ka7
[if 3)..Kb7 4)Bf3+ and Ra8 wins]
4) Bf3 a1=Q
5) Ra8+ wins
Nice! Andrew Chapman
1) Rh6+ Kc7
[if 1)…Kc5 then b4+ and Kb2 catches the a-pawn]
[if 1)…Kd5 2) Bf3+ Kd4 3) Rh4+ Kc5 and 4)Ra4 wins]
2) Rh7+ Kb8
3) Rh8+ Ka7
[if 3)..Kb7 4)Bf3+ and Ra8 wins]
4) Bf3 a1=Q
5) Ra8+ wins
Nice! Andrew Chapman
1.Rh6+ Kd5
2.Rh8 a1:Q
3.Ra8 Qxa8
4.Bf3+
if 1…Kc7 2.Rh7+ Kb8 3.Rh8+ Ka7 4.Rh7+ Ka6 5.Rh8
1..Kc5 2.b4+ Kxb4 3.Kb2
1. Rh6+ wins
1. … Kc7 2. Rh7+ Kb8 3. Rh8+ Ka7 4. Bf3 (threatening 5. Ra8#)
1. … Kc5 2. b4+ Kxb4 3. Kb2 and Black loses his pawn
1. … Kd5 2. Bf3+ Kd4 3. Rh4+ Ke3 4. Ra4 Kxf3 5. Rxa2 h2 6. Ra1 Kg2 7. Kd2 h1Q 8. Rxh1 Kxh1 9. Ke3 Kg2 10. Ke4 Kf2 11. Kxe5 Ke3 12. d4 and White’s d-pawn is unstoppable.
Well, well, think that suprisingly I’ve got something. The goal is to prevent black a-pawn from queening. Let’s try to achieve that.
1. Rh6+
if
1 … Kc5 2. b4+ followed by 3.Kb2
if 1 … Kd5 2. Bf3+ Kd4 (…Kc5 3. c4+) 3. Rh4+ followed by Ra4
if 1…Kd7 or Ke7 2.Rh7+ followed by Ra7
if 1…Kc7 2. Rh7+ Kb8 3. Rh8+ Ka7 (3…Kb7 4.Bf3+ and 5.Ra8) 4. Bf3 threatening mate with Ra8 which will be played anyway the next move.
Is that right?
1. Rh6+ Kd5 (Only square that’s good)
(1… Ke7 2. Rh7+ and White Rook swings to the a-file
(1… Kc5 2. b4+ Kxb4 3. Kb2)
2. Rh8 a1=Q
3. Ra8!! (If QxR, then Bf3+)
1-0
1. Rh6+
1. … Kd7 or Ke7
2. Rh7+
3. Ra7, followed by Bf3, stopping all advanced black pawns.
1. … Kc7
2. Rh7+ Kb8
3. Rh8+ Ka7
4. Rh7+ Kb8 (perpetual)
1. … Kc7
2. Rh7+ Kb8
3. Rh8+ Ka7
4. Rh7+ Ka6
5. Rh8. If
5. … a1=Q, then
6. Ra8+ and
7. RxQ
1. … Kc5
2. b4+ and
3. Kb2, stopping the a2 pawn, followed by Bf3, stopping the h3 pawn.
1. … Kd5
2. Bf3+
2. … Kc5
3. b4+ etc
2. … e4
3. Rxe4+ and
4. Ra4, stopping the a2 pawn
2. … Kd4
3. Rh4+ e4
4. Rxe4 etc.
1. Rh6+
If 1…..Kd/e7, 2. Rh7+ then 3. Ra7 catching the a pawn and then 4 or 5. Bf3 catching up with the h pawn with a easy win.
If.1….Kc7′ 2. Rh7+ Kb8 3. Rh8+ Ka7 4. Bf3 A1=Q 5. Ra8#
If 1. ..Kc7 2. Rh7+ Kb8 3. Rh8+ Kb7 4. Bf3+ then 5. Ra8 catching up with the a pawn
If 1. Kc5. 2. b4+ then 3. Kb2 catching up with a pawn
If 1. …Kd5 3. Bf3+ Kd4 4. Rh4+ Ke3 5. Ra4 Kxf3 6. Rxa2 h2 7. Ra1 Kg2 8. Kd2 h1=Q 9. Rxh1. Kxh1 10. Ke3 followed by winning the e pawn and queening d pawn
Harry
1. Rh6+ Kd5 2. Rh8! a1Q 3. Ra8 Q:a8 4. Bf3+
The threat of Bf3+ at move 2 is stronger than its immediate execution.
You cannot play :
1.Rh6+ Kd5 2.Bf3+ ?? because :
2…e4 ! and then :
3.Bxe4+ Ke5
You have to play :
1.Rh6+ Kd5 2.Rh8 ! a1:Q 3.Ra8 Qxa8 4.Bf3+
Kudos to Fabrice and Satya who correctly identified the key line:
1. Rh6 Kd5
2. Rh8!
A number of commenters suggested 2.Bf3, but this only draws:
1. Rh6 Kd5
2. Bf3? e4!
3. Be4
Now or later. Continuing:
3. ……Kd4 and there is now no way to prevent black’s queen from remaining on the board and black obtaining the draw (the black queen can now escape along the first rank in reply to Ra8- the bishop no longer blocks the way out). The right line is the one Fabrice and Satya suggested, and here is why in more detail, and the details do matter:
1. Rh6 Kd5
2. Rh8!
Threatens Ra8 covering a1, while holding Bf3 in reserve if black pushes h2. Black can either queen the a-pawn now, or he can push e4 preventing Bf3 later:
2. ……a1Q
3. Ra8!! Qa5
Or {3. …Qa8 4.Bf3 Kd4 5.Ba8 with a cleanly winning endgame]. Continuing:
4. Ra5 ba5
5. Bf3 Kd4
6. Kd2!
I am not 100% sure of my results, but I spent a considerable amount of time trying to prove a win with 6.Be4, but this allows black to put his king on e3, and I could never find a way for white to win- the problem being that any time the white king went for the black a or e pawns, black could play h1Q forcing the bishop away from e4, and black could win the d-pawn and the b-pawn before white could guard either one. 6.Kd2 prevents black from occupying e3, and the rest is fairly trivial. Continuing:
6. …..h2 (a4 7.Be4 anyway)
7. Be4 Kc5 (a4 8.Bh1 Kc5)
8. Kc3 a4 (Kb5 9.Bh1 Kb5 10.b3)
9. Bh1 Kb5
10.b3 a3 (ab3 below)
11.Be4 Ka5
12.b4 Kb5 (Ka4 13.Bc6#)
13.Kb3+-
And lastly, at move 10 above, black does no better to fully liquidate the pawns with ab3, though white must be careful:
10. ….ab3
11.Kb3 Kc5
12.Kc2
I am not fully convinced white can win by pushing the king up the c-file. Black always threatens the maneuver around through e6-f5-f4 to reach e4. I think white might need to occupy e3 and e4 with his king to force the win. Continuing:
12. ….Kd4
13.Kd2 Kc5
14.Be4 Kd4
15.Ke2 Kc3
16.Ke3
Here, 16.Kf2 h1Q draws. With 16.Ke3, white has won the tempo required to bring his king to the g-file since black cannot play 16. …Kc2 without allowing d4 with discovered check:
16. ….Kb3
17.Kf2 Kc3
18.Kg2 with an easy win going forward.