White to move. This was an actual game from the Corpus Christi event tonight. It is White to move. Is White winning, losing or drawing?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Very interesting position
About Author
I may be wrong here, but as Susan said, if we don’t attempt to solve these as if we were playing a tournament game, we are not learning, I feel the pawn push c6 wins even after Bxf2+ Kh1 Bxe1 Qxe1 and pawn is unstoppable but I think Black’s best defence may be to attack on 7th rank.
Yes, 1.c6! seems to be the strongest move. Only after 1…Bxf2+ 2.Kh1 Bxe1 White needs to play 3.Qxb4 and 4.c7
If 1…Rxf2!? 2.c7 [2.Kh1?! Qd2 and Black are good for the win] 2…Re2+ [2…Qd2? 3.c8Q+ Kg7 4.Qxd4+! Qxd4 5.Qc3 + -] 3.Kh1 and white should win.
How about
1. Qa8, followed by c6?
@anand: That will lose for white: 1.Qa8+ Kg7 2.c6 Bxf2+ 3.Kh1 Bxe1 4.c7 Qd2 threatening mat on h2 at the next move.
but there seems nothing wrong with vrellum’s reasonings
mayadi
Yes, White is “winning, losing or drawing” – but which?
1.c6 looks best but after Qd2 2.Qe2 there’s a swapfest and then the cP converts, leaving KQ against KRP…P. Looks like Black can’t progress but can huddle around a few K-Pawns and survive in a KQKRPP endgame.
So if 1.c6 is best, it looks like a draw.
g
I do not see how to get to your endgame. Seems to me that white wins in all variations. Can you list out some moves.
c6 Qd2
Qe2 Bxf2
Kf1 Bb6
c7 Bxc7
Rxc7
looks good for white Q and 2 R against Q and one R. The a pawn will drop because white has an extra piece. that will leave black with 3 pawns for the rook.
I guess the variation in question is 1…Qd2!? 2.Qe2 Bxf2 3.Kf1 Bxe1 4.Qxd2 Bxd2 5.c7 Bxc1 6.c8Q+ Kg7 7.Qxc1
and Black has a rook and 4 pawns for the white queen.
6k1/4pp1p/3p2p1/p1P5/1q1bQ3/6P1/1r3P1P/2R1R1K1 w – –