White to move. How should White proceed? No computer lines please.
k4r2/1p3N1R/1B6/2PQ2Pp/p5r1/P6q/6P1/1n4K1 w – – 0 1
Hint: 1.Qxb7+ does NOT work 🙂
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Wild chess tactic
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1. Qxb7+ Kxb7 2. Ne5 …..
1. Qxb7+ Kxg7 2. Ne5….
1. Qxb7+ Kxb7
2. Ne5+
(if 2. .. Ka6
3. Ra7+ Kb5
4. Ra5#
(if 2. .. Ka8
3. Ra7+ Kb8
4. Nc6+ Kc8
5. Rc7#
(if 2. .. Kb8
3. Nc6+ with rook mate next move.
(if 2. .. Kc8
3. Rc7+ Kd8
4. Nc6+ Ke8
5. Re7#
1. Qxb7+ Kxb7
2. Nd6 double check Ka6
3. Ra7+ Kb5
4. Ra5 mate
It’s pretty easy to see – white’s only got one check and would have a difficult time defending against Black’s various threats. Necessity is the mother of queen sacrifices.
1. Qxb7+ Kxb7
2. Ne5+
alternatives:
2. … Ka6
3. Ra7 Kb5
4. Ra5#
2. … Ka8
3. Ra7+ Kb8
4. Nc6+ Kc8
5. Rc7#
2. … Kb8
3. Nc6+ and mate next move (Ra7 or Rc7)
2. … Kc8
3. Rc7+ Kd8 (3… Kb8 4. Nc6+ Ka8 5. Ra7#)
4. Nc6+ Ke8
5. Re7#
1.Qxb7+ Kxb7
2.Ne5+ Ka8 ( ka6 also won’t help either)
3. Ra7+ Kb8
4. Nc6+ Kc8
5. Rc7#
–
c6 is the only move for White leading to mate in 15.
This is a superb puzzle…QxP+! is the first move…but the second move for white is not the misleading Nd6+, but, Ne5!!
1.Qxb7+! KxQ (forced)
2.Ne5+!!
A)
if 2…Ka6
3.Ra7 Kb5
4.Ra5#
B)
if 2…Ka8
3.Ra7+ Kb8
4.Nc6+ Kc8
5.Rc7#
C)
if 2…Kb8
3.Nc6+
C1)
if 3…Ka8
4.Ra7#
C2)
if 3…Kc8
4.Rc7#
well, let’s say 1.c6. e6 and g7 are covered. i can’t see any miracle moves for black here. this is what i figured out:
1. … bxc6
2. Qxc6+ Kb8
3. Qc7+ Ka8
4. Qa7#
1. … Kb8
2. Qd6+ Ka8
3. cxb7+ Kxb7
4. Nd8+ Ka6
5. Ra7+ Kb5
6. Qc5#
1. … Rb8
2. cxb7+ Rxb7
3. Rh8#
1 … Rc8
2. cxb7+ ok, that’s not even worth considering.
1.Qxb7+!! Kxb7 2.Ne5+!
I)2…Ka8 3.Ra7+ Kb8 4.Nc6+ Kc8 5.Rc7 mate
II)2…Kb8 3.Nc6+
III)2…Kc8 3.Rc7+ Kd8 4.Nc6+ Ke8 5.Re7 mate (or 3…Kb8 4.Nc6+ Ka8 5.Ra7 mate)
IV) 2…Ka6 3.Ra7 Kb5 4.Ra5 mate
1.Qxb7+ kxb7
2.Ne5+ Ka6
3.Ra7+ Kb5
4.Ra5#
Nice one
does pawn to c6 sound right! if black cant give a check now and white can finish on the next move
1.Qxb7+ , Kxb7
2.Ne5+ White wins in all varitions.
It seems clear that Qxb7+ must be the first move here. After Kxb7, double check with the knight seems attractive, but there is no mate I think. However, after Ne5+, the crucial fields c4 and c6 are covered.
For example: Ne5+ – Ka6, Ra7 – Kb5, Ra5++, or Ne5+ – Kc8, Rc7+ – Kd8, Nc6+ – Ke8, Re7++
Oh, eh… there might me a problem here… what happens if after Ne5+, black plays Rf7? –> Rxf7+ – Kc8 and can’t find a mate. Hmm! 🙁
But I forgot the main variation because i overlooked a candidate. Sit down, it’s really nice!
So 1.Qxb7+!! Kxb7 2.Ne5+ Rf7!! 3.Rxf7+! Kc8 4.Nxg4! Qxg4 5.c6!! Qd1+ 6.Rf1!! Qd6 7.g6!! Qxc6 8.g7!! Qxb6+ 9.Kh1! and White wins
Hmm, on second thought… let’s play c6! 😀 Black cannot give a proper check and white threatens mate in eh, at least fourteen different ways, that ought to be enough! 🙂
1. Qxb7+ is obviously the only move to prolong the game.
1… KxQ
2. Ne5+ Ka6
3. Ra7+ is mate
2…Ka8 (or similar move to back rank) is mate after
3. Ra7+ and Nc6+
my comment is not showing up! it should be pawn to c6
Qxb7 Kxb7 ….that was easy to find..Nd6 only gives a perpetual…Ne5 though wins in all variations.
I especially liked the variation where the King tries escaping up the A file to no avail.
mm
I didn’t see the knight on b1….
in this case 1.c6!
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,at last(as of now) I am able to access this blog site through this link – thank you.
Well,I am going to give here,one example of moves for this puzzle ,where white has a chance to win,its open for comments from brilliant minds of this blog.
1. g6 R*g6
2. R*h5 Qg4
3. Rh2 Re8
4. Ne5 Qg5
5. Qf3 Rg8
6. Rh7 Qg2+
7. Q*Qg2 R*Qg2
8. K*Rg2 R*Ne5
9. Rh8+ Mate
There are many interesting combination exist here,those are left to brilliant minds in this blog.
By
Venky[Chennai – India]
1. c6! wins, and easy to see.
The 1.Qxb7+ idea is seducing since it looks like black is mated on his back rank on e7. ((if 2. .. Kc8
3. Rc7+ Kd8
4. Nc6+ Ke8
5. Re7#)
But, white has sacced his queen, so black can countersac. After 2. Ne5+ what do you folks do after 2.-Rf7! ?? No mate on e7 possible, since black can escape. I see no defence after 1. c6! though.
i was ready with the solution when i saw hint 1 that Qxb7 doesnt work. So i went back through the variations and could not figure out why for quite a while. Here is why it does not work
1.Qxb7+ Kxb7
2.Ne5+ Rf7!!
3.Rxf7+ Kc8
4.Rc7+ Kd8
5.Nc6+ Ke8
6.Re7+ which would have been checkmate if the rook was still on f8
Now to work on the actual solution
If 1Qxb7+ KxQ
2 Ne5+ Kc8
3 Rc7+ Kd8 and black king escapes.
I think the move is
1c6 which covers e3 and threaten mate with qa4
if 1… bc of course qxc6 mates
if 1… qxg2
2 QxQ white wins the ending
so the only move it looks like is
1… Qc3
2 cb+ Kb8
3 Qd6+ Kxb7
4 Nd8+
if 4… Kc8
5 Rc7+
if Ka8 Ra7+
c6 is crushing and black will need 2 tempi
c6,b7c6+
Qc6+ no way for Black to escape
Well, the fact that the comments are being posted suggest Qb7 is not the first move, which saved me the hour I might have spent looking at it since it does seem so obvious. As has been pointed out, however, already, is that Rf7 saves black. All I see for white in this line is a perpetual check after he takes Rf7. The key is that the rook at f8 is an actual liability for black in that the king needs that escape square. I will leave it for the other commenters to work it out.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the time at the moment to actually work on a “wild” tactic” (a pity, I could handle a 3 to 4 mover), but a quick look at the position shows that Qe3 seems to be the most damaging threat that black has in his hand. Neutralize that threat for at least a move, then maybe you won’t spend your time looking for an immediate check by white. If the solution isn’t up by 3 pm, I may have a chance to look at what I think might at least be white’s first move.
Try Pc6
I see why 1. Q:b7+ doesn’t work. 1. Q:b7+ Q:b7 2. Ne5+ Rf7! and now there will be no mate when the black K flees to e8 since f8 is vacated. 1. Q:b7+ K:b7 2. Ne5+ Rf7 3. R:f7+ Kc8 4. N:g4 Q:g4 5. c6 Qd1+ 6. Rf1 Qd6 7. g6 Q:g6+ 8. Kh1 Q:d6 and black is busted.
In any case, 1. c6 is much better. The threats around black’s king are terrifying, and the Bb6 is now preventing …Qe3+. 1…bc 2. Q:c6+ and mate in 2, or 1…Rb8 2. bc+ R:b7 3. Rh8#.
Black has no reasonable defense – liquidating on g2 simply leaves White in a piece up ending with a passed g-pawn after 1…Q:g2+ 2. Q:g2 R:g2+ 3. K:g2 bc 4. Rh8 R:h8 5. N:h8.
c6 looks simple enough
White should prevent Qe3+. So, a way to win seems to be 1.c6, stopping black from giving checks along the diagonal, and with the white queen protecting g2, white should win soon.
I would play c6
🙂
not saying it’s any good mind lol
trefor5d
I think white should play c6 ….
Many hours ago I posted 1.c6, which is so easy to see is correct. Why that posting wasn’t published, and why not many have found it, is a big mystery to me!
Winning move is 1. c6
threat is Qa5 with mate to follow.
this also covers e3.
the only move i can see for black is qc3 (Qxg2 loses the ending).
after that cb+ wins.
It took me a while to realise that g2 is safe while the white queen protects it. c6 seems to open way for the deadly Qa5, while also guarding the b6-g1 diagonal. Now black can only give up Queen and Rook for Queen and pawn on g2. With a piece up and 3 pieces all pointing to the king, win should be somewhere….
AM from Canada
c6 is winnig move for white.
Black has to exchange queen and rook for white queen, otherwise will loose in few moves..
1. c6 looks like the right approach, stopping Qe3+ and threatening cxb7+; and if Black takes on g2, White appears to be able to hold onto a winning material balance. Phil
I just visualized Bo Tiew’s comment 🙂