White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
World Champion’s Tactic
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Bg5 Rf7 2. B:f6+ R:f6 3. Rb7+ wins the R, alternative defenses seem to get mated quickly.
My first thought is to play
1. Bh6 Kh6 (Kf7 2. Bg5)
2. Qf6 with an attack. However, this appears to fail to
2. …..Qc1
3. Kh2 Qf4
4. Qf4 ef4 and I think black may have a decisive edge with the passed d-pawn, but I see no reason to analyze this line further.
The other option was to offer a true sacrifice at g5 first to open up the f-file for the queen:
1. Bg5 Bg5
2. Qf8 Kh7
3. Qh8#
The alternatives for black are not much better:
1. Bg5 Rf7
2. Bf6 Rf6
3. Rb7 and black’s rook is toast.
Or
1. Bg5 Rc8 (only other move I see)
2. Qf6 Kh7 (Kg8 3.Rc8 Qc8 4.Qd8)
3. Rc8 Qc8
4. Qe7 Kg8
5. Qd8 Qd8
6. Bd8 and white is up a piece in the ending. I may be missing a mate in here somewhere, but this is forcing enough to demonstrate the efficacy of 1. Bg5.
Chiburdanidze vs Fierro
4th FIDE GP (w) Jermuk 2010
The KING DEFLECTION 1 Bd2-h6+! seems to win on the spot.
A mainline runs
1 Bd2-h6+! Kg7xBh6
2 Qf3xBf6 Qc4-c1+
3 Kg1-h2 Rc7-g7
4 Qf6xh4+ Qc1-h6
5 Rb8-h8+! Kh7xRh8
6 Qh4xQh6+ +-
winning Q for R.
1. Bg5, deflecting the defender, is a crusher. No help is 1…Rf7 2. Bxf6 Rxf6 3. Rb7
Bh6+
Bh6+
Bh6+
I think Bg5 is true.
Bg5
1. Bg5 causes Black problems with the threat of Bxf6 or Qxf6.
1. … Bxg5
2. Qf8+ Kh7 3. Qh8#.
1. … Rf7
2. Bxf6 Rxf6
3. Rb7+ etc.
1. … Be7
2. Bxe7 Qc1+ (2. … Rxe7 3. Qf8+)
3. Kh2 Qf4
4. Qxf4 exf4
5. Bxd6 etc.
Now that I’ve played it out on a board, I should add another response to 1. Bg5:
1. … Bd8
2. Rxd7 Rf7
3. Bh6+ Kxh6
4. Qxf7
I hate overlooking things like this. It doesn’t change the result, but overlooked moves often bite your ankles.
dodo said Rf8
Well, let’s see…
I spent some time looking at how to break in on h6 but didn’t see anything compelling.
I did notice that the Bf6 is only lightly defended. In fact it can be captured simply by 1. Bh6+? Kxh6 2. Qxf6 and now Black escapes the mate threat by 2. … Qc1+! 3. Kh2 Qf4+ and the queens come off.
If that Bf6 wasn’t in the way there would be a mate in 2 by 1. Qf8+ Kh7 2. Qh8#…
… which suggests 1. Bg5 with the threat of simply capturing on f6, while maintaining the guard on c1/f4. Black has only one move to protect the Bishop:
1. Bg5! Rf7 (1. … Bxg5? 2. Qf8+ Kh7 3. Qh8#)
The Rook can now be drawn to the awkward f6 square:
2. Bxf6+! Rxf6 (forced: 2. … Kh7? Rh8#)
and now White wins the Rook by:
3. Rb7+!
1.Bh6+ Kxh6 (1…Kf7 Rf8 mating)
(1…Kh7 Qxf6 mating)
2.Qxf6 Rh7
3.Qxh4+ Kg7
4.Rb7+ mating
Bh6 is overlooking that attack that black starts with 2. ….Qc1 and forces the exchange of queens with 3…..Qf4 (assuming, of course, white isn’t dumb enough to play 3. Kf2), leaving black with an advantage in the rook pawn endgame, at least in my opinion.
Well, I’m finding this one to be tough. After looking at everything I can think of, I’m convinced that 1. Bg5 is the correct 1st move.
But after:
1. Bg5 Rf7
2. Bxf6+ Rxf6
3. Rb7+ Kh6
4. Qxf6 Qc1+
5. Kh2 Qe1
it looks like White has to play
6. Qf3
But then, does Black have to try 6… d3, and if so, does White have to take the d-pawn, or is there something better? Like 7. Rb8 maybe. But is White really threatening mate after 7. Rb8 ?
I can’t quite see it yet.
But I couldn’t wait to say SOMETHING!
Bg5
I keep forgetting that this is from a game, and not from a composed position. In the line that I gave previously, I’ll be satisfied that I’m a rook ahead, and that I can stop Black’s d-pawn.
Lucymarie
The bishop on f6 seems to be the only thing preventing mate. If it wasn’t there, Qf8+ Kh7 Qh8#
So I like Bg5 keeping an eye on c1. Bxg5 leads to Qf8+ Kh7 Qh8#
So Rf7. But then Bxf6+ Rxf6 Rb7+ and the king has to step away from the rook.
Bg5
1.Bg5 Rf7 then???
Bg5is true and afterB.g5 Q.f8+ and
Q.h6#
Bg5 is true and after Rf7 Tb7
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,already squarely discussed by others,nothing much to add,good.
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Venky[Chennai – India]