Boris Gelfand – Vassily Ivanchuk, 1985
White to move. How do you assess this position? How should White proceed?
1k5r/3bb1p1/p2pN1p1/1p2r3/4qN2/2R5/PPP2Q1P/1K5R w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
World class grandmaster tactic
Rc7 looks pretty crushing, but I have to run for dinner… If I was playing armageddon against Anna or Irina I would play that!
I wouldn’t say it was crushing. Rc7 is met by Qxh1+ with mate to follow!
1. Qb6+ Qb7 (or …Ka8 2.KC6 mate)
2. Qxb7+ Kxb7 forced
3. Rc7+ now is a much better move than earlier … Kb8
4. Rxd7 wins a piece (and threatens 5. Kg6 winning a rook for one of the knights).
I don’t see any real counterplay, so I’d put my money on Gelfand having won this one.
thanks Erick… ugh. And that is why I shouldn’t play blitz or anything faster than correspondence.
lol
clarify:
1. Qb6+ Qb7 (or…Kc8, 2. Qc7 mate or…Ka8, 2. Nc7 mate)
also;
after
3. Rc7+, Kb8
4. Nxg6, Nxe5
5. dxe5, Rxe7 winning a rook.
is this world class tactic because i found it in about a minute. wasnt exactly hard.
1.Rc7 was crushing…for opponent 🙂
Ok, but have chance with:
1. Qb6+ Qb7
2. Q:b7+ K:b7
3. Rc7+ Kb8
4. R:d7 R:h2!
5. Rc1 g5!?
6. Ng6 R:e6
7. N:e7 g6
7. a4 etc…
but white will win!
by stulzer
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Qb6+ Qb7 Qxb7+ Kxb7 Rc7+ King moves Rxd7 Rxe6 Rxe7 Rxe7 Ng6 and white has turned a seemingle inferior position to an equal (?) one?
Qb6+ Qb7 Qxb7+ Kxb7 Rc7+ King moves Rxd7 Rxe6 Rxe7 Rxe7 Ng6 and white has turned a seemingle inferior position to an equal (?) one?
Your analysis is off to a good start, AH, but:
1.Qb6+ Qb7
2.Qxb7+ Kxb7
3.Rc7+ Kb6
4.Rxd7 Rxe6?
5.Rxe7? Rxe7
6.Nxg6??
… isn’t very “equal” after:
6…Rxh2! Both rooks get out of the fork, and with an exchange up, Black wins.
Improvements on your line:
— 4…Rxh2 (instead of 4…Rxe6) makes White work harder for the win. 5.Rd1 is adequate to the task, though;
— 5.Nxe6 (instead of 5.Rxe7) wins a whole rook;
— 6.Nd5+ (instead of Nxg6) leaves White with an extra piece.
“– 4…Rxh2 (instead of 4…Rxe6) makes White work harder for the win. 5.Rd1 is adequate to the task, though;”
No 5. Rd1 (5. Rc1 in defense of c2), because two towers in the second file with:
5. … g5
6. R:e7 g:f4 and R(e):e2
by stulzer
“– 4…Rxh2 (instead of 4…Rxe6) makes White work harder for the win. 5.Rd1 is adequate to the task, though;”
No 5. Rd1 (5. Rc1 in defense of c2), because two towers in the second file with:
5. … g5
6. R:e7 g:f4 and R(e):e2
1.Qb6+ Qb7
2.Qxb7+ Kxb7
3.Rc7+ Kb6
4.Rxd7 Rxh2
5.Rd1 g5 (better is 5…Rd2)
6.Rxe7 gxf4
7.Rxd6+ Ka5
8.a3
… and White wins without breathing hard.