White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1.Rc2, Rxc2
2.Rxc2, Rxc2
3.b7, Rb2
4.Nd7+, Ke8
5.Nb6, …
6.b8:Q
1. R5c2 (to prevent black’s Rxg2)
after rooks exchange white remains with a rook down, but Nd7+ and b7 leave the black with only one possibility to stop the b-pawn from queening: Rb2. White then is blocking the b-file by Nb6.
Rc5-c2
1. R(c1)-c2 R(d2)xc2
2. Rxc2
now, if 2… Rxc2
3. b7 Rb2
4. a6 wins
if 2… Rxa5
3. Rb2 wins
e.g., 3… Ra8, 4. b7 Rb8 5. Nd7+
Is it really this simple?
this is not fair to me because i watched the game, but it is really brilliant! congrats karja!
Rc2
R1c2
1.R5c2 Rdxc2 2.Rxc2 Rxc2 3.a6 followed by advancing and queening one of the a or b pawns.
This is a good example if you want to teach students about how hard it is for a Rook to stop a pair of connected passed pawns on the 5th and the 6th rank.
In the position, White has a clear advantage. However Black has an immediate threat of at least a draw by perpetual check. So White’s first move, if he is going for the win, has to take care of this threat.
1. Rc1- c2. This is my main candidate move. It is actually a Rook sacrifice.
If Black takes the Rook by 1..Rd2xc2 than follows
2. Rc5xc2.
If Black takes again on c2 by playing 2… Ra2xc2 than White replies forcefully with:
3. b7 Rb2 only move.
4. a6 followed by a7 and Black cannot stop one of these pawns from queening.
If however Black declines to capture the poisoned Rook and plays: 2..Ra2xa5 than again White responds forcefully with
3. b7 Rb5 only logical continuation to stop the coming promotion.
4. b8=Q + White promotes anyway, taking advatage of the position of the Black monarch.
4….RxQ
5. Nd7+ A fork! Ke8
6. NxR and next falls the c6 pawn, since the d7 square is restricted to the poor monarch to occupy and defend. A chess player in Karjakin’s measure will win such a position blindfolded.
Nice puzzle. It took me time to solve it. Although the first move I found intuitively and fast. I did not see the continuation only after I set the pieces on a board.
Thanks for the great blog!
A Weiler
I found the idea pretty easily. It’s were logical of course given that black could force perpetual if something else was played.
1.R5c2 Rxc2 2.Rxc2 Rxc2 3.a6 completly winning.
Rc2. Sac a rook and play a6, the passed pawns are unstoppable it appears.
Regards,
Roy
1.R5c2! Rc2 2.Rc2 Rc2 3.b7 Rb2 4.a6 +-
Rc5c2 rxr
rxr rxr
b7 Rb2
b8=Q RxB8
Nd7+ King moves
Knight takes queen / any
a6…
This doesnt seem to work I wonder what else there is
1.R5c2! Rdxc2 2.Rxc2 Rxc2 (2…Rxa5 3.b7 Rb5 4.b8(Q)+ Rxb8 5.Nd7+) 3.b7 (3.a6 also works) Rb2 4.a6 and Black is helpless against 5.a7