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Well, there is no way I could get this in 10 seconds, and I am not even convinced I have found the desired solution. I initially thought the best line had to start with 1.Rh8, but I just can’t make it give much edge if any for white:
1. Rh8 Kg7
2. R1h7 Kf6
And here, I thought for sure there would be some way to win the queen for a rook by taking at e5, but the it is hard to get enough pressure on the black king to prevent him from protecting his queen:
3. de5 Ke5
And now what? The best I can see here is ….
4. Qf4 Kf4
5. Rf7 Ke4
And I have no idea how white best holds this. I would say only black has winning chances.
The other move that catches my eye within seconds, however, is definitely better than 1.Rh8. It at least gives white winning chances, but isn’t a knockout blow:
1. de5!? g5!
Black can’t take the queen at f2, nor can he take the pawn at e5 since white is threatening mate with Rh8+ followed by R1h7# in either case. the only defense I can find here is g5 to afford protection once more for the black queen. Right now, I think white definitely has the edge, but I don’t really know the best way to take advantage of it. I wanted to make something of my previous idea, but….
2. Rh8 Kg7
3. R1h7 Kg6
And now what? Maybe better at move 2 in this line…
2. Qg2
Protects e4 and attacks g5. Now, I think black does best to go ahead and take at e5:
2. ……Qe5
3. R7h5
Attacking the g5 pawn once more, and threatens the black king, too. This necessitates…
3. ……Kf8!
4. Rg5 Qe6
Black still can’t take at e4 since the exchange of queens leaves the rook at a8 unprotected from the skewer from h8.
So, I can win a pawn for white, and retain some major pressure, but I just don’t see anything better. I have to be missing something here.
10 seconds tactics? White’s attack is dangerous, but I don’t see a direct tactical blow. I can’t solve it 🙁 1.dxe5 looks good, but after 1… g5 Black King get’s g6-square to escape from the Rooks and a Queen on f4 is protected.
10 seconds, huh?! Maybe for people who can play chess! It’s easy to spend time on various promising (or not so promising) looking lines like 1. Rh8+ Kg7, 2. R(1)h7+ Kf6, 3. dxe5+
Best I see (not in 10 seconds!) is
1. dxe5 threatening the mate with the Rooks by taking away the f6 flight square. Also removing the Queen’s support. Obviously if 1…Qxf2, 2. Rh8 Kg7, 3. R(1)h7 mates. Also if 1…Qxe5, 2. Qxf7 mate – White’s indirect attack on f7 becomes realized once the Black Queen moves off the file.
1. dxe5 Qxe4+ But, since Black’s Queen can’t capture White’s, at least Black has a check to get the Queen to a square where she isn’t attacked
2. Ka1 f5 creating the flight squares f7/e6 as well as blocking the White Queen’s attack on f7
3. exf6 ep … The new mate threat is 4. Rg7+ Kf8, 5. Rh8#. I don’t see a defense for Black here,but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m missing all kinds of things here I should be seeing in 10 seconds!
– Craigaroo
dxe5
R+
Kg7
Rh+
Kf3
px+
KxP
QxQ
KxQ
RxR
RxR
Rxp+
R+
Kg7
Rh+
Kf3
px+
KxP
QxQ
KxQ
RxR
RxR
Rxp+
1. dxe5 Qxe5
2. Qh4 1-0
It was more like 10 min.
1. dxe5!
A. 1. … Qxf2 2. Rh8+ Kg7 2. R1h7#;
B. 1. … Qxe5 2. Qxf7#;
C. 1. … Qxe4+ 2. Ka1 f5 3. exf6 e.p. followed by 4. Rg7+ and 5. Rh8#
dxe5
dxe5 and black ist lost!
de wins simply as the queen needs to guard f7 and the rooks will mate with the pawn covering f6
1. d4xe5
threatening 2.Rh8+, 3. R(1)h7 mate.
If 1…Qxe5
2. Qxf7 mate
If 1….Qxf2, then 2. Rh8+ and mate to follow.
If 1….Rxe5
2. Qxf4 winning
If 1….Kf8
2. Qxf4 winning.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Corrected notation on move 10.
This is not a 10 second tactic. The part that is easy is inferior defense. So obviously:
1. d*e5 with any response other than g5 such as Qf7 leads to a mate.
However, as pointed out
1. d*e5 g4 is a new ball game but it is solvable with a win for white.
The next two moves are obvious:
2. Rh8+ Kg7
3. R1 h7+ Kg6
The object now is to penetrate which means accessing the square g5 for the white queen.
Now comes the important winning move 4.Qe2! forcing g4. (This allows access to 7 Rf5 and 8 Qd2 as follows):
5. Rh6+ Kg5
6. Rh5+ Kg6 and now
7. Rf5 Qg3 (what is better?)
8.Qd2 wins e.g.8. … R*h8
9. Qg5+ Kh7
10. R*f7+
psyche
I am not sure d4xe5 work. What if pawn g5?
This is a mystery. First, 1.dxe5 seems refuted by g6! Second, the game is not in any database I searched.
Psyche,
Ah, but what if black just exchanges the queen at h6 for both rooks? Clearly, 5. …Kg5 loses for black, and Kg7 might lose too, though it isn’t clear to me, but 5. …Qh6 looks ok on first principles. Full line:
1. de5 g5
2. Rh8 Kg7
3. R1h7 Kg6
4. Qe2 g4
5. Rh6 Qh6!
6. Rh6 Kh6
7. Qg4
This is all without much thought, I must admit, though I actually did look at this line yesterday while pondering what might be best for white after 1. …g5. Perhaps white has something better than taking this pawn, but what it might be isn’t obvious to me. A better question is what should black do here? Taking at e5 is risky due to white’s reply of Qf4, but might still be ok for black. Hard to say.
In any case, I don’t think 2.Rh8 is quite so obviously best for white.
You’re correct Yancey. Clearly 5… Qh6 is an improvement and in fact may make black better.
And I cannot find an alternative to 2 Rh8+ and, you’re right, there’s no direct reason necessarily to play it.
So it remains a conundrum. And certainly the line with exchanging queens is unclear as to even long term advantage for White e.g.,
1. dxe5 g5 2. Qxf4 gxf4 3. R7h5 does not help too much.
Psyche.
I tried all the variations yesterday. First I thought of 1.Rxf7! But quickly saw that white would have to give up 2R for the black Q which is suicidal.
Then eureka! I wrote out the solution 1.dxe5!!! And started justifying it. It worked well for all R and Q responses. Then I said pawn move and immediately g5! Busted the solution.
In my opinion there is no clear win for W due to the strong black passed g pawn!
I waited anxiously for the solution by the team but I see that my conclusion remain. Yancey has well documented the alternatives.
Now I have a thought! The diagonal a1-h8 is key. Why not 1.dxe5!.g5!.2.Qd4!! Threatening e6 and Rh8#!!.
2…..Qxe5,.3. Qxe5, Rxe5 or directly 2……Rxe5 does not work for black as he will lose the R at a8 to Rh8+.
2…..Rad8 seems to be the best choice for black white try for 2Rs vs Q with 3.Qxd8.Rxd8.4.Rh8+.Kg7. .5.Rxd8.but..Qxe4+!.6.Kc1.Qxh1+ busts white!
So at best White can get a perpetual with Rh8+ Rh7+ and Rh6+ when black plays 2.Rad8 in response to 2.Qd4!
If only the b2 pawn was not there, Or it was at b3, believe that White would win with 1.dxe5!!.g5!2.Qb2!! And black has no adequate defense to the threatened 3.e6!!!
Maybe this is the issue with the position. A pawn is where it is not supposed to be!
Harry
Harry,
Well, white can’t play 2.Qb2 since the white pawn is sitting on it.