Black to move. Can Black hold this position?
Szabo, Laszlo – Benko, Pal (Hungary 1951), presented by Andreas
1b3rk1/1q3p1p/p3rBp1/5RQ1/8/2P5/P5PP/5R1K b – – 0 28
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
A Benko classic
About Author
be5.
..bxe5 rxe5 (or)
..rxe5 rxf6.
Black holds.
1. Qc2 aiming for Qh2+ and preventing Qh6 by exchanging the Queens on h2. If 2. g3, then 2. …Qc6+ 3. Kg1 Ba7+.
Qc7
In the game white played g3, but I think Rf4 is better…
Well, Qc7 definitely suggests itself, but I am not quite convinced that white wins if black moves otherwise:
1. …..Qc6
2. Qh6 Rf6 (forced)
3. Rf6 Qc3
4. R6f3 Qc7 (best? I don’t know)
5. Rh3 f5 (or f6)
And white is clearly better, but I don’t quite see the closing play. In any case, Qc7 seemed to be a defensive move in this line, so why wait:
1. …..Qc7
2. Qh6 Qh2
An odd looking move that only seems to drop a piece, but one with a stinger on the end of it since white has a rook en prise at f5
3. Qh2 Bh2
4. Rd5
I don’t see a better place than d5 for the rook, but Ra5 or R5f2 don’t seem worse to me either.
4. …..Bb8
Where should you put the bishop? b8 looks best to me, but not for any particular reason. I could make a case for Bd6 or even Bg3.
Right now, I don’t quite see the black edge here being decisive, but maybe I have overlooked something more powerful.
Dragan,
No, either rook to f4 will lose quickly due to the back rank weakness
1. …..Qc7
2. Rf54 Qf4!
3. Qf4 Bf4
4. Rf4? Re1 followed by mate.
Dear Dragan:
The problem with 2. Rf4, I believe, is
2. .. Qxf4 3. Rxf4
(3. Qxf4 Bxf4)
3. .. Re1+
4. Rf1 Rxf1 mate
My fantasy line in this position is:
1. … Qc7 2. g3 Qc6+ 3. R1f3 Be5 4. Qh4 {attempting to preserve the threats, but Black forces the issue with}
4. .. h6 5. Rf4 Bxf6 6. Rxf6 Kg7 7. Rf4 f5 8. Kg1 g5 9.Qh5 gxf4 {is winning.}
So, correct seems to be that black can not only hold this, but even be up with a pawn in the endgame (after exchange of queens on h2).
Optically, this looks most likely winning for black. Black’s h-g-f pawns are strong, all 3 white pawns are weak.
This must be the reason why white didn’t consider to answer Qc7 with Qh6, he has seen Qxh2 as a fatal loss of a pawn.
Dear pht,
I basically agree with you. 2. g3, as played in the game, doesn’t hold, at least in the variations I’ve worked out.
1. … Qc7 2. g3 Qc6+ 3. R1f3
(3. Kg1 h6 4. Qxh6 Ba7+ 5. Bd4 (5. R5f2 Rxf6) 5. .. Bxd4+ 6. cxd4 gxf5 7. Qg5+ Rg6 8. Qxf5 {and Black is a rook up.})
3… Be5 4. Qh4
(4. Qh6 4. .. Bxf6)
(4. Rf4 Bxf4 5. Qxf4 Rfe8 {the exchange up, and winning.})
4. .. h6 5. Rf4 Bxf6 6. Rxf6 Kg7 7. Rf4 f5 8. Kg1 g5 9.Qh5 gxf4 {is winning.}