White to move. How do you assess this position? Is this a win for White, Black or is it a draw?
2r5/5P1p/rP3R2/6K1/8/8/8/3k4 w – – 0 0
Hint: This is NOT as easy as you think 🙂 Calculate it out. It can be a dozen or so move long in some lines.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
1. Re6 wins for White
1. b7
I agree with second ano.
1. b7 but it’s not over immediately.
1. -, Ra5+! (Rc5+ which looks better loses at once after 2. Rf5)
2. Rf5, Rxf5+
3. Kxf5, Rb8 and now it’s not that easy to win. One more row between the pawns and white would have to fight for a draw by catching the h pawn.
But so white king goes to d6; only that square garants the win because if black’s rook is on b8 Kc7 wins anf if it is on f8 Ke7 wins.
With pawns on a7 and f7 for example the rook could stay on a8 while the king is on the kingside next to the f pawn. White couldn’t help that f pawn because after Kg7/Ke7 black could play Rxa7(+).
If the king went next to a7 the same thing would happen after Rf8.
In this case the pawns have just enough space between them so the king can “decide” in one move which pawn to help.
Nice one.
By the way, I haven’t calculated anything out but I agree with ano 1 in that case that there seem to be other moves that look very strong.
I am not sure if b7 is the (only?) winning move but I feel so. 🙂
Regards
Jochen
“Hint: This is NOT as easy as you think 🙂 Calculate it out. It can be a dozen or so move long in some lines.”
I haven’t seen this hint before… makes me doubt a bit about my simple solution…
I now see I overlooked 1. -, Rc5+ 2. Rf, Rg6+!? but as it seems 3. Kf4 Rc4+ 4. Kf3, Rc3+ 5. Kf2, Rc2+ 6. Kf1 seems to win here.
Have I overseen more?
Quite interested in reading more opinions…
Greetings
I don’t think Jochen has the best answer.
1. b7! Ra5+ (Jochen is right, Rc5+ is horrible).
2. Rf5 Rxf5+
3. Kxf5 Rb8
4. Ke6 h5
5. Kd6 h4
6. Kc7 h3
7. Kxb8 h2
8. f8=Q h1=Q and white could conceivably fall into a perpetual, though it is won for white, I’ll grant.
Or even:
6. Kc7 Rf8
7. b8=Q Rxf7+ to be followed by h3 or Rf2. Now white has, at best, R vs. Q ending, which is won, but not so easily, particularly with that advanced h-pawn still possibly causing trouble with inaccurate play (e.g., Qb8+, Ke7, Qc7+, Kf6 and both rook and pawn are temporarily covered.
Instead, why not:
1. b7! Ra5+
2. Kh6
Reasonable choices:
2a. … Rb7
3. f8=Q RxQ
4. RxR Rb5
5. b8=Q RxQ
6. RxR K-moves
7. Kxa7 and white cannot screw it up if she tries.
2b. … Rf8
3. Kg7 Rxf7
4. RxR Rb5
5. Kxh7(because white has time and this eliminates some complications) Kc2
6. Kg8 Kb3
7. Kf8 Ka4
8. Ke8 Ka5 (if Kc5, Rf5+, queening)
9. Kd8 Ka6
10.Kc8 white wins.
If 10. … Ka7, 11. b8=Q double check, winning the rook or mating.
If 10. … Rxb7, 11. Rxb7 winning the rook.
If 10. … Rc5+, 11. Rc7 Rb5 12. b8=Q winning the Rook.
If 10. … anything else, 11. b8=Q winning the rook.
I think Kh6 is much cleaner. But Jochen’s point about the pawns being on b7 and f7 is quite interesting and instructive. This alternate winning method would work with pawns on a7 and f7 (and Rooks also moved to retain the essence of the position).
Ra5+ should be followed by Kh6!
Kerry (ICC: Fosca)
By the way, move 2a. obviously should be “Rb8”, not Rb7.
Also,
2c. … Rac5
3. bxR=Q RxQ
4. f8=Q RxQ
5. RxR K-anywhere
6. Kxh7 and an easy K+R v. K win.
Re6 does not win for white.
1. Re6 Rf8
then:
2a. Kh6 Rxb6
3. RxRb6 Rxf7 (R v. R draw)
2b. Kf6 h5
3. Kg7 Ra8
4. b7 (what else?) Rb8 and white is lost
2b. Kf6 h5
3. Ke7 Ra8
4. Rg6 Rb8
5. white is lost
2c. b7?? RxRe6 and white is very lost.
2d. Re8 Rxf7
white is lost.
2e. Re7 Rxb6, white is lost.
2f. What else? Everything seems losing after 1. … Rf8.
Kerry
it seems to me that you have also missed
1. b7 Rc5+
2. Rf5 h6+
although it doesn’t lose at once white can escape to h1 and ultimately will get his queen
Tarrasch once said: “All rook and pawn endgames are draw”
Don’t you just love to see how folks are obviously using computer assistance and write as if they aren’t? How sad.
Thanks for your analysis, Kerry.
Kh6 looks more decisive… wow!
Best regards
Jochen
PS:
“Tarrasch once said: “All rook and pawn endgames are draw””
But not those with one player being a rook up. 🙂
PPS:
“Don’t you just love to see how folks are obviously using computer assistance and write as if they aren’t? How sad.”
Do you have any evidences for what you are claiming here?
If not I find it sad that you just blame people without a reason.
I see no analysis here that looks like a computer one. Very poor opinion.
Thank you Jochen, both for getting this thread started with interesting (and instructive) analysis and noting when anonymous commenters apparently have nothing better to do than make groundless accusations.
If someone is claiming I was using computer assistance, I wasn’t. (Warning, this may upset anonymous flamers: No analysis board either.) I see no evidence anyone else was.
my answer it’s a DRAW
1. b7 h6+ 2. kg6 rxf6+ 3. kf6 rb8 =
(for example 4. kg6 kd2 5. kxh6 kd3 6. kg6kd4 and black king reaches b7 pawn first (7. kg7 rxb7 8. kg8 rxf7 9. kf7 1/2)
axel
sorry my bad
1. b7! h6+! 2. kh5! (didnt think about it immediately) and white wins
2… ra5 3. kh6 rf8 4. kg7 rf7+ 5. kf7 +- black falls one move short kd2 6.kf6 kd3 ke6 7. rb6+ kd5 with evenual kc5-c6-c7(d7)-c8 and rc7
axel
Axel,
1. b7! h6+
2. Kh5 Ra5
3. Kxh6 Rf8
4. Kg7 Rxf7+
5. Kxf7? Rb5 and white cannot save the pawn (King took away Rook’s only means to the seventh rank).
also, you forgot to get Rb5 in:
your 5. Kxf7? Kd2??
6. Kf6? why not b8=Q winning easily
so,
5. Rxf7 Rb5
6. Kf6 Kd2
7. Ke6 Kc3
8. Kd6 Kd4
9. Kc7 Rc5+
10. Kd8 Rb5
11. Kc8 Rc5+
12. Rc7 and black will have to give up the rook for the soon-to-be queen.
Axel, on your first comment:
1. b7! h6+
2. Kg6 Rxf6+
3. Kxf6 Rb8
4. Ke6 h5
5. Kd6 h4
6. Kc7 h3
7. Kxb8 h2
8. f8=Q h1=Q (and white should be able to win with his advanced pawn)
alternative on 6.
6. Kc7 Rf8?
7. b8=Q RxQ
8. KxQ h3
9. f8=Q h2
10. Qf3+ K-somewhere
11. Qf2 picking up black’s last hope.
Kerry
By the way, the 5. Kd6 idea was Jochen’s, not mine.
kerry: thanks for correction
it was a typo
1.b7 rxf6
2.kxf6 rf8
3.ke7 rb8
4.f8=q rxf8
5.kxf8 h5
6.b8=q and white wins