R4rk1/4qppp/6r1/4P3/1p5P/6P1/5P1K/R3Q3 w – – 0 1
White to move. How should White proceed? How do you assess this position?
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My try is RxR Check and if KxR QxP is possible because if black takes QxQ then comes Ra8+ and it is all over!
Just to mention if KxR instead same line works again!
to mayanking:
RxR QxR
QxP? QxQ
Ra8+ Qf8!
RxR KxR
QxP? QxQ
Ra8+ Ke7
No miracle here.
With connected Rooks, White might try to chase Black Queen out of f8-c5 diagonal, but difficult…
b
1. Qe4 threatening RxR followed by Ra8
That was my first thought too, pwspar, but I think Re6 is a fine defense.
1. Qe4 Re6
2. Rxf8+ Qxf8
3. Ra8 Re8
etc.
This is a ridiculously hard puzzle, I’m really not sure what we’re after here.
Ra7 attacks the queen then follow up with pawn push to e6.
Rxf8+ Qxf8
Qe4
this secures a8 for the eventual Ra8 by white. this i think wins the game.
wolverine2121: I think it wins a pawn after 2 Qe4 Re6 3.Ra8 Re8 4. RxR QxR 5. Qb4 and black can’t take e5 because of Qb8+.
But it is still hard to win such Q ending
sorry b8 square is covered afte Qe5, so it doesn’t even win a pawn…
How about
R1a7 Qc5
Ra5 Qe7
Qa1
Now white should win Q+R for R+R:
if … Rxa8
Rxa8+ Qf8
Rxf8 Kxf8
if … something like h7
Rxf8+ Qxf8
Ra8
nice idea, but what if Qa5 Qb6 (instead of Qe7) ?
I don’t see anything concrete here
1.Qe4, Re6
2.R1a7 Qc5
3.Qf3 threatening Qxf7+ and guarding f2. This wins I think. Black could try 3…f6 but something like 4.Rxf8+ Qxf8 5.Qe6 should see this off. He/she could
try 3…Re7 but this allows 4.e6 when 4…f6 5.Rxe8+ and 6.Qa8+ and 7.Rf7+ wins.
Hmm 3…Re8 could be a defense – back to the drawing board.
Scrap that line I think 3…Re8 is adequate.
I think 1.Qe3 threatening 2.R1h7 is hard to meet. Can’t see a defence yet.
On 1.Qe3 you have Rç6 and if
2.Ra7 Rç7 seems fine.
How about this line:
1. Qe3 (with the idea of Ra7 trying to get the queen out of the e7 square…after 1…Qe7. 2. Ra6 Qd5 (not 2…Qe7 since 3. Ra7 Qe6 4.RxR+ KxR. 5. Ra8+ Ke7 6. Qc5 wins) …b3 (black tries to make room form its queen to protect that diagonal) 2. Ra7 Qb4 3. Qf3 (threating Qxf7 and mate )
I don’t know if that is that win. There could be some loophole and discrepancies in my calculation.
–Uly
1 RxR+
Line 1
… KxR
2 Ra8+ Qe8
3 RxQ+ KxR
4 Qxb4 White wins
Line 2
QxR
2 Qe4 Black has no defense against
Ra8
Mark
Sigh. The position is not so easy, Mark. After
1. RxR QxR
2. Qe4 (threatening 3.Ra8)
Black has the obvious defense of 2…Re6
This was mentioned by previous posters.
How abt
1. Qe4 (threatening Rf8)…Re6 (only move)
2. Qd5 (threatening R1a7 winning the Queen)
Is there a defence to that?
1. Qe4 Re6
2. R1-A7 Qc5
3. Qf3 (threatening the f7 square)
Black would find it hard to defend the f7 square.
Pinoypusher,
1. Qe4 Re6
2. R1-A7 Qc5
3. Qf3 (threatening the f7 square)
will not work because of
3…Re7 defending f7 and looking to exchange rooks.
If 4. Rf8 Kf8
5. Ra8 Re8 will solve problems
As I said before
1 Qe4 Re6
2 Qd5 (threatening R1a7 wins the Queen)
There is no defence for black against this.
RxR qxR
QxP? QxQ
Ra8+ Ke7!
Anonymus: “As I said before
1 Qe4 Re6 2 Qd5 (threatening R1a7 wins the Queen) There is no defence for black against this.”
Looks good. But what about 1.-Rb6.
Ok, I think I see what to do after
1.-Rb6:
1 Qe4 Rb6 2.R1a7 Qc5 3.Qf3 (targeting f7) should win. Eg
3.-Qc4 4.Rxf8 Kxf8 5.Qa8+. Perhaps 3.-f6 holds on a bit longer.
Qe4?
Some of my colleagues at work and I looked at this problem. We find that 1. Qe4 seems to win for white in all lines except:
1. Qe4 Re6
2. Qd5 g3
If white tries 3. R1a7 black has Rxe5 and then if 4. Qd4 Qf6 seems to hold for black.
We can find no convincing line for white after 2. … g3.