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White has 2 plans to stop black queen counter play with Qxc4+
Plan A works! White wins!!
1. Kb5 (protecting c4 and allowing queen to take d pawn)..Bxd5
2. Qxd7 followed by 3. Qc7+. 4. B8=Q+ mating
If 1….Kxb7.2. Qxd7+ Kb8 3. Qc7+ Ka8 4. Ka6! Qb8 forced (Qxc4+ not possible due to Qxc4) 5. Qc6+ Qb7+ 6. Qxb7#
Plan B does not work! Black wins!!
1. d5 curtailing black queen Qh8 2. Qe1! Bc5!! 4. Qa5 Bxd6 protects c7 , threatens to exchange queens and queen g/h pawn!!! Here black wins!
Harry
Don’t have a lot of time but 1. d5! looks the strongest continuation for White.
Qxd7 seems to ensure a white victory?
I remember this one better than most. One of the toughest problems I have ever seen posted here. I spent the better part of an entire day on it the last time, and still wasn’t convinced I actually solved it.
White has 2 plans to stop black queen counter play with Qxc4+
Plan A works! White wins!!
1. Kb5 (protecting c4 and allowing queen to take d pawn)..Bxd5
2. Qxd7 followed by 3. Qc7+. 4. B8=Q+ mating
If 1….Kxb7.2. Qxd7+ Kb8 3. Qc7+ Ka8 4. Ka6! Qb8 forced (Qxc4+ not possible due to Qxc4) 5. Qc6+ Qb7+ 6. Qxb7#
Plan B does not work! Black wins!!
1. d5 curtailing black queen Qh8 2. Qe1! Bc5!! 4. Qa5 Bxd6 protects c7 , threatens to exchange queens and queen g/h pawn!!! Here black wins!
Harry
If black Q leaves the back rank, white can mate with his Q from d8, e8 or f8.
If not, white threatens Qxd7 followed by mate at Qc7 or Qc8.
I cannot see how black can fend of all these threats. Only option for black seems to be Qxc4+.
White can fend this off with 1. d5
Now I don’t see what black can do.
Just realized the reply to 1. d5
1. d5 Qh8
threatening Qa1+.
Gotta go back to the drawing board for this one. 🙁
Is it 1. d5… ?
d5
When I first looked at this problem a few years ago, I, too, was enamored with 1.d5, but it loses:
1. d5 Qh8!
And, now, white is in a world of trouble as black is threatening mate starting with Qa1+:
2. Qe5 Qd8!
3. Kb5 Qb6
4. Ka4 Bc5 (best move)
5. Qe8 Kb7
6. Qd7 Ka6
7. Qc8 Ka7
8. Qd7 Qb7 and white will have to exchange the queens at either b7 or b5 and black will win with the outside passers. At move 2, white does no better with moves like
2. Qd7 Qa1
3. Kb5 Qb2
4. Ka4 Qb7!
5. Qe8
Moves like 5.Qg5 are surely mating nets after 5. …Bc5. Cont.:
5. …..Ka7
6. Qe1 Bc5
7. d7 Qd7
8. Kb3 g3 (best move IMO)
9. Qa5 Kb7
10.Qc5 Qc7!
Took me a while to find this move in this line- I wasted 20 minutes looking at everything else, including the long lines starting with 8. …Qb7. Cont.:
11.Qa3 g2
12.Qa1 Qb6
And the g-pawn will queen and win the game for black. So, 1.d5 loses for white.
Other notes, 1.Qxd7 probably does draw. Also, if you are going to suggest 1.Kb5, then consider at least taking a look at the lines where black puts his king on a7 instead of immediately grabbing the pawn on b7.