White to move. Which side is better? How should White proceed?
q6n/1Np2p2/7P/6N1/k1p2p2/P5P1/K3PP2/1B6 w – – 0 1
Garcia, 2000
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1.Be4 looks strong to me:
[1] it protects the knight on b7
[2] threatens mate with 2.Bc6
Unfortunately, I cannot see how to break the only decent defense 1…Qe8 (1…Qa6?? 2.Nc5+). Anybody?!
1.Be4 Qe8 (only move)
2.Bc2+ Kb5
3.Ba4+! Kxa4
4.Ne4! Qe5 (to defend Nc3 mate)
5.gxf4 Qd4
6.e3 wins because the queen has no squares.
White is better, most probably winning after 1.Be4! threatening 2.Lc6 mate.
What can black do?
1.-Qq6 2.Nc5+, 1.-Kb5 2.Nd6+ both lose the queen and he ends up a piece down.
I am not sure if I have not overseen any defenses for black but it should start like this:
1. Be4, Qe8! (forced, Thomas, you missed this defense) 2. Bc2+!, Kb5 3. Ba4+!!, Kxa4 4. Ne4! and the threat 5. Nc3# leads to Qxe4 5. Nc5+ or Kb5 5. N (any) d6+, cxd6 6. Nxd6+. In any case white should win the knight and pawns endgame easily with his two passed pawns (black’s knight is bounded to h6).
I cannot find any better defense for black but maybe there is one!?
Best wishes from Germany
Jochen
1.Be4 threatening 2.Bc6 mate seems to win after 1..Qe8 2.Bc2+ Kb5 3.Ba4+ Kxa4 4.Ne4 Kb5 5.Nd6+, but I don’t know if I missed something.
Pedro
This is way too hard.
Soylent, you seem to be right. I missed (the simple) Qe5 last night.
The end position is really cute.
Well done, Soylent! Well done Garcia!
ne4 either mate or queenless