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1. Rh8 looks strong.
Rh8 looks like the right move, simply because the black rook is pinned covering the c6 square (if Rxh8, Nc6+ and then g7+). So black might respond:
1 Rh8 Rb2-c2
2 Nxc6+ Kb7
3 Nc5+ Kxb6
4 Rxc8 wins the rook (if …Rxc5, 5 Re6+ wins)
Nc6+
Black threats Rc1#. Preventing this with
1. Rh8
looks good! E.g.
1. … Rxh8
2. Nc6+ Kc8 (Ka8 b7#)
3. b7+ Kd8
4. b8=R#
Of cource black has
1. … Rb1+
but white king simply walks e1-f2-g3-g4-g5 (avoiding blaacks knigt) and there are no more checks.
Black must investigate:
1. … Nd4
2. Nd7+ Kb7 (Ka8 Rxc8+)
3. Nc5+ Kxb6 (Kc6 Rxc8+, Kb8 Nxa6+)
4. Rb7+ Ka5
5. Rh5+ Rb5!
or something like this.
I still feel there should be a winning line for white after
1. Rh8 Nd4
but it’s a bit too complicated for me to find it…
Susan Polgar in Argentina? is that right?
1. Rh8 !
i think, we can win a rook by threatening Nc6+ with g7#:
1. Rh8 Rc2
2. Nd7+ Ka8
3. b7+ Kxb7
4. Nc5+ Kb6 (Kb8=>Rb7+ and Rxc8#)
5. Rxc8
and if ..Rxc5, then
6. Rd6+ and Rxc5 or Rxc6 next move.
greets, jan
1.Rh8! and on 1…R2c2 :
2.Nd7+ etc.
I suggest: Nd7+ !
If a) ….Kb7 then Nc5 double check Kxb6 Na4+ wins the rook
If b) ….Ka8 b7+! Kxb7 and again Nc5 double check wins the rook
I suggest: Nd7+ !
If a) ….Kb7 then Nc5 double check Kxb6 Na4+ wins the rook
If b) ….Ka8 b7+! Kxb7 and again Nc5 double check wins the rook
Not too easy. My guess:
1. Rh8 Rxh8?
2. Nc6+ Ka8/c8
3. b7 checkmate
more tricky:
1. Rh8 Rbc2
2. Nd7+ Kb7
3. Nc5+ Kxb6/c6
4. Rxc8 with a winning position
1. Rh8 Rbc2
2. Nd7+ Kb7
3. Nc5+ Kb8
4. Na6+ Ka8
5. b7 checkmate
but really complicated:
1. Rh8 Rb1+
2. Kd2/f2 Rb2+
3. Ke3 Rb3+
4. Kf4 Rb4+
5. Kg5 and now Black has no defense against the threads shown above. It is important to avoid Knight checks while the white king is fleeing the rook checks
Hope, I am right.
Best wishes from Germany
The immediate Nd7+ doesn’t quite work Kb7 Nc5+ Kxb6 Na5+ would be winning but instead of Kxb6 Kc6 just seems annoying.
Nc6+ Rxc6 Rh8+ Rc8 doesn’t accomplish anything
Rh8 is more intruiging if Rxh8 Nc6+ Kc8 (Ka8 b7#) Rc7#
Rh8 Nd4 covering c6 and having the rook eye the g pawn . Rxc8 Kxc8 Rc7+ Kd8 Nf7+ Ke8 Nd6+ Kd8 goes nowhere
but
Rh8 Nd4 Rc7 double attack on the pinned rook is crushing.
That leaves the check defense
Rh8 Rb1+ Kf2 (staying on dark squares to avoid the black knight moving with check) Rb2+ Kg3 Rb3+ Kf4 Rb4+ Kg5 Rc4 to avoid being forked after Nd7-Nc5+.
Here I don’t see a solution yet
There is something wrong here. Black can draw with correct defence, beginning with Rb1+ etc up till the awesome idea Rb4-c4!
And yes, I have tested it with my comp and Houdini
Like Jan, all I can come up with is Rh8, but I don’t think black’s best reply is Rc2, though it may not matter in the end. Let’s take a look:
1. Rh8 Rb1
And, the white king will have to find a shield since black can continue to check as long as white’s king remains on ranks 1 and 2. In addition, he must be careful to stay off of the h-file in order to prevent Rh8 with check. Right now, the best strategy I can think of is to walk up the g-file:
2. Kf2 Rb2
3. Kg3 Rb3
4. Kg4 Rb4
5. Kg5 Rc4!
Now, Nd7 is no threat. Let’s look at that line to see why:
6. Nd7? Kb7
7. Nc5 Kb6
8. Rc8
Here, [8.Rb7 Kc5 draws because the rook is at c4 in this line rather than c2 as in the line Jan outlined, preventing the deadly skewer on Rxc8]. Continuing:
8. …..Rc5 (with check, note!)
9. Rc5 Kc5 with a theoretical draw.
Honestly, I don’t quite see how to overcome this defense of black’s. I have some ideas, but will have to work on them a bit more.
Tecpatzin,
All ok up to 2. ….Kb6??. Black should draw with 2. ….Kc6 instead:
1. Nd7 Kb7
2. Nc5 Kc6!
And I don’t see how white can save both the pawn and the knight. Nor do I see any mates.
In my first comment, I followed in the first footsteps of Jan who posted the idea of 1.Rh8. The rook cannot be captured due to the mate threat starting with 2.Nc6. Jan tried to defend with 1. ….Rc2, but that line basically fails because of the unprotected rook at c2 forces black to give up decisive material in a critical line. However, black can solve this immediate problem by checking the white king until he reaches g5, then defend with Rc4, and then the analogous line starting with Nd7+ fails because black can take the knight at c5 with the king without having to worry about a skewer of Rxc8. Here is the line I see:
1. Rh8 Rb1
2. Kf2 Rb2
3. Kg3 Rb3
4. Kg4 Rb4
5. Kg5
Of course, here, 5.Kf5 actually loses: [5.Kf5 Nd4! and Rh8 will follow 6.Kg5 since black now has c6 covered by the knight, or can discover an attack with Nc6 if the king retreats to the 4th rank, or even take with check at b6 if the white king goes to the 6th rank, though in both cases, Rh8 should still win, too. And, of course, 5.Kh5 loses instantly to Rh8 with check. Continuing:
5. …..Rc4
Having thought about this for quite a while this morning, all I can see is 6.Rh6. I tried for quite a while to make 6.Rhh7 work, but it has a problem:
6. Rhh7 Rg8 (R4c5 also good to me)
7. Kf5
Here, 7.Kh5 black still plays as below, on 7.Kh6??, black mates with Rh4, and on 7.Kf6, I think black can still play as below:
7. …..Rc1
Preparing to harass from the 1st rank. I don’t think Nd4 is very good for black: [7. …Nd4 8.Ke4! and how does black avoid losing a piece with both the rook at c4 and the knight under attack?]. Continuing:
8. Rb7
Here, 8.Nd7 leads nowhere: [8.Nd7 Ka8! 9.b7 (9.Nc5? Rc5 with check!) Ka7! 10.b8Q Rb8 11.Nb8 Kb8 with what is almost certainly a draw]. Continuing:
8. …..Kc8!
I think Ka8 is going to lose: [8. …Ka8 9.Ra7! Na7 (9. …Kb8 10.Kc8 b7! with mate almost sure to follow soon) 10.Ra7 Kb8 11.Nd7 Kc8 12.b7 Kd7 13.b8Q with a discovered check which wins for white]. After 8. ….Kc8, how does white make any progress? The black knight and rook have c7 covered, and the white rook can’t get to a7 profitably now, either, I think:
9. Ra7 Rf1 (the point of 7. ..Rc1)
10.Ke4 Re1
11.Kd3 Rd8!
12.Kc2
It does no good to block the check, and probably all three blocks lead to white losing: [12.Nd7 Na7! 13.ba7 Kb7 stops the pawn]; or [12.Rhd7 Rd1 13.Kc2 R1d7-+]. Continuing:
12. ….Re2
13.Kb3 Re3
14.Kb4 Re4
15.Nc4 Kb8!
And, now what? On 16.Ra6, black draws with Nd6; or on 16.Rhb7 Kc8 17.Kb3 black can start checking with Rd3, and I don’t see how the white king can now escape the checks, or even save the knight.
In my next comment, I will look at the alternative for white- 6.Rh6.
Before I continue, I do want to mention something that I forgot in the previous comments- white can still castle in the starting position according the the FEN notation. I did try for a while to incorporate this into the strarting moves, but I just don’t see how it changed anything in white’s favor. The fact that white can castle is what makes me very suspicious about the idea of 1.Rh8, but until inspiration strikes, I don’t see it playing a role in the solution. For example, castling on the first move just allows black to draw with the perpetual checks from h8 and g8. About the only other way I can see to incorporate a castle is to check from d7 first, but I simply don’t see any continuation for white that isn’t a loss or a draw.
In my previous comment, I suggested the line
1. Rh8 Rb1
2. Kf2 Rb2
3. Kg3 Rb3
4. Kg4 Rb4
5. Kg5 Rc4
6. Rh6
as possibly the best for both players (assuming that 1.Rh8 is, indeed, the right first move, still an “if” in my mind). Let’s continue the analysis from this point:
6. …..Rg8
The alternatives all seem just a bit worse to me. Trying to pin the white knight with R4c5 allows white to play Kf4 and Ke4: [6. …R4c5 7.Kf4 Rf8 8.Ke4-and we see one of the points of 6.Rh6- covering the threat of black’s Nd6+. Now, black is in trouble-Nd7 is coming and trying to check from c3 with the knight is going to lose at least the exchange to Kd4- 8. …Nc3 9.Kd4 Na4? 10.Nd7 wins]. Continuing:
7. Kh5
Finally, the king has a hiding place and can again threaten Nd7. I can find only one move for black that has a chance of holding:
7. …..Rc5 (pinning the knight)
8. Kh4!
Unpinning the knight, and now black is out of checks. He can cover d7 with Rd8, but I think white will win an exchange, one way or another:
8. …..Re5 (alternatives below)
9. Re5 Rg7 (best to control 7th)
10.Rd5
To control the knight for a bit of time. Continuing:
10. …..Nc3 (to activate it)
11. Ne4 Re7
And, black has consolidated his position a bit, but white has the exchange and the pawn on the sixth rank, and the white king will enter soon enough. However, I can’t say for sure that there is a forced win here.
Back at move 8, I don’t think black really has anything to not lose the exchange:
8. …..Rd8
9. Nd7 Rd7 (else, Nc5). Or
8. …..Kc8
9. b7 Kb8
10.Nd7 wins. Or
8. …..Rd5
9. Nc6 and b7# to come.
In any case, I look forward to the best solution. I have to believe I am missing something here pretty clever.
Anonymous said…
i think, we can win a rook by threatening Nc6+ with g7#:
1. Rh8 Rc2
2. Nd7+ Ka8
3. b7+ Kxb7
4. Nc5+ Kb6 (Kb8=>Rb7+ and Rxc8#)
5. Rxc8
and if ..Rxc5, then
6. Rd6+ and Rxc5 or Rxc6 next move.
greets, jan
BUT this fails because rather than 1…Rc2, black checks the white king with this rook until the king goes to the 5th rank to escape the checks. THEN on 5…Rxc5, black is capturing with check forcing an exchange of the finals rooks and leaving black with N+P vs R.
Jorg Lueke, Yancey Ward, you were all alright.
This study was busted by Siegfried Hornecker in 2004!
His critical line is
1. Rh8 Rb1+ 2. Kd2 Rb2+ 3. Ke3 Rb3+ 4. Kf4 Rb4+ 5. Kg5 Rbc4 6.
Rhh7 Rg8+ 7.Kf5 Rc1 8. Nd7+ Ka8 9. b7+ Ka7 10. b8=Q+ Rxb8 11. Nxb8+ Kxb8
If anybody can improve the White side of this line, it’ll be great…
But till now, this study is flawed.
(The HHdbIV is really an excellent source for all study lovers and chess historians)