White to move and draw!
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Is it possible to have any other first move than e7?
1. e7
Ok, now white has double attacked the rook and knight. If black plays Re8 or Rf5+, white takes the knight and has a standard draw immediately. If black protects the knight with Rf4, white queens with check to win the game. So what is left are the checks with the knight which are Nf6 and Nc3. Let’s look at Nc3 first:
1. …..Nc3
2. Kc4
Here, Kd4 should draw too, but I chose Kc4 immediately so that black cannot check with the knight on the next move. A move like Ke6/e5 is probably going to lose to Re8 since black will then find time to bring the knight back to double, then triple attack and win the pawn on e7 since white will never be able to attack the rook at e8 without allowing Kf7 protecting the rook and attacking at e7. With 2.Kc4, white has reestablished the double attack. Black still cannot check with the rook without allowing KxN drawing the game, and cannot protect the knight with the rook without allowing e8(Q)+. So, I think it safe to say that white has a draw if black tries 1. …Nc3+.
Let’s now look at 1. …Nf6+:
1. e7 Nf6
2. Ke6
Here, Ke5 will lose to the check from g4 where the knight has now crossed over the f-file to the g-file where the white king cannot go for one move due to the rook at f8. Also, if white plays Kc-file, or Kd-file, black puts the rook on e8 and will eventually put the king on f7 and then triple attack the pawn to win the game. 2.Ke6 is the only potential way forward- it double attacks again without allowing another knight check. Continuing:
2. …..Rf7 (Re8 3.Kf6 draws)
3. Bb6!
I could only find this with trial and error. White cannot queen the pawn, of course, since black just captures with the knight. 3.Kf5 loses to Ne8+, and 3.Ke5 to the same move without check, and black then moves the rook (to f6 if white returns to Ke6) freeing f7 for the king. Also, 3.Kd6 loses to Rg/h7: [3.Kd6 Rh7! 4.Ke6 Ne8 5.Kd7 Kf7 and black will put the rook behind the pawn to double cover e8, then maneuver the knight to attack at e7 to win the game]. On 3.Bc7, black attacks the bishop from e8 with the knight: [3.Bc7 Ne8! 4.Be5 (or 4.Bd8/b6/a5 Rf6+ 5.Kanywhere Kf7-+; or 4.Kd7 Nc7!-+) 4. …Rf1 5.Bd4 Re1 6.Be5 (or 6.Kd7 Kf7-+) 6. …Re2 7.Kanywhere Kf7-+]. And, finally, on 3.Ba5, black still wins with Ne8: [3.Ba5 Ne8 4.Kd7 (or 4.Bc3 Rf1 5.Bc2/d4 Re1 6.Kd7 Kf7-+) 4. …Rf5! 5.Ke8 (or 5.Banywhere Kf7-+) 5. …Ra5 6.Kd7 (or 6.Kd8 Ra8 7.Kd7 Kf7-+) 6. …Ra7! 7.Ke6 (or 7.Kd8 Ra8 8.Kd7 Kf7-+; or 7.Kd6 Kf7-+) 7. …Ra8! 8.Kf6 Re8 9.Ke6 Kg7 10.Kd7 Kf7-+]. Continuing from 3.Bb6 above:
3. …..Ne8 (alternatives later)
4. Kd7!
If you remember from above, the move 3.Ba5 lost when the bishop was attacked from f5 with the rook- black traded the knight at e8 for the bishop, and the resulting K+P vs K+R ending was won for black. Let’s play out the analogous method to see why Bb6 is different. This was something that I could never see without playing it out:
4. …..Rf6
5. Bd4!
Attacks the rook which must now move again. Continuing:
5. …..Rd6
Here, black will find nothing better: [5. …Rf4 6.Ke8! Rd4 stalemates white]. There is no move here that can preserve both black pieces or that trades the minor pieces off that doesn’t stalemate white at this point. Continuing:
6. Ke8 Ra6 (again Rd4 stalemates)
7. Kd7 with a simple forced drawing position. Continued in my next comment.
Continued from my previous comment:
Now, let’s work backwards through this line to be sure black had no better alternatives win. Back at move 4, black attacked the bishop with Rf6- was there something better? No:
4. …..Ng7 (Nf6+ 5.Ke6 repeats)
5. Bd4
Here, white will want to avoid a move like Kd8: [5.Kd8?? Rf6! 6.Bc5 Re6 with Kf7 soon to follow]. Also, I don’t think white wants to play 5.Bd8 since the pawn is pinned and black will have time to bring the king around to g6 via h7. The other bishop moves, I haven’t looked at, so I don’t know whether they are ok for white or not, but Bd4 is clear cut draw to my eye and I see no reason to look at the others in detail. Continuing from 5.Bd4 above:
5. …..Nf5
What else? On any rook move, white captures at g7, plays Kd8 if necessary and forces black to trade the rook for the pawn. And if black plays Kh7/h8, white again captures at g7 to draw the game. Nh5 is a draw after black plays Kd8, and Ne6 just drops the knight for nothing. And, finally, Ne8 just repeats the position. Continuing:
6. Bc5
Protecting the pawn. Continuing:
6. …..Rh7 (what else now?)
7. Kd8 Ne7 (Kf7?? 8.e8Q+)
8. Be7 draws by force.
And lastly, back at move 3, black had the rook moves of Rg7 and Rh7, but they just drop the knight at f6. The only other alternative was 3. …Kg7:
3. …..Kg7
4. Bd4 Kg6 (what else now?)
5. Bf6 Rf6
6. Kd7 Rf7
7. Kd8 and black will have to give up the rook to avoid losing the game.
I think 1.e7 draws. The key move after that is white’s 3rd one- Bb6 appears to be the only draw available to him.
1.e7 Nf6+
(1…Rf7 2.e8=Q+)
(1…Re8 2.Kxe4)
2.Ke6 Rf7
(2…Re8 3.Kxf6)
3.Bb6 Ne8
(3…Kg7 4.Bd4 Kg6 5.Bxf6 Rxf6+ 6.Kd7)
4.Kd7 Ng7
(4…Nf6+ 5.Ke6)
5.Bd4 Nf5 6.Bf6 Nxe7 7.Bxe7 Kg7 8.Kd6 Kg6 and White can draw the game
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,draw for white is a cake walk but to me,”e7″ is not the best way to do that.[ 1.e7 R*Bb8 ….What next ? any next white’s move,may place Black in an upper hand ].
So,to me – “e7” is not the best for white to go for the draw.
My choice is “Be5” initial move ,variations exist.
Example [ Variations exist ]
=======
1.Be5 Nf6+
2.B*Nf6 R*Bf6
3.Kd6 Kf8
4.Kd7 R*e6
5.K*Re6 – Draw.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
This is my second post at this title,posting this again,just if my first post has typo error,then this post can be used.
To me “e7” is not the best for draw – [ 1.e7 B*b8 , then What ? ]
To me,initial move “Be5” Sounds best for White.
Example[ Variations exist ]
=======
1.Be5 Nf6+
2.B*Nf6 R*Nf6
3.Kd6 Kf8
4.Kd7 R*e6
5.K*Re6 – Draw. [ Cake walk for White ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,this is my third post at this title.
My earlier two post at this title were based on the puzzle board piece position [ 1B3rk1/8/4P3/3K4/4n3/8/8/8 ]
But now,the puzzle board piece position for Bishop seems to be changed – (i.e) [ 3B1rk1/8/4P3/3K4/4n3/8/8/8 ]
So my moves for this puzzle board piece position is has given below.
Example[ Variations exist ]
=======
1.K*Ne4 R*Bd8
2.Kf5 Rd5+
3.Kf6 Rd1
4.e7 Rf1+
5.Ke6 Re1+
6.Kf6 Rf1+
7.Ke6 Re1+
8.Kf6 Rf1+
9.Ke6 Re1+
10.Kf6 R*e7
11.K*Re7 – Draw for White.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]