White to move and win! It is NOT as simple as you think. Have fun! 
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White to move and win! It is NOT as simple as you think. Have fun!
e8 (Q) Bxe8
b8 (N) followed by a8 (Q)
Nice one!
1. e8=R! (1. e8=Q? Be4+ 2. Qxe4 f1=Q+ 3. Nxf1 stalemate) Bxe8
2. b8=N (forced) Bg6 (renewing the Be4+ threat)
3. a8=B! (a8=Q draws as after 1. e8=Q?) and wins.
Three minor piece promotions in a row! Very, very nice!
Congrats for the great work and cheers from Brazil! 😉
haha nothing is ever simple for me, so when you say “it’s not as simple as you think” it really registers no meaning with me! I just saw that promoting to a knight stopped the bishop check and was so happy I stopped there and didn’t even look at stalemates!
Two underpromotions! Good one.–JF
e8 promote to rook
bxe8 bd4 is what I came up with
eli
just looking…e8R Be8 b8N Bg6 a8B 😉 and this should win
1. e8(R) …
if 1 e8(Q) then 1..Be4+ 2. Qxe4 f1(Q)+ 3. Nxf1 stalemate
1. ….. Bxe8
2. b8(N) Bg6
3. a8(B)
if 3. a8(Q) then then 3..Be4+ 4. Qxe4 f1(Q)+ 5. Nxf1 stalemate
Once the stalemate swindles have been dealt with Black’s only recourse seems to be to keep the White King bottled up in the corner.
3. ….. Bd3
4. Bg2
Breaking the K out and stopping the various threats. If 4..hxg2+ the White h pawn can either become a Q or win the B. The N, N and B can easily be used to win.
Stelling got to the same answer faster than I could. Gosh, I even get into time trouble when doing analysis.
🙂
@ Tom D
I’m sure I saw the problem way before you did, just that. 😉
But anyway, that’s the beauty of artistic problems and endgames: time is not a concern and you can enjoy their beauty as if they were poetry written with chesspieces.
Cheers!
It is the climax of a beautiful study by Pogosyants!
Here it is in his full glory:
Conventional notation:
White: Kh1,Bc1, Ne1,f5,Pa7,b7,e7,h2
Black: Kc3,Bh7,Pf2,h3
or the FEN:
8/PP2P2b/8/5N2/8/2k4p/5p1P/2B1N2K w – – 0 1
White wins:
The pawn f2 is threatening an unavoidable promotion, and White seems to have only desperate checks (Rachenschach, as the German say)
1.Bb2+ (the correct check. The Bishop cannot be taken) Kd2
2.Nf3+ Kd3 (if 2… Kc2 3. Ne3+ stops the pawn)
3. Ne5+ Ke2 (3… Kd2 4. Ng3 and, again, the pawn is stopped)
4. Ng3+ Kd1 (Now the pawn is stopped, but Black has a nasty threat: 5…Be4+! 6.Nxe4 f1Q#)
5. Ng6 (clears the e-line) Bxg6
and all is known now, White wins with three spectacular underpromotions in a row.