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If I were playing this game in blitz, I would like to think I could play Re6 without even thinking it through, which I would have to do since I couldn’t do the calculation quick enough to be sure it was good (only about 75% sure I wasn’t overlooking something). The idea, of course, is that the rook at f2 doubly attacked and is hopelessly pinned to his king, and the rook at f1 and the king at g1 are the only two defenders. The white bishop is not able to provide any defense to f2, and the white queen would only be able to do so from the f4 square which she can only reach in two moves via d6. Re6 is a simple threat of bringing the third attacker onto the hapless rook, and I don’t see how white can answer this threat:
1. …..Re6
2. Bd5
I see nothing better than this for white. Continuing:
2. …..Rf6
And, here, I think white is going to get mated unless he forces a queen for rook exchange, and that is probably still going to be mate in short order:
3. Qe7
Here a move like Bc4, or ab6 is worse in that even I can quickly spot the mating moves: (3.Bc4 Rff2 4.Be2 Re2 5.Kh1 Be4 6.Rf3 Bf3#; 3.ab6 Rff2 4.Rf2 Qf2 5.Kh1 Qh2#). Continuing:
3. …..Qe7
4. Rf6
And, now, of course, black can just exchange the queen for the two rooks by playing Qf6 and be up a rook for a two pawns, but this would be a bit impatient in my opinion as the white king is still vulnerable with the queen on the board. In a blitz, I would almost certainly just simplify this position rather than playing the following continuation, but with time to consider, I can see the below leads to a more dominating position for black.
4. …..Qe3!
5. Kh1
Here, blocking the check is worse: (5.R6f2 Bd3 6.Kg2{forced?} Rb2 7.Rb2 Bf1 8.Kf1{8.Kh1 Qc1} Qc1) or (5.R1f2 Rf2 6.Rf2 Qc3 7.ab6 Qa1 {Qd4 is ok, I suppose, but kind of messy when white plays 8.b7} 8.Kg2 Qd4 and the b-pawn falls). Continuing:
5. …..ba5 (give white no hope)
6. R6f4
Here, I see nothing but a quicker loss with moves like Bf7 or Bc4 since white is giving up the a8/h1 diagonal to black’s bishop with check, and obviously, Rf7+ is just going to throw an exchange in for no good reason. Continuing:
6. …..Qc3
7. Rg4
Only counter play available I can see:
7. …..Re1 (pinning Rf1)
8. Kg2 Rf1
9. Kf1 Qd3 and if white can avoid a double attack on the king and rook by the queen, I’m not seeing it right now, and even if he can, the passed black pawns are unstoppable.
What is interesting is that I have been on both ends of a position like this in the past. One that I have seen a few times is to have the queen playing the role of the rook at f1. There, you would just play Re1 pinning and winning the queen for a rook.
The white Queen is out of the game.
The white Rook is nailed.
Therefore…
1…Re6, with the idea
2…Rf6 and the black wins
Sweet greetings, Susan.
Stef
I think, we shouldn’t release the pin. How about
1. … Re6
2. axb6 Rf6
3. b7 Rxf2
4. b8Q Rxf1+
5. Kxf1 Re1#
That’s about the closest thing to a combination, that i can think of. greets, jan
I messed around with some direct tactical ideas but the slow play 1. … Re6 followed by 2. … Rf6 seems to be unstoppable.
I do not see any tactic, but 1…Re6 seems to win easily enough without the need for any tactics.
For example,
2. ab Rf6 3. b7 Rf6 x f2 etc.
Or 2. Bf3 Rxf2 3. Rxf2 Rf6 4. Kg2 Rxf3 5. Rxf3 Be4 etc.
Or 2. Bf3 Rxf2 3. Rxf2 Rf6 4. ab Rxf3 5. Qb2 Rxf2 6. Qxf2 Qc1 7. Qf1 Qb2 followed by the capture of the b-pawn (or 7. Kg2 Qb1 with the same result).