White to move. Is this a win or draw? Try not to check with your computer please 🙂
k3r2q/P1Q5/8/1K6/8/8/8/6R1 w – – 0 1
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In such ‘heavy’ positions usually/often the fact decides whose turn is it as there are often ways to mate the opponent.
Black seems to control all important squares and pawn on a7 doesn’t help at all.
My first idea is to play 1. Qc6+, Kxa7 2. Qa6+, Kb8 3. Rb1! (e.g. 3. -, Qh7 4. Rb5)
After 3. -, Kc7 4. Qa7+ should decide (but at that late hour I feel too tired to calculate out if 4. -, Kd6 5. Rd1+ mates or not).
Perhaps there is a much stronger move but that’s my first idea at the moment.
Good night. 🙂
Jochen
If the major pieces are off then it should be a draw, so White needs to mate quickly and not allow Black to start checking.
1. Qc6+ Kxa7
2. Qc7 Ka8
3. Qa5+ Kb8
The rook can come in now.
4. Rb1+ Kc8
5. Qa6+ Kd8
if Kc7 or Kd7 then Rb7+ followed by Qa8 mate.
6. Qd6+ Kc8
7. Rb8 mate.
1.Qc6+, Kxa7
2.Qa6+, Kb8
3.Qb6+, Ka8
4.Ka6 (No check by black), and will have to defend Rb1+ on move6 and mate on move 5 on second rank, only move is 4…Qh7, then,
5.Qc6+ and taking the e8 rook is sure win for white.
1. Qc6+ Kxa7
2. Qc7 Ka8
3. Qa5+ Kb8
The rook can come in now.
4. Rb1+ Kc8
Something’s not right here — 4.Rb1 isn’t a check, and 4…Qh7 (instead of 4…Kc8) looks like it might hang on for a while.
jochen is right, though 4. Qa7 looks dubious. I prefer 4. Qc6+, kd8 (4. … Kb8, 5. Ka6#), 5. Rd1+, Ke7 6. Rd7+ Kf8 7. Qf3+ Kg8 8. Qf7#
1. Qc6, Kxa7 2. Qb6+ Ka8 3. Ka6
The threats are 4. Qb7#, 4. Qa7# and 4. Qf3 followed by 5. Rb1#
The only move to stop all these threats is 3. … Qh7 which leaves the rook unprotected and dead after 4. Qf3+
Well 3. … Re6 stops them as well and might be worth considering if after 4. Qxe6 the square c8 was available to black to check from.
Doh!
In the above Qf3 Should be Qc6.
1.Qc6+ Kxa7
(2.Qa6+ Kb8 not necessary)
2.Qb6+ Ka8
3.Ka6 Qh7
4.Rd1 Qc7
5.Qxc7 Re6+
6.Qd6 Rxd6
7.Rxd6 Kb8
8.Rc6 Ka8
9.Rc8#
or
4.Qc6+ Kb8
5.Qxe8+ Kc7
6.Rc1+ Qc2
7.Rxc2+ Kd6
8.Rd2+ Kc7 (Kc5 9.Qb5#)
9.Qd8+ Kc6
10.Qc8#