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1. Qb8+ Rxb8 2. Rxb8+ Rf8 (A. 2. … Kg7 3. Rg8#; B. 2. … Qf8 3. Bxe5 Qxb8 4. Bxe5#) 3. Bxe5+ Qg7 4. Rxf8#
White has to check, else black will checkmate almost instantaneously
So, the possibilities are:
1.Qb8+Rxb8
2.Rxb8+Kg7
3.Rg8#
or
1.Qb8+Qf8
2.Qxf8+Rfxf8
3.Bxe5+Rf6
4.Bxf6#
or
1.Qb8+Rxb8
2.Rxb8+Rf8
3.Rxf8+Qxf8
4.Bxe5+Qf6
5.Bxf6#
May be other variations, but white seems to always win?!
1. Bxe5 is the first move that comes to my mind. White can win the exchange back, but is that enough?
1. … Nf4+
2. Kg1 Qg5
3. Qb2 (protects g2) Kg7 and White will sooner or later be forced to take on f6, while Black keeps three pawns plus.
Fortunately, White has a better plan:
1. Qb8+! Qf8
Alternatives:
A
1. … Rf8
2. Bxe5+ Qg7
3. Bxg7+ Kxg7
4. Qxc7+ and 5. gxh3 does not look desirable.
B
1. … Rxb8
2. Rxb8+ Qf8 (Rf8 3.Bxe5+ Qg7 4.Rxf8#)
3. Rxf8+ Rxf8
4. Bxe5+ Rf6
5. Bxf6#
C
1. … Kg7
2. Qc7+ Kf8 (Kh8 3.Rb8+ Rxb8 4.Qxb8 Qf8 (Rf8 5.Bxe5+ +-; Kg7 5.Qg8#) 5.Bxe5 +- (Qxb8 6.Bxf6#; Kg7 6.Qxf8+ Kxf8 7.Bxf6 +-))
3. Rb8+ Rxb8
4. Qxb8+ Ke7 (Kg7 5.Qg8#)
5. Qxe5+ Kd7 (Kd8/f8 6.Qxf6+ with check +-)
6. Qxf6 +-
2. Bxe5 Kg7
2. … Rxb8 (Qxb8 3.Bxf6#)
3. Rxb8 Kg7 (Qxb8 4.Bxf6#)
4. Rxf8 Kxf8
5. Bxf6 +-
3. Qxf8+ Raxf8
3. … Kxf8
4. Bxf6 Nf4
5. g4 g5 (the knight needs a sage square)
6. Bxg5 Ng6
7. f4 +- White is a piece up and the two connected passed pawns make the day.
4. gxh3 White is a piece up and has time to protect f3; Pawn e5 will become strong soon, while the black queenside-pawns are difficult to protect.
+-
Bxe5 looks very strong!
White stands better, cause with Qb8! he demolishes black.
I notice that black has an attack, but not quite good looking, like Nf2+?? Kg1 Nh3+ (Qh1+ Kxf2) gxh3.
His attack is much better if i play gxh3 now, so I avoid this.
I play:
1. Bxe5! Kg7 (what else to avoid loosing full rook or quality + knight?)
2. Qb7! Rf8 (what else?)
3. Qxc7+
I don’t think black can save this, other moves also seem to drop full rook somehow and white is up with a piece for a pawn or so.
I notice that black has an attack, but not quite good looking, like Nf2+?? Kg1 Nh3+ (Qh1+ Kxf2) gxh3.
His attack is much better if i play gxh3 now, so I avoid this.
I play:
1. Bxe5! Kg7 (what else to avoid loosing full rook or quality + knight?)
2. Qb7! Rf8 (what else?)
3. Qxc7+
I don’t think black can save this, other moves also seem to drop full rook somehow and white is up with a piece for a pawn or so.
Qb8 mates
I think most people are going to look at Bxe5 first, I know I did, but it doesn’t quite provide a win:
1. Be5 Nf4!
Neither Nf2 nor Ng5 look as good for black. Continuing:
2. Kg1 Qg5 (what better?)
3. Qb2
It was here that first realized what white’s best first move was- I wanted to play 3.Qb8 here followed by 4.Rb8 and 5.Rg8, but the black king can escape to h6 in that line. In any case, 3.Qb2 looks most promising of white’s options here, it guards g2 and it threatens to win a rook outright:
3. …..Rf8
And I am going to stop here. White can either grab the a-pawn with Ra1 here, or go ahead and win back the exchange at f6, but neither look like winning lines to me. Let’s just move on the right beginning:
1. Qb8! Rb8? (alternatives follow)
2. Rb8 Qf8
If black plays 2. …Rf8, white mates with 3.Be5 and 4.Rxf8. If black plays 2. …Kg7, white plays 3.Rg8 with mate (the queen blocks the escape to h6). Continuing:
3. Rf8 Kg7 (Rf8 4.Be5+-)
4. Rg8 Kh6
5. Be5 and black is down a piece for two pawns and must lose another piece unless I am overlooking some miracle save here.
At move 1 in this line, black must not take the queen at b8, but he still loses:
1. Qb8 Kg7
2. Qc7! Kf8
If black plays Kh8, white just plays 3.Rb8 with mate to follow. If black plays Rf7, white can just take the rook with the queen and mate after Bxe5 and Qxg7. Continuing:
3. Rb8 Rb8
4. Qb8 Ke7
5. Qc7 Ke8 (Kf8 6.Qd8 Kg7 7.Qg8)
6. Qe5 Kd7
7. Qf6 with an easy win.
Or, at move 1:
1. Qb8 Rf8
2. Be5 Qg7
3. Qc7 and this has to lead to mate, and even if it doesn’t, it wins massive material for white.
Finally, for black at move 1, the best defense seems to me to block the check with the queen:
1. Qb8 Qf8
2. Be5! Rb8 (Kg7 3.Qc7+-)
3. Rb8 Kg7 (Qb8 4.Bf6#)
4. Rf8 Kf8
5. Bf6 Nf4
6. Be5 with a fairly easily won ending.