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1. ..Qxf1+!!
2. Kxf1 Bh3+
3. Kg1 (Ke1 Nf3#) Nf3+
4. exf3 Re1#
1…Nf3+ 2.gxf3 Qxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Bh3+ 4.Kg1 Re1 mate !
or 2.Kg2 Qxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Bh3 mate !
er… the my last comment fails to Kh1 😛
This works.
1..Nf3+
If 2. Kg2
2. ..Qxf1
3. Kxf1 Bh3#
If 2.exf3
2. ..Qxf1
3. Kxf1 Bh3+
4. Kg1 Re1#
1… Nf3+! mates in four.
2.exf3 Qxf1+!
3.Kxf1 Bh3+
4.Kg1 Re1#
2.Kg2 Qxf1+
3.Kxf1 Bh3#
3.Kh1 Qxf1#
Very nice played by Timman!
Black can force mate:
1…. Nf3+
And now if 2. exf3 Qxf1+ 3. Kxf1 Bh3 4. Kg1 Re1#
Or if 2. Kg2 Qxf1+ 3. Kxf1 Bh3#
Lucy
1…Nf3+ 2.exNf3 (if 2.Kg2 QxBf1+ 3.KxQf1 Bh3++; if 2.Kh1 QxBf1++) QxBf1+ 3. KxQf1 Bh3+ 4.Kg1 Re1++
..Knight f3!!
exKnight – Queen x Bishop f1 !
King x Queen – Bishop h3+
King b1 – Rook e1++
1… Nf3+!
2. exf3 Qxf1+!!
3. Kxf1 Bh3+
4. Kg1 Re1#
1…. Nf3+! followed by the queen sacrifice forces mate.
Looks like White is toast.
1…Nf3+
If 2. Kg2 3.Qxf1+!! Kxf1 4.Bh3#
If 2. exf3 3.Qxf1+! Kxf1 4.Bh3+ Kg1
5.Re1#
1…Nf3+! 2.gxf3 (2.Kg2 Qxf1+!! 3.Kxf1 Bh3#) Qxf1+! 4.Kxf1 Bh3+ 5.Kg1 Re1#
1.Nf3+
If 2.Kg2 Qxf1+!! 3.Kxf1 Bh3#
If 2.Kh1 Qxf1#
If 2.exf3 Qxf1+! 3.Kxf1 Bh3+ 4.Kg1 Re1#
1. .. Nf3+
2. exf3 Qxf1+
3. Kxf1 Bh3+
4. Kg1 Re1#
The first move I would look at is
1. …..Be2
2. Nc3
(only move I see)
And, here, I really, really wanted to play
2. …..Qf2
3. Kf2 but could find no continuation for black that wins or draws since neither of the knight checks (Nd3 or Ng4) succeeds against Kg1. The only other alternatives I see at move 2 for black in this line are better, but one still looks losing and the other looks drawish:
Option with 2. …Qb1
2. …..Qb1
3. Nb1 Nf3 (what else?)
4. Kg2! Ne1 (again, what else?)
5. Kh1! Bf1 (only move I see)
6. Qd7 Kf8 (nothing much better)
7. Qb7 and the discordination of black’s pieces (e1 taken up by the wrong piece!) gives white time to consolidate his advantage, which looks decisive to me, though I haven’t carried this line any further. Black’s king can be checked bringing the queen to the white king’s defense with tempo in hand. Interesting in this line is that white’s 4th move is key- if he plays
4. Kh1? Bf1
5. Nd2
This move is almost forced(Na3 looks ok too) as anything else allows Re1 giving black a decisive edge.
5. …..Nd2
6. Qd7 Re2 (only move IMO)
7. Qd8 Kf7
8. Qd7 Kg6 (Kf8 9.Qd8=)
9. Qg4 with a perpetual check draw.
Option 2 with 2. ….Nf3:
2. …..Nf3
3. Kg2!
Must protect f2! Continuing:
3. …..Bf1
4. Kf3
And I spent 30 minutes looking at every possible line (a bit of an exaggeration, but not much of one) and found no way to continue the attack, and lots of ways to leave white with potentially decisive advantages. Best for black is to just take the perpetual with
4. …..Be2
5. Kg2 Bf1=
Of course, 5. Kf4?? needs no discussion, nor should 5. Ne2.
So, I was left with a busted line. Continued in my next comment.
So, with my initially favored Be2 showing a draw at best for black, I took a look at the second most obvious move, and found
1. …..Nf3
And there are only 3 moves for white, and they are all forced mates:
2. Kh1 Qf1#
Or
2. Kg2 Qf1!
3. Kf1 Bh3# (pretty)
And, finally,
2. ef3 Qf1 again!
3. Kf1 Bh3
4. Kg2 Re1#
I, of course, overlooked, in my initial decision process of what first moves to prioritize, this last line sacrificing the queen at f1, and went for 1. ….Be2 for my first complete analysis. Sigh.
This try is too brutal to work…
1. … Qxf1+ (sac a queen for a piece)
2. Kxf1 (forced) Bh3+
3. Kg1 (3. Ke1 Nf3#) Nf3+ (then give back the piece)
4. exf3? Re1#
… and indeed it fails to 4. Kh1!
So let’s keep it simple – how about
1. … Bh3 (threat 2. … Qxf1#)
2. Ne3 just drops the Rook to Qxb1 and the attack continues. Let’s look at:
2. Nc3
Now the mating idea goes further:
2. … Nf3+
White can choose between Kh1 or exf3:
3. Kh1 Qxf2 and the threats of Qxh2# and Bxf1 look very strong.
3. exf3 Qxb1
4. Nxb1 Re1
5. Nd2! holds – darn
Well, let’s try being brutal-er still.
1. … Bh3
2. Nc3 Qxf2+ (damn the torpedos!)
3. Kh1 Bxf1 is going down without a fight… let’s check out
3. Kxf2 Ng4+
4. Kg1
Nuts.
OK, let’s keep it simple but try the other direction.
1. … Bxe2
This looks better already. It opens the e-file, threatens mate on f1, and removes the guard on the f3 square for the Knight. Why didn’t I see this before? 2. Kg2 Qf1# is still mate so Nc3 and Ne3 are the only candidate defenses; Ne3 still just drops the Rook; so let’s see how we fare after
2. Nc3
Hmmm… I’m getting a crazy idea…
2. … Nf3+ and White has two legal moves:
3. Kg2 collapses quickly to
3. … Bxf1+
4. Kxf3 (4. Kh1 Qxf2) Qe3+
5. Kg4 h5+
6. Kxh5, (or Kf5, or Kh4) Qg5#
3. Kh1 loses more prosaically to
3. … Qxf2 and now
4. Bg2 Bh3
5. Rg1 Qxg1#
or
4. g4 Bxf1
5. Qg3 Qxg3
6. hxg3 Ba6
and Black is up a piece.
Susan, I am just wondering if you will be covering the SPNI on your blog. I hope it will be a great event! Many thanks.
-Tim
Black forces mate with
1…Qxf1+
2.Kxf1 B-h3+
3.K-g1 Nf3+
4.exf3 R-e1++
If 3.K-e1 Nf3++
…..nf3
kg2 qxf1
bh3#
…..nf3
exf3 qxf1
bh3+
re1#
Deep,Dark&Dummy says N-f3+ and QxB+
took me a long time….but i think i have found it now.
Black plays Nd3
White cannot take the knight, since then Qxf1 followed by Bh3 and Re1 mates.
White cannot move the knight…else
Qxf2+ followed by Qf1 mates.
So what can white play?
Qb6 seems to be the only choice.
Black then responds by Rxe2!
after this white won’t be able to hold his f2 pawn and black should win from here.
Let me know if I’m missing anything.
ok …just to add to my previous post.
If white responds to Nd3 with e3, black plays Bh3 threatening Qf1 mate.
1–Nf3+, is forced mate. If 2.Kg2 Qxf1 3. Bh3# The other mating variations are easy to see.
1–Qxf1?? does not work.
2.Kxf1 B-h3+ 3.K-g1 Nf3+ 4.Kh1 and white wins
Black should play Nf3 ck first, as follows:
1….. Nf3+
2. exf3 Qxf1+
3. Kxf1 Bh3+
4. Kg1 Re1+ mate
Tommy K. says:
1. …Nf3+ !!
This move leads to a forced mate.
2. Kh1 Qxf1#
2. Kg2 Qxf1+
3. Kxf1 Bh3#
2. exf3 Qxf1+
3. Kxf1 Bh3#
as the rook now cavers the e-file.
1… Nf3+ 2.exf3 Qxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Bh3+ 4.Kg1 Re1 checkmate as many people have pointed out 1… Qxf1+ 2.Kxf1 Nf3+ fails to 3.Kh1
Hi Susan Polgar,
As Usual brainy minds had discussed the best possible moves : (Nf3),nothing much to add.
By
Venky[Chennai – India]