White to move. How should White proceed? Please, no computer lines.
2r3k1/2q2ppp/5n2/5Q2/2pPb3/2P3R1/3BB1PP/6K1 w – – 0 1
This was an actual game.
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1 Rg7 Kg7
2 Qf6 Bg6
3 g4 Qf4
4 h4 Qc1
5 Kg2 black helpless against the g5 threat
1 Rg7 Kg7
2 Bh6 Kh6
3 Qf6 Bg6
4 g4 Qf4
5 h4 Qc1
6 Kg2 black helpless against the g5 threat
oops
1 Rg7 Kg7
2 Bh6 Kh6
3 Qf6 Bg6
4 g4 Qf4
5 h4 Qc1
6 Kg2 black helpless against the g5 threat
1) Rxg7+ seems to work. Obviously, if 1) … Kxg7, 2) Bh6 leads to mate rather directly, while after 1) … Kh8, 2) Qxf6+ leads to mate on the next.
1) … Kf8 still looks rather bleak. 2) Qxf6 with threats like Bh6 should enable White to simplify easily enough, and lines with forced exchanges of Queens and/or Rooks are easy to spot — e.g., 2) … Bg6, 3) Bh6, Ke8, 4) Rg8+ and 5) Rxc8; etc. White should be at least a piece and a pawn ahead.
The one “trap” is the nice-looking 1) Qxf6, which fails after 1) …. Qxg3, threatening mate on g2.
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7
2. Bh6+ Kxh6
3. Qxf6+ Bg6
4. g4 Qa5
5. h4 Rc5
Here is a critical position and I need to think further
I remember this puzzle very well- it was posted here in late December of 2009- my notes are from December 27th of that year, but I have a notation that says the puzzle was from at least 3 days before that- I had been traveling and had missed it the day it was posted- I have a lot notes from commenters who attempted a solution, most particularly a commenter named Jochen who was a frequent and valuable one who stopped sometime during the last 7 years.
Alena is on the right track here, and she is right- the position after 5. ….Rc5 is critical since white can’t take at c5 due to 6. …Qxc5 with check and the white king will never escape the checks since black doesn’t care to lose the queen due to the stalemate problem
In Alena’s position after 5…Rc5, I think the right idea is to threaten to transfer the Q to f8; without the pawn on f7, Qf8+ right now would be mate. The easiest way to do this is 6. Qh8. Black is forced to move the B to create a flight square for the K, then 7. Qf8+ and 8. Q:c5 establishes a won ending because of the threat of 9. Qg5#.
Yes, after the queens are exchanged at c5, the resulting ending is won for white. 7 years ago, for my notes, I put together this analysis of the ending:
1. Rg7! Kg7
2. Bh6! Kh6
3. Qf6 Bg6
4. g4 Qa5
5. h4 Rc5
6. Qh8! Be4 (best of the bishop moves)
7. Qf8 Kg6
8. Qc5 Qc5
9. dc5 Bd5 (this or concede the c-pawn)
10. Kf2
White prepares to take control of the long diagonal of h1-a8, and threatening Ke3 and Kd4 doubling the attack on the remaining black queenside pawn plus threatening the support the forward c-pawn’s advance with the king. Continuing:
10. ………..Kf6
It will do black no good to advance the kingside pawns in an attempt to liquidate them, or liquidate one and attacking the remaining pawn since white will simply play 11.g5 in response to 10. ….f5- all black will have accomplished is making the f-pawn a more inviting target for white since a later f4 is met with Bf3 followed by Be4+ and Kf3. Continuing:
11. Bf3 Be6
Here, black can’t really defy white with 11. ….Ke5 since white, if he wants, can simply exchange the bishops here: [11. ….Ke5 12.Bd5 Kd5 13.Ke3 Ke5 14.c6 Kd6 15.Kd4 with an easy win from here]. Continuing with the main line:
12. Ke3 Ke5
13. g5 Bf5
14. c6
And now black is forced to either keep the bishop on the h3-c8 diagonal, or retreat the king, neither which can hold…..
14. …………Kd6 (Be6 15.Be4 etc)
15. Kd4 Bd3
16. Bd5 Bg6
17. Kc4 and rest should be easy for even a beginning player to work out.
Totally agreed with you. 7, Qh8 Be4 8. Qf8+ is winning.