White to move. How should White proceed?
8/8/8/3Bk1B1/8/2p5/1pr5/R2K4 w – – 0 1
Dolgov 1974
Daily Chess Improvement: Classic Chess Tactic!
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White to move. How should White proceed?
8/8/8/3Bk1B1/8/2p5/1pr5/R2K4 w – – 0 1
Dolgov 1974
1f4 kf5 2Be6 kf6 3Bg5 kg6 4Bf7 kg7 5Bh6 kh7 6kg7 kh8 bg7 now kXb Rook ch and king takes Rook. Win
Based on a single simple theme but very witty. White needs to give checks
with Bishops in order to expose the Black King nd to allow the Rook escape
from a1 with a check and hence have time to capture the Black Rook.
Black, in turn has to hide behind Bishops in order to escape such “a” file checks.
Pushing the King down the board with Bf6+ does not work because in one
moment the King may be able to defend the Rook. Eg 1. Bf6+ Kf5 2. Be4+
(2. Be6+ Kxf6 and wins) 2… Kf4 3. Bg5+ Kxe4 4. Ra4+ Kd3 draws (5. Rd4+ Kxd4
6. Kxc2 draw)
So te main line is pushing the Black King up the board and when the board
ends the King cannot escape a Rook ckeck. 1. Bf4+ Kf5 2. Be6+ Kf6 3. Bg5+ Kg6
4. Bf7+ Kg7 5. Bh6+ Kh7 6. Bg8+ Kh8 7. Bg7+ and there is no escape anymore.
7… Kxg8 8. Ra8+ Kxg7 9. Kxc2 wins.
There are some sidelines but they follow the same theme and lead to the main line.
Eg. 1. Bf4+ Kf5 2. Be6+ Kg6 3. Bf7+ Kh7 4. Bg8+ Kh8 5. Be5+ wins.
There are some traps in the meantime, of course. Eg. 1. Bf4+ Kf5 2. Be6+ Kg6
3. Bf5+? Kh5 4. Bg6+ Kh4 5. Bg5+ Kg4 6. Bf5+ Kf3 7. Bg4+ Kg2 finally escaping
from Bishop checks (eg. 8. Bf3+ Kxf3) and either winning or drawing, eg.
8. Rb1 Rf2 winning with the c3-c2+ threat.
There are numerous similar variations in the middle: real fun to analyze!