White to move. Can white win this?
Source: ChessToday.net
- About Us
- Chess Improvement
- Chess Puzzles
- Chess Research
- College Chess
- General News
- Home
- Major Tournaments
- News
- Polgar Events
- Privacy Policy
- Scholastic Chess
- SPICE / Webster
- Susan’s Personal Blog
- Track your order
- USA Chess
- Videos
- Women’s Chess
- Contact Us
- Daily News
- My Account
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
One route to white victory.
Rg7+, Bxg7
hxg7 with the pawn advancing
Kxh6 does that in.
How about
Rg8?, Rxg8
Nxg8 with a win for White.
But what if:
Rg8, Rb6 or Rb7?
Ideas?
1. Rg8(?) Rxg8
2. Nxg8 Bg7 is not an easy win since 3.hxg7 is stalemate. But what else can White do?
3. Ne7 Bxh6 should draw.
1.Rg7+ Bxg7
2.hxg7 Rg8
Now what should white do? 3.Nxg8 is stalemate.Else there is no way to protect g pawn.
ng6
if … kh6, nh8 wins
if … rb7, ke6 …
Wow, another tough puzzle I have no memory nor notes of. Right now, I am leaning towards 1.Rg6 as the only hope, though the most obvious continuation leads to a fairly familiar draw where white has a two pawn edge, but no win. I am still working on yesterday’s puzzle!
1.Rg8 Rxg8
2.Ng8 Bg7
3.Ke8
yes!
No- still drawish- Black replies with 3. …Bh8 rather than the anticipated 3. …Bh6:
3. ……….Bh8
4. Ne7
Or if Kf8/f7, black again plays Bg7 with the same stalemate if white takes the bishop. Continuing:
4. ………..Kh6
And rather than beat myself silly, Nalimov confirms this is drawn.
Its a draw
I think winning plan must be to get the R to 8th rank driving away black R and playing N to g6.Checks by black R can be exhausted by moving K on 6th and 7th ranks moving closer to the R.
1.Rc2 Rb8
2.Rc8 Rb7
(2…. Rb53.Rg8 Rb2 4.Rg7+ Kxh6 5.Ng8+ Kh5 6.Rg6 Rb6 7.Ne7 Rb8 8.Rg8)
3.Ke6 Ra7 4.Ng6 Ra6+ 5.Kd7 Kxh6 6.Rxh8+ Kg5 7.Ne7
can not say the moves are forced.
This is thinking along the right path, though black’s rook is already on b8, so the first move for black has to be meant as, perhaps, Rd8?
1. Rc2 Rd8
2. Rc8 Rd7 (nothing better, I think)
3. Ke6 Rb7
4. Ng6
Black definitely has a problem now. The rook checks on the 6th/7th rank won’t help since white can now walk the rook down with the mate threat hanging over the black king. So, black must concede the bishop:
4. ……….Kh6
5. Rh8 Kg5 (is Kg7 better? I am just not sure it is or isn’t)
Now, black is threatening Rb6 winning the last white pawn, so…
6. Ne7
I don’t see how Nh4 is stronger, and can make a good arguement it is weaker. Continuing:
6. ………..Rb6 (any better?)
7. Kf7 Rd6 (holding the guard on f6)
8. Rg8 Kf4
9. Kg6 Ke5
10.Rc8 Ra6
11.Rc6 Ra1
12.Rf6 and Nalimov confirms this as a white win, as should be obvious on visual examination.
Of course, there are deep variations on every move after about 5 that I have not even really looked at.
OK
1 nq5 rb7+ (or … kh6, rg6+)
2 ke6 followed by nf6+
Bill,
I looked at a line that gives rise to somewhat similar position (where white actually has h6 protected by the rook!), and it is a fairly trivial and well known drawn rook ending. For the proposed 1.Nd5 the line will be:
1. Nd5 Rb7
2. Ke6 Ra7
3. Nf6 Bf6!
4. Kf6 Ra6 with a drawn ending.
I think this works:
ng6 rb7+
ke6 rb6+
kd5 rb4 (the first plan: get the king to h5.)
rh2 ra4
nf8+ kg8
ne6 …. (the rook stays on the 4th rank to prevent the white king reaching h5
but now h7 will force the king to f7 when rb2 follows … )
…. kh7
rn2 and wins
I can’t really say much about the line overall, but after white has played the knight to e6, what prevents black from simply returning the king to h7?