White to move.
B7/4K3/6r1/7k/7p/4B3/8/8 w – – 0 3
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1. Bf3+ Rg4 2. Kf6 h3 3. Bg5 h2 4. Kf5 h1=Q 5. Bxg4#
Puzzles for Alena, or any who wish to try them:
8/5k2/1p4R1/p4p1P/P7/1P4p1/5bP1/7K w How should white proceed?
1nkrr3/3q2p1/1R2Q3/3P1p2/p3p3/1pP4p/1K6/3RB3 w How should white proceed?
6k1/3q3p/2r3pP/p2p4/1p1Q1P2/n3RN2/P1p2PP1/6K1 w How should white proceed?
8/6k1/1p3p2/3B1K2/P4PPb/8/6P1/8 w How should white proceed?
Here is the solution for the first puzzle.
1. Rg5 Kf6
2. Rg8 Kf7
3. Rg6 f4
4. Rg4 Be3
5. h6 f3
6. gxf3 Bxh6
7. Kg2 Kf6
8. Kxg3 Kf5
9. f4 Bf8
It’s a winning position for white
This one looks fine at a glance. You got the main idea which was the maneuver to make black move from the starting position rather than white. A very pretty example of zugzwang, don’t you think?
Yes, it’s a very pretty example of zugzwang but it’s difficult to notice.
Here is the solution for the second puzzle.
1. Bg3 Qxe6
2. Rxb8+ Kd7
3. dxe6+ Kxe6
4. Rdxd8 Rxd8
5. Rxd8 Ke7
6. Rh8 e3
7. Rxh3 g5
8. Rh5 Kf6
9. Rh6+ Kf7
10. Ra6 a3+
11. Kxb3 a2
12. Kxa2 Kg7
13. Kb3 f4
14. Bxf4 gxf4
15. Kc2 f3
16. Kd3 e2
17. Ra1
It’s a winning position for white
This one also looks ok to me.
Here is the solution for the third puzzle.
1. Re8+ Kf7
2. Re1 Kg8
3. Re8+ Kf7
4. Re1 Kg8
5. Re8+
It’s a draw
Look again. It might be a draw (I think white wins, but never fully proved it), but you haven’t found the best line for white here which will give white a chance to win- the best line definitely gives white the upper hand.
1. Re8+ Kf7 2. Rh8 looks right – when White finally gets to play R:h7+ the black K has to go back to g8 to avoid mating threats.
2…c1Q+ 3. Kh2 Qc3 – other moves appear to either get mated or allow the X-ray attack on the Q by 4. R:h7+ and now the h-pawn becomes another Q as below in what I think is the main line.
4. R:h7+ Kg8 (4…Ke8 5. R:d7 Q:d4 6. N:d4 K:d7 7. N:c6 and the h-pawn promotes in time to stop the black pawns)
5. R:d7 Q:d4 6. N:d4 and White’s advantage is obvious with the Nd4 holding the black pawns and the powerful h-pawn.
There’s another amusing idea after 1. Re8+ Kf7 2. Rh8 c1Q+ 3. Kh2 Qc3 4. R:h7+ Ke8 5. R:d7 K:d7 6. Ne5+ Ke6 7. N:c6 guarding the Q yet again. 7…Q:d4 looks necessary, when 8. N:d4+ Kf6 9. g4 and there will be time to protect the h-pawn from g5. Winning this position will be tedious but I doubt that Black has any chances.
It is difficult to find 2.Rh8 because every fiber in a chess player’s body says that allowing black to queen with check just has to be bad. I know because I couldn’t find this move the first time this puzzle was posted here. I eventually went pretty deep on the position once another commenter pointed me in the right direction, and I think white ends up with a winning N+P vs N ending at the very worst.
I think CraigB solved it correctly. I saw Rh8 yesterday but I didn’t analaze it deeply.
In any case, the first move is correct.
Here is the solution for the fourth puzzle.
1. g5 fxg5
2. Kg4 Bf2
3. Kxg5 Bd4
4. g4 Be3
5. Kf5 Kf8
6. g5 Ke7
7. Kg4 Bc5
8. Bc4 Kd6
9. Kh5 Bd4
10. Kg6 Be3
11. f5 Kc5
12. Ba2 Kb4
13. f6 Bd4
14. f7 Bc5
15. Kg7 b5
16. axb5 Kxb5
17. f8=Q
It’s a winning position for white.