White to move. Can you find the winning plan?
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1) R:d5; e:d5 – 2) e6…take Q or mate…..Qg7#
Yes, 1.Rd5 suggests itself immediately since black can’t recapture at d5 without allowing 2.e6 with a deadly double attack on the black queen and the g7 pawn. So, black must try something else:
1. Rd5 h5 (to divert the white queen from the g-file)
2. Qh5!
Yes, white can retreat to g3 with the same threat as before, but actually can take this pawn since the rook is still poison at d5:
2. ………..ed5?
3. Qf7! Kh8/h7
4. e6! and mate or loss of the queen will follow.
Or:
1. Rd5 f5
2. ef6! Bf6
3. Bf6 ed5
4. Nf5 with a decisive edge.
And, finally:
1. Rd5 Bd6
2. Rd6 wins the bishop outright.
Yancey,
1.Rxd5 h5 2.Qxh5 g6 may be a nuisance.
3.Qh6 holding control on g7 may be offset by 3…. Bf8 but 4.Qh3 or 3.Qh3 restores the same threats as at move 1.
I think 3.Qh6 is just fine. Black will never have the chance to successfully take the rook at d5 since the main idea behind the original plan is just as successfully implemented by having the queen eye h8 as on g7 with movement of black’s g-pawn.
I think very differently, that it’s 1.Ng5, and when black takes with 1…Bxg5, we have 2.Rg3 and we have threats against the K. Even though mate is still avoidable, the K would, more then likely, become exposed.
Joseph,
1. Ng5?! Bg5 (unsure what black should do)
2. Rg3? Bh6
And now what for white? If white tries to pressure the bishop with 3.Rh3, black unpins the g-pawn with Kf8 or Kh8. White maintains some pressure with 2.Qxg5, but materially it is even.
I agree, Yance Ward, and what it means is that I need more time to study the moves that would appear best. That is, one of the moves up there. The problem is that, these days, to help become second nature sooner, and solve the weakness that I have which is that it takes longer then average to remember things, from working to long term memory, I learned that studying variations is the way to do that. But, one must know their limits and when it’s too much. I believe that I have exceeded some of them since there is a little cramming, which is also how I tend to get the wrong answer.
I think it is, in fact, 1.Rxd5, and if black takes back, white would have mating sequence.