I feel like I am overlooking something simpler here, but I think white can get a solid edge by attacking the black queen with 1.Nd6. Black can’t play 1. …Rxd6 because 2.Qe7 followed by 3.Rc7 just about has to be mate in a few moves. I haven’t really looked at the alternatives other than just exchanging queens and knights:
1. Nd6 Rh4!?
2. Ne8 Re8 (any better?)
3. Rc7
And now black has a hanging pawn at c5 that is hard to deal with:
3. ………..c4 (might try 3. …d4 as a better option, but still comes out materially bad)
4. h3
Gives the king a hole and threatens 5.Rbb7. I think black will have to stop that….
4. ………..Rb8
After this, not sure what white should do. I wouldn’t exchange at b8, but it isn’t a bad option, either. Without putting this on a board, I am not sure how white should proceed, probably 5.Re1 is best.
Consider Qf2,…..it could lead to an exchange of knights and maybe improve White’s position in the game.
Maybe there’s a simpler solution but at the moment, I’d go with Qf2
This was the first move I thought about last night after I had discarded some of the more outlandish tries. I think 1. Qf2 is tenable, but I actually like some of the positions for black better than those for white. Nothing popped out to me. Problems like this, if indeed it is a problem like this, tactics without decisive material gains, are tough because such posed problems usually have decisive material gains, and when I don’t find it, I get that nagging feeling I am missing something. Still feel that way.
Black looks a lot better at first sight, the WQ is barely preventing the back rank Re1+ from turning into a mate in 2 and if White plays Qf2 then Black can play Na6 followed by Re2 and Rhe6, for instance 1.Qf2 Na6 (eliminating all of White’s mating attacks, especially Rxa7+ and Qxc5+ to allow Re2) 2.h3 Re2 3.Qf1 Rhe6 4.Kh2 Re1 5.Qe3 Qg8 threatening Qg3#
But can 1.Nd6 save the day?
1… Qh8 2.Rb8+ Qxb8 3.Rxb8+ Kxb8 4.Qd8#
1… Rxd6 2.Qe7 Rae6 3.Qxe8+ Rxe8 4.Rxc7 d4 and White can fight on in the endgame.
1… Rxh4 2.Nxe8 Rxe8 3.Rxc7 and White is much safer.
I’m afraid Nd6 is the best, and James Attewell’s lines above give White a superior endgame. I looked at one other idea, but it fails completely.
1) Rb8+ forces Qxb8
2) Rxb8+ forces Kxb8
3) Qd8+ forces Kb7, and now
4) a6+ invites a swindle; if … Nxa6, 5) Na5#. However, Black can still try other moves.
… Rxa6 preserves the mating threat on a1, and meanwhile, the White Knight is hanging. Thus, I’ll have to go with Nd6, cited above.
1. I agree that 1. Nd6 is best. 1… R:d6 2. Qe7 poses black many problems,
2… Q:e7 3. Rb8#
2…Qd8 3. R:c7 with a hellish attack (3…Q:e7 4.Rc8 is still mate)
2… Qh8 3. R:a7+ (a key idea that adds force to the attack in many variations) 3…K:a7 4. Q:c7+ and black is getting mated shortly.
2…Rb6 3. R:a7+ K:a7 4. Q:c7+ and white recovers the sacrificed R on his next turn with many threats.
So black must move the Q along the 8th rank.
1,,, Qh8 2. Rb8+ Q:b8 3. R:b8+ K:b8 4. Qd8# – this idea works wherever Black moves the Q along the 8th rank.
Black can also try 1…Re1+ but after 2. Q:e1 Q:e1+ 3. R:e1 R:d6 4. R:c7 black must guard his back rank, and While plays Ree7 to take control of the whole board.
I feel like I am overlooking something simpler here, but I think white can get a solid edge by attacking the black queen with 1.Nd6. Black can’t play 1. …Rxd6 because 2.Qe7 followed by 3.Rc7 just about has to be mate in a few moves. I haven’t really looked at the alternatives other than just exchanging queens and knights:
1. Nd6 Rh4!?
2. Ne8 Re8 (any better?)
3. Rc7
And now black has a hanging pawn at c5 that is hard to deal with:
3. ………..c4 (might try 3. …d4 as a better option, but still comes out materially bad)
4. h3
Gives the king a hole and threatens 5.Rbb7. I think black will have to stop that….
4. ………..Rb8
After this, not sure what white should do. I wouldn’t exchange at b8, but it isn’t a bad option, either. Without putting this on a board, I am not sure how white should proceed, probably 5.Re1 is best.
Consider Qf2,…..it could lead to an exchange of knights and maybe improve White’s position in the game.
Maybe there’s a simpler solution but at the moment, I’d go with Qf2
This was the first move I thought about last night after I had discarded some of the more outlandish tries. I think 1. Qf2 is tenable, but I actually like some of the positions for black better than those for white. Nothing popped out to me. Problems like this, if indeed it is a problem like this, tactics without decisive material gains, are tough because such posed problems usually have decisive material gains, and when I don’t find it, I get that nagging feeling I am missing something. Still feel that way.
Nd6 is actually a much better move as it attacks Black Queen And forces a break in the battery on the E rank…..???
Black looks a lot better at first sight, the WQ is barely preventing the back rank Re1+ from turning into a mate in 2 and if White plays Qf2 then Black can play Na6 followed by Re2 and Rhe6, for instance 1.Qf2 Na6 (eliminating all of White’s mating attacks, especially Rxa7+ and Qxc5+ to allow Re2) 2.h3 Re2 3.Qf1 Rhe6 4.Kh2 Re1 5.Qe3 Qg8 threatening Qg3#
But can 1.Nd6 save the day?
1… Qh8 2.Rb8+ Qxb8 3.Rxb8+ Kxb8 4.Qd8#
1… Rxd6 2.Qe7 Rae6 3.Qxe8+ Rxe8 4.Rxc7 d4 and White can fight on in the endgame.
1… Rxh4 2.Nxe8 Rxe8 3.Rxc7 and White is much safer.
Agreed……I tried it on the board, Nd6 is the better move ???
As Craig points out below 1.Rxd6 2.Qe7 Rae6 3.Rxa7+ Kxa7 4.Qxc7+ followed by Qb7#
I’m afraid Nd6 is the best, and James Attewell’s lines above give White a superior endgame. I looked at one other idea, but it fails completely.
1) Rb8+ forces Qxb8
2) Rxb8+ forces Kxb8
3) Qd8+ forces Kb7, and now
4) a6+ invites a swindle; if … Nxa6, 5) Na5#. However, Black can still try other moves.
… Rxa6 preserves the mating threat on a1, and meanwhile, the White Knight is hanging. Thus, I’ll have to go with Nd6, cited above.
1. I agree that 1. Nd6 is best. 1… R:d6 2. Qe7 poses black many problems,
2… Q:e7 3. Rb8#
2…Qd8 3. R:c7 with a hellish attack (3…Q:e7 4.Rc8 is still mate)
2… Qh8 3. R:a7+ (a key idea that adds force to the attack in many variations) 3…K:a7 4. Q:c7+ and black is getting mated shortly.
2…Rb6 3. R:a7+ K:a7 4. Q:c7+ and white recovers the sacrificed R on his next turn with many threats.
So black must move the Q along the 8th rank.
1,,, Qh8 2. Rb8+ Q:b8 3. R:b8+ K:b8 4. Qd8# – this idea works wherever Black moves the Q along the 8th rank.
Black can also try 1…Re1+ but after 2. Q:e1 Q:e1+ 3. R:e1 R:d6 4. R:c7 black must guard his back rank, and While plays Ree7 to take control of the whole board.
1)Nd6 Rxd6 2) De7 ! and I think white win
Moderation yourself it is game of truth …I SAID THE TRUTH