White to move. Win, lose, or draw?
Daily Chess Improvement: Must Know Endgame!
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White to move. Win, lose, or draw?
1. Kc6! a5, 2. Kb5 a4, 3. Kxa4 Kf4, 4. c4 Ke5, 5. Kb5 Kd6, 6. Kb6 Kd7, 7. c5 Kc8, 8. Kc6! and White wins because White outflanks Black.
1. Kc6! (only move for a win) Kf4, 2. c4 Ke5, 3. c5 a5, 4. Kb5 a4, 5. Kxa4 Ke6, 6. Kb5 Kd7, 7. Kb6! (not 7. c6+?? Kc7! draw) Kc8, 8. Kc6! and White wins!
Alena,
Are still struggling with the Rybininin problem?
Yes, Yancey and I have already reached a few draws in different ways. The problem is very tough for me. I hadn’t any ideas how to solve it so far.
The first move is 1.Ra3.
At last I got it. I guessed the first move by myself. I was stuck with the fourth move in the second variation.
Here is the solution for this puzzle. The first variation isn’t strong for black.
V-1
1. Ra3 Rc6
2. Rh3 Ng6
3. Re3 c1=Q
4. Re8+ Kg7
5. Rg8+ Kh7
6. Rh2+ Qh6
7. Rxg6 Kxg6
8. Rxh6+ Kg7
9. Rh8 Rf6
10. Re8 e1-B
11. Rxe1 Rf2
12. Ka1 Rg2
13. Re8 Rf2
14. Rg8+ Kh7
15. Bd3+ Kh6
16. f8+Q+ Rxf8
17. Rxf8
V-2
1. Ra3 Rc6
2. Rh3 Ng6
3. Re3 Kg7
4. Rg3 Kf8
5. Rg1 Rxc4
6. Rxg6 Ra4+
7. Kb3 Ra3+
8. Kxc2 e1=N+
9. Kd1 Nf3
10. Rg4 Ra1+
11. Ke2 Kxf7
12. Rxf3+ Ke6
You mostly have it, I think. I think the most critical line is…
1. Ra3 Rc6
2. Rh3 Ng6
3. Re3 c1=Q
4. Re8+ Kg7
5. Rg8+ Kh7
6. Rh2+ Qh6
7. Rxg6
And now, what do you do if black plays 7. ……Ra6?
1. Ra3 Rc6
2. Rh3 Ng6
3. Re3 c1=Q
4. Re8+ Kg7
5. Rg8+ Kh7
6. Rh2+ Qh6
7. Rxg6 Ra6
8. Bxa6 Qxh2
9. Bd3 e1=N+
10. Rg2+ Nxd3
11. f8=N+ Kh6
12. Rxh2+ Kg5
Yancey it’s a winning position for your line.
Well done! I only asked about 7. …..Ra6 because it was almost surely the main idea the composer of the problem had- white has to solve the problem with, first the maneuver 8.Bxa6 followed by the amazing 9.Bd3 which allows the blocking check with 10.Rg2. Then white must ensure the ending is winning by underpromoting with check the f-pawn before he takes the queen.
All in all, this is a hideously difficult problem as are many of Ryabinin’s compositions- the key to winning it is overloading the black rook/knight combo by constantly flanking them with the maneuvers Ra3-Rh3-Re3. Eventually, black is forced into Ng6 leaving too many holes on the back rank. Tomorrow, I will pick out another Ryabinin puzzle from the list of them that I have worked on in the past, but I will post some more, somewhat easier puzzles from Susan’s blog in the leading puzzle thread.
If you want what amounts to the full analysis of this problem- my comments from the previous posting of this puzzle are probably as exhaustive as it gets: Link.
You will have to scroll all the comments to find them since I also tried to make moves like 1.Rg2 and 1.Rg2 work, but they were draws at best for white. It was only later that I began to understand how 1.Ra3 was the right approach.
If you want what amounts to the full analysis of this problem- my comments from the previous posting of this puzzle are probably as exhaustive as it gets: Link.
You will have to scroll all the comments to find them since I also tried to make moves like 1.Rg2 and 1.Rg2 work, but they were draws at best for white. It was only later that I began to understand how 1.Ra3 was the right approach.