White to move. How can white save this game? This is quite difficult.
r3rk2/1p1n1p1Q/3P1bp1/1qP5/1n4R1/5B2/p5PP/5RBK w – – 0 1
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What is meant by “save”? I think I can draw with 1.Bd5:
1. Bd5 Nd5
Or lose with either Ne5 or Re7 where white wins in both lines with Rxf6. The point of Bd5 is to clear the f-file for the rook with force so that white’s second move below can’t be met with Bg7. Contining:
2. Qh6 Kg8 (Bg7 3.Rf7 Kf7 4.Qg6+-)
3. Rg6 fg6
4. Qg6 Bg7
5. Qf7 Kh7 (Kh8 6.Qh5 still)
6. Qh5 Kg8 (Bh6 7.Rf7 Kg8 8.Qg6+-)
7. Qf7 with a draw by repetition.
The black knight at b4 is what keeps white from winning this. I can’t quite make 1.Rxb4 work since the other rook is hanging at f1:
1. Rb4 Qf1! and black will sacrifice at g1 so that he can mate white by queening with check.
Now, is there a win in here for white? I simply can’t tell. This is way too complicated. Maybe 1.Rg6, or 1.Be2, but neither move looks promising to me. Or maybe I am overlooking something in the 1.Bd5 line, but I don’t know what it might be.
Rb4 a1=Q
Bd5 Ne4
Rg6
I suggest a draw by repetition:
1. Bd5 Nxd5
2. Rxg6 fxg6
3. Qh8+ Kf7
4. Qh7+ Kf8
Since this is rather easy and Judith tells it is difficult, I suspect there must be something better than this…
1. Bf3-d5 Nb4xd5
2. Rf1xf6 N(either)xf6
3. Qh7-h8+ Nf6-g8
4. Rg4-f4 threatening Qh8-h7 with mate on f7 to follow.
Black can still defend by playing 4 … a2-a1Q followed by … Qa1-g7 so the rest looks a little unclear to me.
–br
1. Be2
Threatening Rf6 followed by Qh8 or Qf7.
Black cannot save the Queen and defend against both these threats at the same time.
I can’t even see how to defend even if black allows Queen to be captured.
Rxg6 fg
Bd5 Nxd5
Qh8+ Kf7
Qh7+ Kf8
Qh8+ Kf7
Qh7+ Kf8
I think I see a mistake in my previous comments
If
1. Be2 Qe2
2. Rf6 Nf6
3. Qh8 Ng8
I can’t see a way out for white after this. Requires more analysis, not as easy as I first thought. 🙁
Be2 and Rxe2 looks like black just wins.
I guess we are looking for a draw here.
Nobody has found a win yet, and the best drawish line I have seen so far is this one from anonymous:
Rxg6 fg
Bd5 Nxd5
Qh8+ Kf7
Qh7+ Kf8
Qh8+ Kf7
Qh7+ Kf8
The two first moves may be interchanged.
But this is simply to easy that Susan should call it difficult, so I still think there must be a win none of us could see….
Could we get the solution, please?
pht,
1.Rg6 loses outright for white I now believe:
1. Rg6?? fg6
2. Bd5 Nd5
3. Qh8 Kf7
4. Qh7 Ke6!
And black is going to block the e-file with Ne5 if white plays Re1+, or is going to play Ke5 if white checks from h3. For quite a while, I was interested in this line as a win, but the black king can escape:
5. Qh3 Ke5
6. Re1
Or if Qg3, black plays Nf4: [6.Qg3 Nf4! 7.Qf4 Ke6 and find a continuation that doesn’t lose for white- I don’t see one.]. Continuing:
6. ……Kf4
I didn’t believe this would be good, but I could never corral the black king after this move, and I tried everything. If anyone can show this is won or drawn for white, I would love to see it.