r1r3k1/n4q1p/5Pp1/3R4/1p6/p6P/B1p3PK/2Q5 w – – 0 1
White to move. How should White proceed?
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I think white should proceed with rook to d8 check…
1. Rd8+ Rxd8
2. Qh6 Kh8
3. Bxf7 Rg8
and white may be out of checks.
What does black do after 1. Qh6?
1. Qh6 c1Q?
2. Rd8+ Rxd8
3. Qg7++
Is there another defense for black?
I do not think so.
“The threat is stronger than the execution” – so first we have to play Qh6! and now (e.g. after c1Q) 2. Rd8+! mates [3. Qg7#].
Some easy variations:
1. -, Qf6 2. Rd8#
1. -, Rf8 2. Rd7 [Q7#], Kh8 3. Bxf7! (3. Rxf7 seems to be possible, too)
1. -, b3 2. Bxb3 is just a slowening of course
The best defense is 1. -, Kh8! I’d say.
e.g. 2. Rd8+, Rxd8 3. Bxf7, Rg8 4. Bxg8, Rxg8 5. f7, a2!! 6. fxg8Q+, Kxg8 7. Dc1, b3 and approaching the knight or 6. f8Q, a1Q defending the mate. If 5. Qc1 than a2, too.
Probably these end games are the best white can achieve, I have in mind having found a stronger continuation after 1. -, Kh8 a little while ago but at the moment I can’t remember.
Hmmmm, I have to rethink later.
Greetings
Jochen
oh yeah, I saw this but forgot:
1. Qh6 Qf8
2. Rd8+ with white winning
Hmm, how about:
1. Qh6 Kh8
2. Rd8+ Rxd8
3. Bxf7 Rg8
4. Bxg8 Rxg8
5. f7 not sure what now.
What about 1. Rd7
after 1. ..Qxa2
2. Qh6 I cannot see any defense for black
and after a defensive move 1. ..Rf8
2. Qh6 still works
This is too simple. White plays Qh6 and wins. Black is pinned from all sides in all the wrong ways.. !!!
Dear Susan, one small suggestion. Along with the puzzles, also pls give us the players names, and other details like tournament name, year, etc. Thanks. Why i ask is that we can go through the whole game later on and analyse. This is being done in chessgames.com
Thanks in advance..
What about this?
1. Rd8+ Rxd8
2. Qh6 Kh8
3. Bxf7 Rg8
4. Bxg8 Rxg8
5. f7 c1Q
6. fxg8Q+ Kxg8
7. Qxc1
Hmm, but maybe
5. … a2
6. fxg8Q+ Kxg8
7. Qc1 b3
8. Qb2 Nc6
is fine for black.
1. Rd7 Dxa2 (… Tf8 2. Dh6 Kh8 3. Dg7+, fg7#)
2. Tg7+ Kf8 (… Kh8 3. Dh6, Dh7#)
3. Dh6 Df7 (… c1D 3. Tg8+, Dg7#; … Tc7 3. Te8+, Dg7#)
4. Dxh7 +-
correction to my last post
“1. Rd7 Dxa2 (… Tf8 2. Dh6 Kh8 3. Dg7+, fg7#)
2. Tg7+ Kf8 (… Kh8 3. Dh6, Dh7#)
3. Dh6 Df7 (… c1D 3. Tg8+, Dg7#; … Tc7 3. Te8+, Dg7#)
4. Dxh7 +-“
it’s 3. Dh6 Df7 (…c1D 3. Tg8, Dg7#; …Tc7 3. Te7(!), Dg7#)
2. Dh6 doesn’t quite work in view of 2. … Df7
this position is kind of tricky but i think i found the solution.
first line i thought was:
1.Qh6 kh8 (as jochen suggested)
2.Rh5
and 2….gxR loses to
3.BxQ Rg8
4.BxR RXB
5.f7! and a2 doesn’t work ’cause
6.Qf6+ Rg7
7. f8(Q++)
but then I saw that black doesn’t have to take the rook with the g pawn but simply plays
2……c1(Q)
3. BxQ (what else does white have?) Qc7+
4. king moves QxB and then it’s black that is winning.
Second line was similar the line Jochen gave:
1. Qh6 Kh8!
2. Rd8+ RxR
3.BxQ Rg8
4.BxR RxB
5.f7 a2! (as jochen pointed out)
6. Qc1!! (threating Qa1+ or Qb2+) and there is nothing black can do.
By the way annonymous 2:33:00 AM, Rd7 does not work ’cause 1…..QxB 2. Qh6 Qf7 and black is winning…
I have another line that I considered in my anlysis.
1.Qh6 kh8 (as jochen said)
2.Rh5
and 2….gxR loses to
3.BxQ Rg8
4.BxR RXB
5.f7! and a2 doesn’t work cause
6.Qf6+ Rg7
7. f8(Q++)
but then I saw that black doesn’t have to take the rook with the g pawns but simply plays
2……c1(Q)
3. BxQ (what else does white have?) Qc7+
4. king moves QxB and then it’s black that is winning.
to henryk:
he can play 6. … Kg7 possibly winning
to anon 15:13:
this line doesn’t work because of 3. Kh8 and Dg8
qh6 kh8, rd8 rd8 bf7 rg8 rg8 f7 a2 Qc1 is crusher! threatening qb2 or qa1 if nc3, then tempo of fg8 kg8 qa2 is check then qxc2!
I don’t see a white win in that last line after 6. Dc1 Kg7. After 7. fg8D+ there is no white check capturing a pawn. After 7. Qb2+ Kxf7 8. Dxa2+ black keeps Rook, Knight and a pawn on b4 versus Queen, the white pawns being on the same wing as the remaining black pawns.
annonymous Friday, November 16, 2007 5:21:00 AM: what about this line?
1. Rd7 Qxa2
2. Rg7+ Kh8
3. Qh6 Qg8!
And then what?
Also to annonymous Friday, November 16, 2007 5:32:00 AM:
after 6……Kg7 white is still winning.
7.P(Q)xR+ KxQ
8. Qb2! (and I don’t see how black can avoid the a or c pawn without check)
if 8……..Nc6 (proctecting the b pawn)
9.Qxa2 king moves
10. Qxc2 and it’s a clear win
i think best chance would be
8. …..kf8
9. Qxb+ kf7
10.Qc3 and maybe try to bring the king over the queen side…but yeah, it’s tough.
to henryk:
what does white do after Qxb4+ Ke8, Qc3 Sb5, followed by Sd4 and Sb3 queening a pawn?
I think, the best white can get is a draw:
1. Rd8+ Rxd8 2. Qh6 Kh8 3. Bxf7 and so on.
1. Qh6? will be answered by Qc7+ and white got nothing.
In the further curse white should not play the immediate 5. f7, because white can only hold the remaining black pawns on a2 and c2 (after 5. …a2 6. Qc1 Kg7 7. fg8Q Kxg8 8. Qb2 Kf8 9. Qxb4+ Kf7) by giving a perpetual.
The best shot should be 5. Qf4 with a similar idea as 6. Qc1, but after, say 6. …a2 7. Qe5 Nc6 8. Qb2 c1Q 9. Qxc1 Rf8 it’s difficult to make progress, because I don’t see how white can get the b4 pawn and break the kingside open.
Henrik:
>>
1.Qh6 kh8 (as jochen said)
2.Rh5
and 2….gxR loses to
3.BxQ Rg8
4.BxR RXB
5.f7! and a2 doesn’t work cause
6.Qf6+ Rg7
7. f8(Q++)
>>
6. Qf6 is an illegal move: you have a pawn on c6
Previous anon: the problem is you dont get the draw
1 rd8+ rxd8 2. bxf7+ kxf7 3. qxc2 kxf6 and you are short of checks already 4. qf2 kg7
but you are right about 1 … qc7+
after 1. qh6 kh2 …. it is actually a draw (both qf4 and f7 lead to a draw)
i think BLACK IS WINNING. both qh6 and rd8 pnly give some practical-tactical chances
henryk, let me extend your good line.
1. Qh6 Kh8
2. Rd8+ Rd8
3. Bf7 Rg8
4. Bg8 Rg8
5. f7 a2
6. Qc1 Kg7
7. fg8Q+ Kg8
8. Qb2! waiting…picking off either the a or b pawn with check.
– Daniel Miller
Many lines posted thus far do not force things in the direction their authors had hoped. With 20 posts so far, this position is causing problems. I’m afraid I don’t offer a solution either, but I’m eager to find one.
Perhaps being down 2 pawns and a rook, we are meant to find only a drawing line for White, even though it looks superficially as though White can weave a mating net. I cannot find anything better than the draw.
I agree with anonymous (Friday, Nov. 16, 10:26) that 1. Qh6 is best answered by 1. … Qc7+, leaving White empty, so:
1. Rd8+ Rxd8
2. Qh6 Kh8
3. Bxf7 Rg8
4. Bxg8 Rxg8
At this point, the natural 5. f7 leads to a perpetual, not a win. I’ve been trying various things, usually with Black ending up with pawns on a2 and c2 with knight vs. White’s queen, in which case White’s king can’t get over to help eliminate the pawns because of that knight. For instance:
5. f7 a2
6. Qc1 Kg7
7. fxg8(Q) Kxg8
8. Qb2 Kf8 (or Black loses the key pawns)
9. Qxb4+ Kf7
Now, White’s queen cannot take either pawn or the knight (unless it is done with check, which Black can avoid). Black’s knight eventually comes to d4 preventing White’s king from an assist. (The knight blocks the light squares, and if the king steps on e1, e3 or d2, Black promotes, forcing White’s queen finally onto a square (a1 or c1) where a knight fork awaits. (Play it through; you’ll find it.)
I am very interested in finding the solution. I don’t think we were meant to find only the simple discovered pin (1. Rd8+). White doesn’t have enough after that.
jcheyne