White to move. How should white proceed?
r5k1/1pp3P1/4b2p/3p4/2qP3N/2P2Q2/pnP4P/6RK w – – 0 1
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Ng6
Threatening Qf8+, RxQ
pxR=Q+, Kh7
Qh8#
Any black move to prevent Qf8 just simply delays the inevitable by a couple of moves.
let´s include the knight into the attack with Ng6.
1. Ng6 Kxg7
2. Ne7+ Kh7/h8
3. Qf6 and, i think, Qg7# is unstoppable.
if 2…. Bg4, then
3. Qxg4+ Kf6 (Kh7/h8, 4. Qg7#)
4. Qg7+ Ke6
5. Rg6#
3. … Kf8
4. Qg8+ Kxe7
5. Qh7+ Kd8/e8/f8 (Kd6/e6, 6. Rg6#)
6. Rg8#
5. … Kf6
6. Rg6+ Kf5
7. Qf7+ Ke4
8. Re6#
3. … Kf7
4. Qg6+ Kxe7
5. Qh7+ Kd8/e8/f8 (Kd6/e6, 6. Rg6#)
6. Rg8#
5. … Kf6
6. Rg6+ Kf5
7. Qf7+ Ke4
8. Re6#
4. … Kf8
5. Qg8+ Kxe7
6. Qh7+ Kd8/e8/f8 (Kd6/e6, 7. Rg6#)
7. Rg8#
6. … Kf6
7. Rg6+ Kf5
8. Qf7+ Ke4
9. Re6#
if 1. … a1Q, then
2. Qf8+ Rxf8
3. gxf8Q+ Kh7
4. Qh8#
2. … Kh7
3. Qh8+ Rxh8
4. gxh8Q#
1. … Re8
2. Ne7 Rxe7
3. Qf8+ Kh7
4. Qh8#
1. … Kh7
2. Qf8 Rxf8
3. gxf8Q Bg8 (else, 4. Qh8#)
4. Qe7+ Bf7
5. Qxf7#
2. … Bg8
3. Ne7 Rxf8
4. gxf8Q any
5. Qg7#
3. … Ra6/Qc6
4. Qf5+ R/Qg6
5. Qxg6#
well, i think, black is doomed. there seems to be no way out.
greets, jan
Df6 threats to take the bishop on e6 and the pawn on h6
Qf8
Ng6 A1=Q
Qf8
I immediately see that f8 is a weak field for black, a field he can not strengthen.
Therefore I very much like:
1. Ng6
a)
1. … Kxg7
2. Nf8+! Kh8 (Bg4 delays by one)
3. Qf6#
b)
1. … a1=Q
2. Qf8+ Rxf8
3. gxf8=Q+ Kh7
4. Qh8#
bII)
2. … Kh7
3. g8=Q+ Bxg8
4. Qg7#/Rg7#
c)
1. … Bg4
2. Qf8+ Rxf8 (Kk7 g8=Q#)
3. gxf8=Q+ Kh7
4. Qf7#
1. Ng6
if 1. .. Kxg7
2. Nf8+
if 1. .. Bf7
2. Ne7+ Kh7
3. Qf5+
if 1. .. Kh7
2. Nf8+ Kg8
3. Nxe6
any other move
2. Qf8+
Rf1 then Qf8 mate to follow
The first move is quiet, but actually wasn’t hard to find since the only two checks possible-Qf7 and Qf8 were both clearly bad. 1.Ng6 both threatens Qf8 and Ne7 in the critical lines:
1. Ng6
Now, black has no checks on the white king, all three squares that the black queen can move to to cover f8 are attacked safely by white pawns and the queen, and only the bishop can interpose on the f-file and doing so at f5 is met by Qxf5 with the same threats, or is met by 2.Ne7 if black interposes at f7. Taking the various options in order:
1. …..a1(Q)
2. Qf8 Rf8 (Kh7 3.Qh8 Rh8 4.gh8Q#)
3. gf8Q Kh7
4. Qh8#
Or
1. …..Qb4 (Qc5 essentially same)
2. cb4 and the line will follow the previous variation, or the variations that follow.
Or
1. …..Qf1
2. Qf1 and will follow the first variation or the ones that follow.
Or
1. …..Bf5
2. Qf5 and will follow the first variation or the ones that follow.
Or
1. …..Bf7 (other important line)
2. Ne7 Kh7
3. Qf7 Bg6
4. Qg6#
1. Ng6! should win.
1. Ng6 and 2. Qf8 is inevitable.
Best regards
Stef
rf1 won’t work if only because of qf1 followed by a1=q. Maybe qf6 is good for white?
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,simple but interesting puzzle.
White wins the game.
Example One
===========
1.Ng6 a1(Q)
2.Qf8+ R*Qf8
3.g*Rf8(Q)+ Kh7
4.Qh8++ Mate
Example Two
===========
1.Ng6 K*g7
2.Nf8+ Kh8
3.Qf6++ Mate
Example Three
=============
1.Ng6 Bf7
2.Ne7+ Kh7
3.Qf5+ Bg6
4.Q*Bg6++ Mate
White wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
I spent some time calculating 1.Rf1 but then I realized that black simply plays 1…QxR and black wins, so that is out of the question.
That left me with:
1.Ng6 (theating Nf8 mate) and black is busted. Actually, looking the position more closely, any move that black makes white respond with 2.Nf8+ followed by mate.
Well, with the exception of 2…Kh7
But white simply plays 3.g8(Q)+ RxQ 4.Nf8+ RxN 5.QxR and white mates next move.
1. Ng6
Option 1:
1. … Kxg7
2. Nf8+ Kh8
3. Qf6++
Option 2:
1. … Bf7
2. Ne7+ Kh7
3. Qf5+ Bg6
4. Qxg6++
Option 3:
1. … Kh7
2. Nf8+ Rxf8
3. gxf8(N)+ Kh8
4. Qf6++
Option 4:
1. … a1(Q) or any other move
2. Qf8+ Rxf8
3. gxf8(Q)+ Kh7
4. Qh8++
Pretty nifty puzzle! Got one of your own advanced passed pawns in your way? Sacrifice it!
1. Ng6!
Threat is:2. Qf8+ Rxf8 [2. … Kh7 3. Qh8+ Kxh8 4. gxh8=Q#]
3. gxf8=Q+ Kh7
4. Qh8#
If Black captures the g-pawn:
1. … Kxg7
2. Nf8+ [the point: knight keeps king from h7 square, and rook now controls g-file]
2. … Bg4
3. Rxg4+ Kh8
4. Qf6#
If Black king moves to h7 on 1st move:
1. … Kh7
2. Nf8+ Kg8 [2. … Rxf8 3. gxf8=N+ Kh8 4. Qf6#]
3. Nxe6 [and there is no defence to Qf8+ next move]
3. … a1=Q
4. Qf8+ Rxf8 [4. … Kh7 5. g8=Q#]
5. gxf8=Q+ Kh7
6. Qg7#
Does Black have any other defences on his first move? I see only one: the attempted hornswoggle 1. … Qf1.
1. … Qf1?! [Who knows? Maybe he will fall for it!]
2. Qxf1 [Taking with the rook would be a mistake. Taking with the queen preserves all the aforementioned mating lines without risks to White.]
Once again there is the mysterious black pawn on a2 !! White should summon the arbiter and claim a victory.
Dear anonymous (comment number 1),
Please allow me to disagree with Rf1, for the good reason that Qxf1 Qxf1 a1=Q and white is dead 🙂
I think Ng6 is winning, but haven’t backed up my proposal with serious analysis… Let’s see what the others think of it!
I think a couple of variations should be better discussed:
1. Ng6 Kh7
2. Qf8! a1=Q
3. Qh8+! Rxh8 (finally forced to take that queen)
4. fxh8=Q#
Here the two first moves may be interchanged. It’s two of the main variations I should say, I didn’t find the correct answer here in any of the posts (including my own first post:-).
1. Ng6 Qf1 (only practical swindle attempt, hoping for Rxf1 leaving knight unprotected)
2. Qxf1 (only correct move, maintaining the plan of playing queen to f8 and then to h8 as mentioned above)
The rook must under no circumstance be mooved, the knight must allways remain protected.