White to move. How would you assess the position? How should White continue?
Level of difficulty: 2.5 / 4
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Re3!! I saw it instantly
sry i meant Rf3
Doesn’t that lose to Ng2+ and Nxe3 next move?
Yea, Rf3 looks a draw. If Knight moves the e-pawn is lost, and the rook can think of sacrificing itself for the c-pawn, and if Ke4 then Re3+ is good, winning the e pawn, black can just as well stalemate straightaway.
1.Rc4
It’s a draw: white rook goes from f3 to a3 and the black king can do nothing. If the knight is moved then the e-pawn is lost…
White can only hope for a draw, but he can achieve it.
1.Rf3 (threatening to take the Knight at any cost)
if 1..Ke4(e5) then 2.Rxf4 (picking up the pawns)
if 1..Nd3+ then 2.Kxe2
The point is: White is ready to sacrifice his Rook provided he can then pick up the pawns, while keeping in mind that Black is unable to win with a lone Knight + King against a lone King.
As others have stated here, Rf3 looks like whites best chance for a draw. Moving the knight loses the pawn on e2, and white should not have any problems sacrificing the rook for the second pawn for a drawn K vs K+N ending.
So looking at the alternative:
1. Rf3 Ke4 (or e5)
2. RxNf4 KxRf4
3. Kxe2 Ke4
hoember states: “Rxf4 (picking up the pawns)” – can anyone provide a line showing this?
It seems to me that black can
cover the pawn at c4, so the question then is, what is the correct continuation for white?
Kd2
“It seems to me that black can
cover the pawn at c4, so the question then is, what is the correct continuation for white?”
Of course black can hold c4 (easily!) but the pawn endgame is a (simple – if you know how!) draw.
Rf3 draws the game. Whoopie!!! I got three out of the last four.
There is just one note to add here. Commenter #4 said “if Ke4 then Re3+ is good, winning the e pawn, black can just as well stalemate straightaway.” Actually, after 1. Rf3 Ke4 2. Re3+?! Kd4 3. Rxe2? (White should repeat with 3.Rf3) Nxe2 4. Kxe2, Black wins either with 4…Kc3! or with 4…c3! The latter is notable as an exception to the general rule that pawn-in-front-of-your-king only draws in K+P vs. K, since White’s King is too far away to play the saving 5.Kc1!
Hey y’all, what about the simple Rxc4?
if kxc4,then kxe2 draw, yes?
what am i missing?
rjf said…
” Hey y’all, what about the simple Rxc4?
if kxc4,then kxe2 draw, yes?
what am i missing? “
ummmmmmmm I suspect you are missing NxK. The pawn on e2 is most definitely protected by the Knight.
If your post was a typo and you meant d2 instead of e2 it still doesnt work as a draw. Black can eventually get to c3 and then c2 forcing white’s king back out the other side.
Yes, 1.Rxc4! solves all problems for White. I overlooked it at first, but seeing the next puzzle, I recognized the stalemate position.
No… silly me.
It is far from stalemate. Sorry.
I gotta go to bed.
1.Rf3 Ke4
2.Rf4 Kf4
3.Ke2 draws
1.Rg3 draws too
1…. Ke4
2.Kd2