White to move. How should White proceed?
6k1/2p3p1/4P3/3KP3/7R/8/2p5/2r5 w – – 0 0
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Rh8+
Well, at first I tried to see if White could win this. I’m convinced she can’t. I looked at 1. Rh8+ ?? Kxh8 2. e7 Rd1+ 3. Ke6 c1=Q 4. e8=Q+ Kh7 5. Qh5+ Qh6+ and White loses.
So, becoming convinced that White can at most draw, I looked at:
1. e7 Kf7 2. e8=Q+ Kxe8 3. Ke6 Rf1 4. Ra4 Rd1 5. Rh4 Rf1, which will turn into a draw by repetition. White’s threats of mate can be parried by Black, but Black has no way to keep White from threatening mate on the move.
e7!!
..Kf7 e8=Q+ Kxe8 Ke6 any_besides_Rh1 Rh8#
..Kf7 e8=Q+ Kxe8 Ke6 Rh1 Rxh1 any Rh8#
..Pawn moves, Ke6 and e8=Q with mate in the next couple moves.
..Rook moves other than Rh1, Re1 or Rd1+: Ke6 and e8=Q with mate in the next couple moves.
..Rh1 Rxh1 +-
..Re1 Ke6 Rxe5+ Kxe5 c1=Q e8=Q#
..Re1 Ke6 Rxe5+ Kxe5 Kf7 e8=Q+ Kxe8 Ke6 any Rh8#
..Rd1+ Ke6 Rd6+ exd6 g6 e8=Q+ Kg7 Qf7#
Nevermind it’s just a lame draw. I missed Rf1.
e7 Kf7 e8=Q+ Kxe8 Ke6 Rf1!! Ra4 Rd1 Rh4 Rf1 Ra4=
1. Rh8+
Suggest
1.e7 Kf7
2.e8=Q+ Kxe8
3.Ke6 Rf1
4.Ra4 Rd1
5.Rh4 Rf1
Draw
Cannot see a win?!
RH8, KxH8, E7, RB1, QE8, KH7, QF5…
1. e7 Kf7
2. e8=Q Ke8
3. Ke6
4. Rh8
1:0
Aha, there is something with the constellation of c7 and g7 creating a trap, isn’t it?
Still I could find no better than a draw. If there is, I missed it.
1. e7!! Kf7 (seems correct, alternative below)
2. e8=Q+ Kxe8
3. Ke6!! Rf1 (enforced because of Kd8/Kf8?? Rh8# was the point)
4. Ra4/Rb4! (nice) Rd1 (c1=Q?? Ra8/Rb8#)
5. Rh4 Rf1
is draw by repetition.
1. … Rd1+??
2. Ke6! Rf1 (only move against e8=Q#)
3. e8=Q+ Rf8
4. Rh8+! Kxh8
5. Qxf8+
is easily won by white.
1. e7! drawing.
1. e7!.Kf7 2. e8=Q+.Kxe8 3. Ke6!.Rf1 forced to interpose rook in back rank, otherwise mate 4.Ra1.Rd1forced again 5.Rh1 drawing
If
1…..Rd1+.2.Ke6!.c1=Q.3.e8=Qmate
Other moves win easily for white.
Harry
Who’s directing?
Well, white can draw this pretty easily, but I am finding it difficult to see a win. For the draw, white must push e7 to clear a space for the king:
1. e7 Kf7 (Rd1 2.Ke6 wins)
2. e8Q Ke8
3. Ke6
And now the black king cannot escape the mate by himself because of the blocking pawns at c7 and f7. Black must put the rook on f1:
3. ……Rf1
4. Ra4!
Here, 4.Rb4 will fail to black’s reply of Rb1 since a subsequent 5.Ra4 then is met by Rb6+. Continuing:
4. ……Rd1 (Rf6 5.ef6 wins)
And white can just shuffle the rook between h4 and a4 and black must follow with Rf1 and Rd1 to prevent mate- draw by repetition.
I am pretty sure this is a draw since I can’t really see any plausible attempt at a win, and the draw itself is fairly unique and could be the point of the puzzle.
1. e7 Kf7 2. e8 Kxe8 3. Ke6 Rf1 4. Ra4 Rd1 5. Rh4 draw.
1. e7 Kf7
2. e8+ Kxe8
3. Ke6 Rf1
now instead of the draw, how about a bit risky
4. Rh1?! any
5. Rc1 and 6. Rxc2
Now, black does have an extra pawn, but the position is cramped. White k and pawn are well placed.. and the rook can still make threats.
Will you still take the draw? Or try hard to win?
aam@fics,
I assume you left out 4.Rh8 Rf8 in your proposal? If so, I think white is going to lose after 5.Rh1:
1. e7 Kf7
2. e8Q Ke8
3. Ke6 Rf1
4. Rh8 Rf8
5. Rh1
Black can vacate the e8 square for a check if needed and to give the king the option of escape to b7:
6. ……Kd8!
And now white is in no position to threaten mate:
7. Ra1 Re8
Even 7. …Kc8 should win since the white rook cannot leave the first rank for very long without allowing a new queen to arise. Continuing:
8. Kf5 Ke7
9. Rc1 Rf8!
10.Ke4 Rf2 and white will be very, very lucky to escape with a draw from here.