White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
b5Q1/r3r3/3b1k1q/2p1pBp1/1nP1P3/7P/2N3P1/4K2R w K – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Find the best continuation
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00 only move
O-O
Castling is possible?
Has to be a mate or a repetition draw- white is down massive material. Now, my very first thought was 1.Ne3 to threaten Ng4, but the white king is undefended at e1, and white doesn’t have time for this maneuver, but, once again, however, I am glad I learned a bit about FEN notation a few months ago and can tell that white can still castle kingside. So I would definitely guess that castling either provides the mating move, or provides the lethal threat of mate. With the motif possible, it must certainly be required in this puzzle (not likely to a misleading detail), so white must either castle on the first move, or check on the first move (black is threatening Nc2+). The only checks on the first move are with the queen, and she can’t do it without sacrificing herself, and I don’t see a mate after any of them since the black king seemingly escapes the f-file through either e7 or g7. So castle it is:
1. O-O
Of course, now, the threat is a discovered mate. Black must either move to block the check of the rook, or make a hole for the king by moving the e7 rook, or play to win the rook at f1. The moves I see possible are Nd5, Nd3 (to bring the knight to f4), Re6, Re8, or Re anywhere on the 7th rank, Qh4, g4, or Ra1. Let’s look at each:
1. …..Nd5
2. cd5 g4
Here, the alternatives like rook moves are simply variations of the lines I will show below, so I will ignore them here. Continuing:
3. Bh7
I think there are probably multiple mating lines here, but this is an easy mate to see:
3. …..Qf4 (only move)
4. Qg6#
Or
1. …..Nd3
2. Ne3
Here, with white’s king safe from immediate attacks, white has time for the move idea I noticed first in this position. In fact, I really don’t immediately see any other move for white that doesn’t lose. The threats are too numerous, now, for black to parry. White is threatening Ng4#. Black either makes a hole at d7 for the king, or moves to guard g4:
2. …..Nf2
3. Ng4! Ng4
4. Bg4# Or
2. …..Qh5 (Qh4 3.Qg6#)
3. Ng4 Qg4
4. Qg6# Or
2. …..Rec7
3. Bg6 Nf4 (Kd7 4.Qe8#)
4. Ng4 Ke7
5. Qe8# Or
2. …..Rf7 (Rg7 3.Qe6#)
3. Bd7 Nf4 (Ke7 4.Rf7#)
4. Ng4 Ke7
5. Qe8# Same for Rb7, Rh7. Or
2. …..Re6
3. Bg6 Nf4 (Ke7 4.Qe8#)
4. Ng4 Ke7
5. Qe8# Same for 2. …Re8.
Back at move 1 for black, there is no way to prevent mate with e7 rook moves:
1. …..Re6 (Rg7 2.Qe6#)
2. Bg4 Ke7
3. Rf7# Or
1. …..Re8
2. Bg6 Ke7
3. Qe8# and much the same for Rec7, Reb7, Red7, Reh7.
Or, at move 1
1. …..Qh4
2. Qg6# Or
1. …..g4
2. Bh7 Qf4
3. Qg6#
Indeed, I can find only one move for black at move 1 that doesn’t lose immediately, but it should lose (I might be missing the mate, but haven’t found it in 10 minutes of looking at this line specifically):
1. O-O Ra1!
2. Na1 Nd3
This line is different from that before because, before, Nd3 as a defensive blocking move is overcome by white’s Ne3 providing a second mating threat that couldn’t be dealt with in time. By sacrificing the rook at a1, black has diverted the white knight for one extra move. This should still be losing for black. However, I need to split this comment into two pieces, and I need more time to evaluate white’s third move alternatives to determine the best line- I see two 3. Rd1 and 3. Nc2. Continued in my next comment:
I think that after 0-0 it is impossible to avoid mate in one or two moves starting with a discovered check with a bishop move.
Threaten mate with Ne3. How can black stop it?
White is way down in material. The Knight is hanging and would be captured with check. Moving the Knight allows Ra1+. White has no useful checking move, so it looks like 1. 0-0 has to be the key. It gets out White of threatened checks, and is now threatening to move the Bishop for a discovered mate.
Black has three choices: 1. … Nd3 and 1. … g4 both create a way to block the discovered check. Black can also move his Rook off of e7 to create an escape path.
1. … Nd3 is answered with Ne3. White has dual mate threats of Ng4# and Nd5#, and Black can’t answer them both.
1. … g4 is answered with 2. Bh7+ Qf4 3. Qg6#
Finally, there are the various moves of the e7 Rook to deal with.
1. … Rg7 is met with 2. Qe6#
Other moves by the e7 Rook are meth with either 2. Bd7+ Ke7 3. Qe8# or 2. Be6+ Ke7 3. Rf7#
bg6 qxg6 rf1 mate
Ne3 threatens forks, and checkmate
1.Ne3 doesn’t work:
1. Ne3 Nd3 (Qh4 also ok)
2. Kd2
Here, Kf1 (met by Ra1), Kd1 (met by Nf2+), and Ke2 (met Nf4+) are worse.
2. …..Nf2
3. Rf1 Ra2
4. Ke1 Qg7 defangs white’s threats sufficiently.
1.0-0!
0-0?
My idea is 1.Bg4!
It shut the dark squares for the Black Queen and open a mortal file for the White Rook.
Black cannot prevent mate.
Example:
1.Bg4 Nxc2+
2.Kd2 Bxe4
3.Rf1+ Bf5
4.Rxf5#
Best Regards
In my first comment, I suggested the line:
1. O-O Ra1 (only non mate move)
2. Na1 Nd3
And, white has the initiative, and the black bishop at a8 is toast if white wants to take it. However, I now think white can do better by continuing the attack with Rd1 at move 3:
3. Rd1 Ra7
Hard to see anything better here with the a8 bishop hanging in addition to the skewer through the knight and d6 bishop.
4. Rd3 Ra1 (what else?)
5. Kh2 Ke7
Here, Ra6 will lose quickly to Qc8, Qf8 will be mate starting with Qg6+, Bf8 will lose quickly to Rd7. Ke7 is the best of a bad lot of moves for black:
6. Rf3
Falling back the original path in for the white rook and there is little that black can do about it:
6. …..Bc6
If black has any other reasonable move, I am not seeing it.
7. Bg6
Threatening Rf7 followed by mate. Black must either play Kd7 or take the bishop. Continuing:
7. …..Kd7
8. Rf7 Be7 (Ke6 9.Bf5#)
9. Bf5 Kc7
Here, black will lose with Qe6, but might avoid mate for a while, I didn’t look long at this move. Of course, Kd6 is mate after Qb8. Continuing:
10.Re7 Kb6
11.Qb8 and mate can’t be stopped. Best for black is to just take at g6 on move 7, but this is clearly lost:
7. …..Qg6
8. Qg6 Be8 (anything else?)
9. Qg5 and I see no reason to go further- black will either get mated or lose both bishops to the queen/rook combo.
i finally solved it.. you castle kingside… what a dirty little problem..im not even bothering with the varitations because there easy.. the whole problem I kept thinking how do i get my king out of trouble.. what a weasal of a problemm …we should know if were still allowed to castle or not… thats complete bullthit..
Generally the answer is Castling
1. 0-0 Rg7 2. Bd7 Şe7 3.Ve8#
1 O-O
It’s stipulated in the FEN string that Kingside castling is permitted.
White now threatens 2 Bg4#.
1 … Ra1
The only move that doesn’t lose quickly. Black gives up some of his material gains to thwart mate.
On 1…Rb7, 2 Bg6+ Ke7, 3 Qe6#
Or 1… Nd3, 2 Ne3 Rc7, 3 Bg6+ as above.
2 Na1 Nd3
Now the White’s Knight is out of range of e3, Black can play this move. The idea is to answer discovered check with Nf4.
3 Nc2
Renewing the threat of Ne3 as above.
3 … Qh2
Black can’t save the Bishop on a8. If such as 3 … Ra7, 4 Ne3 poses more problems than Black can handle.
Instead, Black gives back the rest of his material advantage to try to stifle White’s threats.
4 Qxa8 Rc7
4 … Nf4 and a few other moves are a little better, but after 5 Qc6, White wins the Bishop and still has a strong attack.
With the given move, Black tries to hold onto the Bishop.
5 Qd8+ Qe7
6 Qg8! Nf4
7 Ne3 Qf8
Black has to do something about the threats of Ng4# and Nd5+. Moving the Queen gets it out of the way of a Knight fork and provides an escape square for the King.
The other possibility doesn’t work, either: 7 … Qf7, 8 Nd5+ Nxd5, 9 Bg6+ Nf4, 10 Bxf7+ Rxf7, 11 g3, and White ends up with a Queen for a Bishop, and an easy win.
8 Nd5+! Nxd5
9 Qe6+ Kg7
10 Qg6+ Kh8
11 cxd5 Ra7
There isn’t much Black can do against the threat of Qh5+ followed by Be6+.
12 Qh5+ Kg8
And not 12 … Kg7, 13 Qg7+ Kf6, 14 Bany#
13 Be6+ Kg7
14 Qxg5+ Kh7
15 Rxf8 Bxf8
16 Qg8+
White wins the Bishop as well, with mate soon to follow.
0-0 ? idea is rook is pointing at king and so maybe mating threat if knight is taken?
That is my analysis. I hope it’s right…
1.Ne3 Qh4+ and then draw by repetition after cheks on ‘a’ file
2.Ke2 Ra2+ 3.Kd1 (3.Kf1?? Qf2#) Ra1+ 4.Ke2 Ra2+ =
I was thinking first about 1.h4,
but it doesn’t working here. The point is to put our rook on f1 and then give a check moving the bishop.
However after
1…gxh4 2.Rf1 Nxc2+ black is winning, because black Queen have an open diagonal h6-c1 and may immediatelly attack white king with rook a7.
The right continuation is (if white still could castling short):
1.O-O!!
Black may try with this defences:
A)1…Nd3 2.Ne3!! wins because black Queen “belong” to h6 square to protect g6 from mate
(there are threats: 3.Ng4#, 3.Qg6#) Don’t belive? Look at this: 2…Qh5 (Queen is overloaded in defence) 3.Ng4+ Qxg4 4.Qg6#
Other possibilities:
B)1…Rf7 (1…Rg7 2.Qe6#) 2.Bd7+ Ke7 2.Qe8#
C)1…g4 (1…Qh4 2.Bg4#) 2.Bh7 Qf4 3.Qg6#
In many other cases of first black’s move, wherever white put his bishop f5, it will be mate.
Exept the best defence:
1…Ra1! 2.Ne3!!
(2.Nxa1 doesn’t working, because of 2…Nd3! with upcoming Qg7;
and 2.Rxa1 is not good enough: 2…Nxc2 3.Rxa8 (3.Rf1 Ne3! -+) Qg7 -/+ and there is still a little hope )
Rxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Rf7 4.Ng4+ Ke7 5.Nxh6 +- and white is winnig.
1.Bg4?!
because of 1…Ne3+! with Nf4 and Qg7
I’ve checked my analysis. Not everything was right… But I’m very happy that I’ve found the right move, because many of us players didn’t reemember about the power of castling!
My improvement of my earlier comments:
1.O-O!! Ra1 2.Ne3?! Rxf1 3.Kxf1 Bxe4! (3…Rf7??) 4.Bxe4 (4.Ng4+?! Kxf5 5.Nh6+ Kf4 unclear for me) Rg7 5.Ng4 Ke7 6.Nxh6 Rxg8 7.Nxg6+ Ke6 I think it’s a draw…
1.O-O!! Ra1! 2.Nxa1 Nd3 3.Nc2 (or 3.Rd1 maybe better as Yancey Ward have showed) and now:
a) bishop is hanging, so 3…Bc6 4. Ne3! Rf7 5.Bd7+ Nf4 6.Ng4+ Ke7 7.Qe8#
b) 3…g4 4.Bxg4+ Nf4 5.Qxa8 Kg7 6.Ne3! +- because of week blak king’s position; for example: 6…Nh3+ 7.gxh3 Qxe3+ 8.Kh1 Rc7 (8…Rf7 9.Rxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qd5+ winning bishop)9.Be6! +-
c) 3…Ra7 defending bishop 4.Ne3! with attack
1.O-O!! Ra1! 2.Rxa1 Nxc2 3.Ra6!! (3.Rxa8 (3.Rf1 Ne3 and now I didn’t saw 4.Rf2!! Nd1 5.Rf3 g4 6.Bxg4+ Qf4 7.Qf8+! Rf7 8.Rxf4+ exf4 9.Qxd6+ +-) Qg7 4.Qd5 Nb4 5.Qxd6+ Kf7 6.Bg4! (threating mate with Bh5+) Qg6 7.Rf8+! Kxf8 8.Qxg6 +-
In many cases there is a real battle on the chessboard… Nohing more to add, just to say: “beautiful position”!