Best I find for white at move 2. Taking at f7 looks a bit dangerous after black takes back with Rdf7. Continuing:
2. …..fg6 (else better?) 3. Rfd1
And, now, black is going to lose the d-pawn as Be7 is no good due to Re5 (the d-pawn is pinned to the rook at d7- a very common chess motif with rook’s attacking and protecting backwards pawns). Continuing:
3. …..Bd8 (hard to find else) 4. Be3
Definitely not 4.Bd8? Rd8 with some measure of equality, or 4.Rd6?? when black takes at b6 with check! Continuing:
4. …..Rf3 (Bc7 5.Re5 de5 6.Rd7)
Need some counterplay, this looks about as good as black is going to get:
5. Re5
I looked at this position for a while, and I think white can play this move. Continuing:
5. …..Bf6 (de5 6.Rd7 Ba5 7.Bf2) 6. Re4
Here, 6.Re6 doesn’t look all that much better after black replies with Kf7 driving the rook back to e4 anyway. Continuing:
And white is clearly better with an extra pawn and the much better pawn structure. However, I am not really pleased with this line when I anticipated more- so back to the drawing board.
1.Be6! wins the exchange since the obvious 1…fxe6 leads to 2.fxe6 Rdd8 3.Bxd8 Rxd8 when White wins the exchange plus pawn
Best for Black seems to be to accept the loss of the exchange immediately with 1…Rdd8 2.Bxd8 Rxd8 and White can choose between Bd5 or fxg6 to preserve the bishop
Wow, I should have seen this works immediately. The rook at d7 is badly hemmed in by his own compatriots, and the way to take advantage of this is straightforward. I dismissed it early on because I completely overlooked something important:
1. Be6!
And no matter what black does, he is going to lose the exchange:
1. …..fe6 2. fe6 Rdd8 (what else?) 3. Bd8
And here is where I screwed this up- I completely overlooked the fact that the bishop at f6 is hanging (I kept seeing a phantom white pawn at f5) if black takes back at d8- so white does win the exchange. Or
1. …..Rdd8 2. fg6 Kg7 (fe6 3.Bd8 as above) 3. Bd8 Rd8 (fe6 4.Rd6 wins) 4. gf7 Ng6 and white should have a decisive edge here. Or
1. …..Nc8 2. Bd7 Nb6
And, here, I think white does best to take at g6 as Nd7 can be answered by the double attack that arises after Rd6:
3. fg6 Nd7 (Kg7 a bit better?) 4. Rd6 fg6 (Rd8 a good bit worse) 5. Rd7 and white should win this easily.
White gains little after 1 fxg6, as she has no pieces in attacking position. After 1… nxd5, 2 Rxd5 fxg6, White only has a small advantage.
Black’s Rook on d7 has nowhere to go. White takes advantage of that with a tactical shot:
1 Be6! fxe6
Black can also play 1… Nc8, 2 Bxd7 Nxc6, apparently trapping White’s Bishop, but after 3 fxg6! the Bishop is no longer trapped, and if Black takes it with 3.. Nxd7, then 4 Rxd6 fxg6, 5 Rxd7 leaves White up the Exchange and a pawn.
2 fxe6 Nf5
Black is going to lose the Rook anyway. After such as 1… Rc7, 2 Bxc7 d5, 3 Bd6 Kg7, 4 Bxe7 Bxe7, 5 Rxf8+ Kxf8, 6 Rxd5, White is up the Exchange and a pawn.
3 exd7 Bd8
If 3 … Kf7, 5 g4 wins more material.
With the given move, Black seems to have the fort secured, although the Exchange and a pawn down. But White has another surprise in store:
4 Rxd6! Nxe6
The alternative of 4 … Kg7 is a little better, but after 5 Bxd8 Rxd8, 6 Re6 (among other moves), Rxd7, 7 Rxe5, White is up the Exchange and two pawns.
5 Rxf8+ Kxf8 6 Bxd8
White keeps Black’s King away from the advanced pawn.
6… Nf7 7 Bf6 Kg8
Black can do nothing but mark time with the King or make pawn moves.
8 Kf2!
White doesn’t bother winning Black’s Knight for her pawn yet. She marches her King right up to e4 so she can also win the e-pawn without a fight. Black’s Knight and King aren’t going anywhere in the meantime.
8 … Kf8 9 Kf3 Kg8 10 Ke4 Kf8 11 d8=Q
Now it’s time to pick up the Knight.
11… Nxd8 12 Bxd8 Kg7 13 Kxf5
White is up a piece and two pawns with a well-placed King, and an easy win in sight.
I came to 1. Be6 only after trying to shake out 1. Bxf7+ and just not getting it to work. 1. … fxe6 2. fxe6 wins the exchange 1. … Nc8 2. Bxd7 Nxb6 3. fxg6 Kg7 (3. … fxg6 4. Rxd6 Nxd7 5. Rxd7) 4. Rxf6 Kxf6 5. Rxd6+ Ke7 6. Rxb6 Kxd7 7. Rxb7+
Be6 wins the exchange. I think this puzzle was on chessgames.
Be6
it just came to me after looking at the rook having no squares ….clever little move..
1. Be6, fxe6
2. R7e8, Bxe8
3. Rxe8, Rxf6
and white wins the exchange
Be7.
Well, it looks like white can win a pawn with
1. fg6 Nd5 (Kg7 2.Bf7)
2. Rd5
Best I find for white at move 2. Taking at f7 looks a bit dangerous after black takes back with Rdf7. Continuing:
2. …..fg6 (else better?)
3. Rfd1
And, now, black is going to lose the d-pawn as Be7 is no good due to Re5 (the d-pawn is pinned to the rook at d7- a very common chess motif with rook’s attacking and protecting backwards pawns). Continuing:
3. …..Bd8 (hard to find else)
4. Be3
Definitely not 4.Bd8? Rd8 with some measure of equality, or 4.Rd6?? when black takes at b6 with check! Continuing:
4. …..Rf3 (Bc7 5.Re5 de5 6.Rd7)
Need some counterplay, this looks about as good as black is going to get:
5. Re5
I looked at this position for a while, and I think white can play this move. Continuing:
5. …..Bf6 (de5 6.Rd7 Ba5 7.Bf2)
6. Re4
Here, 6.Re6 doesn’t look all that much better after black replies with Kf7 driving the rook back to e4 anyway. Continuing:
6. …..d5
7. Rf4 Re3 (what else?)
8. Rf6 Kg7
9. Rf2
And white is clearly better with an extra pawn and the much better pawn structure. However, I am not really pleased with this line when I anticipated more- so back to the drawing board.
1.Be6! wins the exchange since the obvious
1…fxe6 leads to
2.fxe6 Rdd8
3.Bxd8 Rxd8 when White wins the exchange plus pawn
Best for Black seems to be to accept the loss of the exchange immediately with
1…Rdd8
2.Bxd8 Rxd8
and White can choose between Bd5 or fxg6 to preserve the bishop
Be6 wins exchange
Wow, I should have seen this works immediately. The rook at d7 is badly hemmed in by his own compatriots, and the way to take advantage of this is straightforward. I dismissed it early on because I completely overlooked something important:
1. Be6!
And no matter what black does, he is going to lose the exchange:
1. …..fe6
2. fe6 Rdd8 (what else?)
3. Bd8
And here is where I screwed this up- I completely overlooked the fact that the bishop at f6 is hanging (I kept seeing a phantom white pawn at f5) if black takes back at d8- so white does win the exchange. Or
1. …..Rdd8
2. fg6 Kg7 (fe6 3.Bd8 as above)
3. Bd8 Rd8 (fe6 4.Rd6 wins)
4. gf7 Ng6 and white should have a decisive edge here. Or
1. …..Nc8
2. Bd7 Nb6
And, here, I think white does best to take at g6 as Nd7 can be answered by the double attack that arises after Rd6:
3. fg6 Nd7 (Kg7 a bit better?)
4. Rd6 fg6 (Rd8 a good bit worse)
5. Rd7 and white should win this easily.
1. Be6!
Black might as well just concede the exchange with 1. … Rd8
Otherwise, if 1. … fxe6 2. fxe6 Rd8 3. Bxd8 Rxd8 4. Rxf6 and he’s still down the exchange and White has a dominant position.
White gains little after 1 fxg6, as she has no pieces in attacking position. After 1… nxd5, 2 Rxd5 fxg6, White only has a small advantage.
Black’s Rook on d7 has nowhere to go. White takes advantage of that with a tactical shot:
1 Be6! fxe6
Black can also play 1… Nc8, 2 Bxd7 Nxc6, apparently trapping White’s Bishop, but after 3 fxg6! the Bishop is no longer trapped, and if Black takes it with 3.. Nxd7, then 4 Rxd6 fxg6, 5 Rxd7 leaves White up the Exchange and a pawn.
2 fxe6 Nf5
Black is going to lose the Rook anyway. After such as 1… Rc7, 2 Bxc7 d5, 3 Bd6 Kg7, 4 Bxe7 Bxe7, 5 Rxf8+ Kxf8, 6 Rxd5, White is up the Exchange and a pawn.
3 exd7 Bd8
If 3 … Kf7, 5 g4 wins more material.
With the given move, Black seems to have the fort secured, although the Exchange and a pawn down. But White has another surprise in store:
4 Rxd6! Nxe6
The alternative of 4 … Kg7 is a little better, but after 5 Bxd8 Rxd8, 6 Re6 (among other moves), Rxd7, 7 Rxe5, White is up the Exchange and two pawns.
5 Rxf8+ Kxf8
6 Bxd8
White keeps Black’s King away from the advanced pawn.
6… Nf7
7 Bf6 Kg8
Black can do nothing but mark time with the King or make pawn moves.
8 Kf2!
White doesn’t bother winning Black’s Knight for her pawn yet. She marches her King right up to e4 so she can also win the e-pawn without a fight. Black’s Knight and King aren’t going anywhere in the meantime.
8 … Kf8
9 Kf3 Kg8
10 Ke4 Kf8
11 d8=Q
Now it’s time to pick up the Knight.
11… Nxd8
12 Bxd8 Kg7
13 Kxf5
White is up a piece and two pawns with a well-placed King, and an easy win in sight.
Mmm… 1.Be6! seems to be strong and after 1…fxe6 2.fxe6 winning.
1. Be6 wins an exchange. 1…fe 2. fe Rd8 3. B:d8 R:d8 4. R:f6 seems like the main line.b
I came to 1. Be6 only after trying to shake out 1. Bxf7+ and just not getting it to work.
1. … fxe6
2. fxe6 wins the exchange
1. … Nc8
2. Bxd7 Nxb6
3. fxg6 Kg7 (3. … fxg6 4. Rxd6 Nxd7 5. Rxd7)
4. Rxf6 Kxf6
5. Rxd6+ Ke7
6. Rxb6 Kxd7
7. Rxb7+
Be6