White to move. How should white proceed?
r1r3n1/2Rb2q1/1pN1k3/3p1pPQ/3PnB2/8/p4P2/4R1K1 w – – 0 1
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1Rxn ch leads to mate.
1Rxn ch leads to mate.
1Rxn ch leads to mate.
another sublte, quiet key move
1.Rxe4+ dxe4 2.d5+! Kxd5 3.Qd1+ Ke6 4.Qb3 mate
1.Rxe4+ fxe4 2.Qg4+ Kf7 3.Qxd7+ Kg6 4.Qxg7+ Kh5 5.Ne5! a1(Q)+ 6.Kg2 followed by Qh7+ and mate.
Kamalakanta
I am too drunk to look at anything other than Re4, but I think this move would be the first one I looked at anyway. Black replying with fe4 is pretty bad looking even after many beers:
1. Re4 fe4
I will cover de4 afterwards. Continuing:
2. Qg4 Kf7 (only move)
3. Qd7
Does Rd7 win more quickly? I simply don’t know (probably not), but I can see the continuation more easily with Qd7. Continuing:
3. …..Kg6 (Ne7 4.Qe7 no better)
4. Ne5
Deflects the black queen. There are too many mate threats to answer them all, now. Continuing:
4. …..Qe5 (Kh5 5.Qh3#;Kh7 5.Qg7#)
5. Qf7#
At move 3 in this line, black loses more clearly with
3. …..Kf8
4. Qg7 Ke8
5. Qf7#
So, at move 1, can black escape with de4? I don’t think so:
1. …..de4 (Qe5 2.Re5 Kd6 3.Re7#)
2. d5 Kd5 (only move)
3. Qd1 Kc4
Or [3. …Kc5 4.Qd6 Kb5 (or 4. …Kc4 5.Qb4 Kd3 {or 5. …Kd5 6.Qb5 Ke6 7.Qc4#} 6.Qb3 Ke2 {or 6. …Qc3 7.Rd7 Ke2 8.Qd1#} 7.Qe3 Kd1 8.Qd2#) 5.Qb4 Ka6 6.Qa4#]; or [3. …Qd4 4.Qd4 Ke6 5.Qd7#]; or [3. …Ke6 4.Qb3#]. Continuing:
4. Ne5
I just love double checks! Continuing:
4. …..Kb4
Or [4. …Kb5 5.Qb3 Ka6 (or 5. …Ka5 6.Nc4 Ka6 7.Qb6#) 6.Qa2 Kb5 7.Qc4 Ka5 8.Bd2#]. Continuing:
5. Qd2 Kb5
Or [5. …Ka3 6.Qc3 Ka4 7.Qc4 with Bc1# or Bd2# coming on the next move]; or [5. …Ka4 6.Qa2 Kb4 (or 6. …Kb5 7.Qc4+-) 7.Qc4 with Bc1# or Bd2# on the next move]; or [5. …Kb3 6.Qc3 Ka4 7.Qc4+-]. Continuing:
6. Qd5 Ka6
Or [6. …Kb4 7.Qc4 with Bd1 or Bc2 on the next move as before]; or [6. …Ka4 7.Qc4 with the bishop mate once again]. Continuing:
7. Qa2 Kb5 (Ba4 8.Qa4#)
8. Qc4 Ka5
And we know what white’s next move is, don’t we?
rxe4+han
Ra7?
Ra7?
Ra7?
Rxe4
Rxe4+. If fxe4 then Qb4+ followed by mate. If dxe4 then d5+ Kxd5 Qd1+ followed by mate
First move is obvious.
1 Rxe4+ fxe4 This is line of least resistance just by glance.
2Qg4+ Kf7
3Qxd7+ Kg6
(3…. Kf8
4Qxg7+ Ke8
5Qf7#)
4Ne5+ Qxe5
(4… Kh5 5Qh3#)
5Qf7#
Now going to more involved variation.
1Rxe4+ dxe4
2d5+ Kxd5
3Qd1+ Kc5
(if 3… Ke6 4Qb3#)
4Qd6+ Kc4
(4….Kxb5
5Qb4+ Ka6
6Qa4#)
5Qb4+ Kd5
(5…Kd3
6Ne5+ Qxe5
In this if 6… Ke2 7Qd2#)
6Qb5+ Ke6
7Qc4#)
The knight on e4 is pinned, therefore White kills it by 1.f3!
The weakness in the black position is clearly the pawn on a2. This signals the presence of a mating attack. 1.Re4! opens lines for a king hunt following either capture.
1. Rxe4+ (then, not exhaustive but will suffice):
Road 1:
1. … fxe4
2. Qg4+ Kf7
3. Qxd7+ Ne7
4. Qxe7+ Kg6
5. Qxg7+ Kh5
6. Qh6+ Kg4
7. Ne5+ Kxf4
8. Rf7#
Road 2:
1. … dxe4
2. d5+ Kxd5
3. Qd1+ Kc4
4. Ne5+ Kb5
5. Qb3+ Ka6
6. Qxa2+ Kb5
7. Qc4+ Ka5
8. Bd2#
Lucymarrie,
In your road2: why not 6Qa4#? In addition I am against taking a2 pawn. It spoils the beauty of the problem.In this road2 variation if white Q can give check to black K on b4 or a4 from c4 the king has to move to a3 or a5.In either case bishop delivers mate by Bc1 or Bd2.
My computer was down for several days but I was obsessed with the problem.I could vaguely remember positions of important pieces but could not imagine that white B has access to c1 and d2. I was thinking only N should come to help Q since R gives only passive support.Only after seeing the position again on computer I could arrive at this part of solution.In my earlier comment I had discarded the possibility of 3…. Kc4 as it leads to dbl check and would be easy for white.
Prof Bhat,
I saw the note you left to Lucy. The problem with your suggestion of 6.Qa4# is the black bishop at d7.
Yes Yancy,I am really sorry for the comment.Analysing mentally without moving pieces on actual board has resulted in the error.
In spite of goofing previously I am coming out with some amendments.
1Rxe4+ dxe4
2d5+ Kxd5
3Qd1+ Kb5
4Qe2+ idea here is not to allow black king to go to a6 where I goofed.
4… Ka4 or 4…. Kb4 calls for 5Qc4+ followed by 6Bf1# or Bd2#,whereas 4…. Ka5 is dealt with by 5Bd2+ Ka4 6Qc4+ Ka3 7Bc1#.Even 3…. Kb4 is dealt with by more or less same theme.Moral of the story is if you are not GM do not see variations in air but buy a chess board and play on it.
Again goofed this time while recording moves. After
3Qd1+ it is not Kb5 but Kc4.
3Qd1+ Kc4
4Ne5+ Kb5
5Qe2+ so the solution extends by one more move.
I looked back to this page after knowing Lucidmarie’s penchant for shorter solution.I thought my solution was shorter but now my solution also ends on 8th move but without harming a2 pawn and using prophylaxis of not allowing black K to go to a6.