White to move. How should White proceed?
1K5B/2n1p2P/3PP3/8/7p/8/k1P2P1p/5b2 w – – 0 1
Dall Ava, 1946
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White to move. How should White proceed?
1K5B/2n1p2P/3PP3/8/7p/8/k1P2P1p/5b2 w – – 0 1
Dall Ava, 1946
I had put all my concentration on the e6, d6 pawns and had thought they can salvage White. After considering in vain some lines I tried a line where I tried an early Bd4 to stop the check from the promoted Black Queen on h1- a2.
Then it struck me – that’s its possible to try Bishop to a1 because there is the h pawn promotion to consider too.
So its Ba1 if Black promotes , than White promotes and mate on b2 is coming.
However if Black decides to take:1.. KxB, than white promotes with a check: 2. h8+ and K runs and 3. Qxh4 and that’s stops Blacks promotion dreams.
Good puzzle!
Hope I got it right.
dc7 seems to lose to Ba6 preventing white from queening a pawn, and d7 seems to lose to Ne6 for the same reason. Also, de7 doesn’t seem to be an improvement since Bb5 is just as neutralizing.
Now, for bishop moves:
1. Be5 Na6
2. Ka7 h1(Q)
3. h8(Q)Qd5 and white has some serious problems holding this- the king is naked, and 2. Ka8/Kc8/Kb7 don’t seem to be improvements to me in this line;
1. Ba1 h1(Q)
2. h8(Q)Qa8 (forced)
3. Kc7 Qh8
4. Bh8 ed6
5. Kb6 and the e-pawn can’t be stopped.
1. Ba1 Ka1
2. h8(Q)Kb1
3. Qh4 should win for white easily.
I vote for the first move as Ba1.
1. Ba1
Conside Kxa1:
1….Kxa1
2. h8=Q+ Ka2
3. Qxh4 prevents queening on h1
Consider h1=Q
1….h1=Q
2. h8=Q Qa1+
3. Kxc7 Qxh8
4. Bxh8 exd6
5. Kxd6 should win for white
1. Ba1 looks like the right plan,
1. Ba1 h1Q
2. h8Q Qa8+
3. K:c7 Qa7+
4. Kd8 Qa8+
5. K:e7 Qa7+
6. d7 Qa4+
7. Ke8 and the checks are over, Black must guard against mate on b2, and another Q is coming. Nothing else seems better for Black; 3….Q:h8, 4. B:h8 h3
5. Be5 stops the pawn and White makes a new Q on h8. White has only to be careful to keep his K on black squares so black’s B cannot move with check and perhaps be able to get to the b1h7 diagonal before white’s B leaves h8.
Tough one.
1. Ba1 h1(Q)
2. a8(Q) Qa8+
3. Kxc7 Qa3
4. Qb2+ Qxb2
5. Bxb2 exd6
6. Bc1 Bb5
7. Kxd6 Kb1
8. c4 Ba4
9. Bf4 and White wins
7. … h3
8. Bf4 Kb1
9. Ke7 Kxc2
10. Bh2 Kd3
11. Kf6 Bc6
12. f4 Ke4
13. f5
and White wins this one, too.
There must be an easier way.
f3