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1. b5 looks interesting to me as it threatens to create an advanced passed b-pawn, it also potentially opens up the a-file for white’s rook which can threaten a back rank mate.
1. b5 ab5 (a5 2. Ra1 anyway)
2. Ra1 Rd8 (alternatives better?)
3. c5 Nd5 (Nd7?? 4.Rd1 wins)
4. Ra7 b4 (Rb8 loses)
Now, here, I have spent the last 20 mintues trying to make Rb7 work, but black gets some serious counterplay with b3:
5. Rb7 b3
6. Nc4 Ne3 (poisoned knight)
7. Na3 Rf8 (b2 might be ok)
8. h3 Rf1
9. Kh2 Ra1 (b2 not better,I think)
10.c6 in this line, white cannot waste anymore time. Continuing:
10. …..b2
11. c7 and white will queen with mate. I now see that black’s counterplay is just too slow and late. I am all out of energy for this. If there is a better line for black in this sequence (or white, for that matter), I will let other readers suggest and analyze them.
1.b5 axb5
2.c6 bxc6
3.b7 Rd8
4.Ra1
Vlad D – Toronto
I would say
1. Ra1
and then start pushing some pawns or sacking a rook.
one interesting idea is b5, e.g.,
axb
c5 Rd8
c6 Kf8
c7 Rc8
Nc6 with an idea of Na7
Anonymous,
1.Ra1 looked interesting to me, too, and it actually was the second move in my solution for this problem. I didn’t include it’s analysis in my comment with my solution, but here it is:
1. Ra1 Kf8
Black’s king position is a liability since white is threatening b5. The king needs an escape square, and he needs to stay in the action on the queenside, so Kf8 is better than a pawn move like g6 or h6. The other options were Nd7, Ng4 and Re4. I don’t know if they were better or not. Continuing:
2. Ra6 This was why I found 1.Ra1 interesting. Continuing:
2. …..ba6
3. b7 Rd8 (only move)
4. c5 Here Nc6 loses to Rd1 and Nd7. Continuing:
4. …..Ke8 (forced, in my opinion)
5. c6 Nd5 (prevents c7)
And, now, though white is down a rook for a pawn, black’s rook, his king, his knight, and the a-pawn are immobilized by the threats of b8(Q) and c7. However, it is hard to see how white can take advantage of this. 6.Nd7 is no threat that I can see:
6. Nd7 Ke7(king heading to d6/c7)
7. b8(Q)Rb8
8. Nb8 Nc7 (Kd8 looks Ok, too)
And I like this position for black. His king can sweep up the c-pawn, and he has preserved his a-pawn. Not sure it is a forced win for black, but I don’t think he is the one in danger of losing.
The idea you had pushing pawns:
1. Ra1 Kf8
2. b5 ab5 (a5 does nothing I see)
3. c5 looks good for white. Indeed, it looks a lot like the solution I offered earlier this evening.
I think, the best for white is
1.b5! axb5 2.Ra1!
(2.c5 Nd7 I dont see nothning for white)
White wins an important tempo for better position for rook and next move plays c5 :
2…Kf8 (or 2…Rd8 3.c5)
3.c5 Nd7 4.Nxd7+ Rxd7 5.Ra7
the threat is c6,
5…Rd1+ 6.Kf2 Rc1 7.Rxb7 Rxc5 8.Rc7
and white wins.
if black played 2…h6 instead of Kf8 – it should not help him
after the same moves now 8…Rf5+ 9.Kg3 Rf8 10.b7 white wins
What about
c5 Rxb
Rd1 Kf8
Rd7
1. b5 axb5
2. c5 etc. 1-0
b5 b5
c6 c6
b7 Rd8
Nc6
Nc6
@ Yancey Ward will Rc1 help white in anyway?
After I analyzed more the position,
I still think that
1.b5 axb5 2.Ra1
wins, but may be 1.Ra1 first wins too, and in some lines it transfers to the same variation and may be it is even better.
For example, 1…h6 2.b5 axb5 3.c5 or 1…Kf8 is the same :
3.c5 Nd7 4.Nxd7 Rxd7
and now 5.Ra7 or 5.c6 bxc6 6.Ra7
wins.
If white starts with 1.Ra1 (there is one more threat 2.Rxa6) , on 1…Rd8 he can play also 2.c5 without b5-axb5 and this may be better line.