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1.Ra1+ Kf2 2.Ra2! Rxa2 3.bxa7 Rd2+ 4.Ke7 Re2+ 5.Kf7 and 6.a8/Q +-
Ra1 then a2
Definitely easier for me than the earlier puzzle. Saw the answer in about 2 seconds.
1. Ra1 Ke2 (Kd2 2.Ra2 still)
2. Ra2 Ra2 (nothing holds)
3. ba7 Rd2 (the point of Ke2)
4. Ke7! and black is out of useful checks and cannot cover a8. The pawn is meaningless as black will not be able to protect both it and the rook from the soon to be born queen at a8. White has a force win, but I can tell you winning the queen vs rook endgame isn’t trivial in blitz chess.:~)
Another pretty one!
1. Ra1+ Kf2
2. Ra2! Rxa2
3. bxa7 Rd2+
4. Ke7 Re2+
5. Kf7 +-
And white should be able to win the Q v R+p ending
Ra1+ K any
Ra2 RxR
bxa
What happened to the previous puzzle in this spot?
You’re making these too easy. 🙂
1. Ra1+ Kf2 (prolongs agony)
2. Ra2 Rxa2
3. bxa7 Rd2+
4. Ke7 Re2+
5. Kf7
and Black can’t stop the promotion. Still has to win Black’s a pawn and then win the Q vs. R endgame, though, so technique will still be important.
It feels as though there should be a win for White here, but I’m seeing only draws.
1. bxa7 Rb7+ will draw.
1. Ra1+ Kd2
2. Ra2 axb6 (of course, not 2. … Rxa2 because of bxa7)
3. Rxb2+ Kc3
4. Rxb6 a5 will draw.
1. Rxa6 axb6
2. Kc6 b5 will draw.
Looking forward to someone finding a win.
white wins easily after
1. Ra1+, Ke2
2. Ra2, Rxa2
3. b6xc7
Maybe Ra1 and Ra2!!, and after black takes rook ba7. On checks move the king Down the a and b lines towards rook.
Ra1+ King moves to 2nd rank
Ra2! pinning the rook
and then bxa7 wins
Oh lord…why didn’t I see it right away….Ra1 check…King anywhere..follwed by ra2…Pinning the rook and b#a7…..Easy when you see it. fun one!!
Mike Magnan
1)Ra1 K move2)Ra2 Rxa2 3)bxa7 1-0
Jcheyne points out something I missed in being hasty. I just assumed black could do no better than the queen-rook endgame that arises after he takes at a2, but this isn’t true. The best line for black (at least, the one that is hardest to find the winning plan for white) is
1. Ra1 Kd2
2. Ra2 ab6!
3. Rb2 Kc3
4. Rb6 a5 and I don’t see how white can stop the pawn other than sacrifice for it. If white is going to find a win, he will have to find a way to win with both black pawns on the board. At first, I thought this idea was completely ridiculous, but then I realized something as I was getting deeper into one of the two main lines- it was looking like a possibly won rook vs knight endgame. From the beginning:
1. Ra1 Kd2
2. Ra2 bc6
3. Rb2 Kc3
4. Ra2! a5 (b5 is better and below)
5. Kc6 Kb3
6. Rh2 a4
7. Kb5! a3 (Ka3 8.Rh3 wins)
8. Rh3 Kb2(Ka2 9.Kb4 wins)
9. Kb4 a2
10.Rh2 Kb1
11.Kb3
And, now, we have reached the position I thought made this plan ridiculous. I thought black could just underpromote to a knight and get a draw this way, but
11……a1(N)(a1(Q)loses instantly)
12.Kc3 and now black is in zugzwang! The only move is
12……b5
13.Re2 b4
14.Kb4 Nc2 (Kc1 below)
15.Kc3 Na3 (Na1 below)
16.Kb3 and it is over- the double threat of taking the knight and the mate can’t be defended. At move 15, black does no better with
15. ….Na1
16.Re1! Ka2
17.Rd1 Nb3
18.Rd5 Nc1(Na1 19.Rb5; Ka3 19.Rb5)
19.Ra5 Kb1
20.Rb5 Ka2(Ka1 below)
21.Kc2 and the double threat against the knight and the king can’t both be defended. At move 20 in this subvariation, black does no better with
20. ….Ka1
21.Kc2 Na2 (what else?)
22.Rb1#
At move 14 above, black still loses with
14. ….Kc1
15.Kc3 Kd1 (Kb1 16.Rf2+- zugzwang)
16.Ra2 wins the knight.
The last remaining loose thread is all the way back at move 4 where black could have/should have played b5, and it is the loose thread that unravels my entire plan involving 4.Ra2, it seems.
4. …..b5
5. Ra6 b4
And, like the previous line at the beginning of this comment, how does white stop the pawn? His king is simply too far away, and the rook can’t stop it by himself.
So, is there any other plan here that wins for white? One idea, something similar to the line where black plays 4….a5, the white king follows just behind and on the adjacent file of the b-pawn as it advances. Continuing from move 4:
4. Rh2 b5 (Kb2/3/4 and a5 is below)
5. Kb3 Nd2 (only move)
6. Kb4
5. Rh3 Kc2(saves valuable time)
6. Kc6 b4
7. Kc5 b3 (a5 8.Kc4 will win)
8. Kc4 b2
9. Rh2 Kc1 (Kb1? 10.Kb3 wins)
10.Kc3 b1(N)(b1(Q)?? 11.Rh1#)
11.Kd3 Na3
12.Rh1 Kb2
13.Rh6 a5
14.Rh5 a4
15.Rh1 Nc2(I know what I am doing)
16.Rh2 a3
17.Rc2 Kb3
18.Rc6 Kb2
19.Rb6 Kc1 and this is a well known drawn position:
20.Ra6 Kb2 Or
20.Rb3 a2
21.Rc3 Kb2
22.Rc2 Kb1= Or
20.Kc3 a2 (not like before, is it?)
21.Ra6 Kb1 and white is one move behind where this position was previously- with his rook on the other side of the board.
I have to agree with jcheyne. This looks drawn though one wants to believe white can win it.
I am out of ideas, I am hungry, and I need a couple of drinks to boot.
1. Ra1+ Kd2
2. Ra2 Rxa2
3. bxa7..
How about 1. Ra1+ Kd2 (or Ke2) 2. Ra2. If 2… Rxa2 then 3. bxa7. If 2… axb6 then 3. Rxb2+ should win.
ra1+, qf2,ra2+ wins for white
1.Ra1+ Kf2 (Ke2,Kd2 accordingly)
2.Ra2 Rxa2
3.bxa7 Rd2+
4.Ke7 Re2+
5.Kf7 and
6.a8=Q +-
RA1+ KD2
RA2 RxA2
bxa7
How about
1 Ra1+ – King Moves
2. Ra2 RxR
3. bxa
The white pawn will queen. White will have a Q vs. Rook and Pawn.
I haven’t had much success forcing the win with lone Queen vs. Lone Rook when I’ve played against the computer, but for someone with better skills than me, it is a forced win.
My mistake… It’s a draw:
1. Ra1+ Kf2
2. Ra2! axb6!!
3. Rxb2+ Kc3 =
And it seems like a draw here as white’s king is too far away to help the rook stop the pawns (4. Rxb6 a5 =, 4. Ra2 b5 =). I’m sorry Im too lazy to provide detailed analysis but I’m pretty confident white can’t win from this position
4. Rb1 may be worth a look too (after 1. Ra1+ Kd2 2. Ra2 axb6 3. Rxb2+ Kc3)
For example 4. … Kc2 5. Rxb6 wins as the a-pawn falls next.