White to move. Is this a draw or loss for White? How should White proceed?
8/8/6R1/8/3n4/4k3/r6P/6K1 w – – 0 47
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White has to avoid
1… Nf3+
2. Kf1 Ra1+
3. Kg2 Rg1+
so he has to give up the pawn and get to a drawn R+N vs. R endgame (at least it is probably drawn).
Nf3+ if Kf1 Rf1 #
if Kh1 Rxh2#
If I am right,
1.Kf1 is leading to draw.
(1.Kh1? Ne2 2.Re6+ Kf3 black wins)
1…Rf2+ 2.Ke1 , etc.
This is a loss for white whether he moves first or not. For example 1.Rg3+ Nf3+ (2.Rxf3+ is out of the question because the white king is confined to the first rank) 2.Kf1 Rf2# or 2.Kh1 Rh2#.
Of course, white is not forced into a check; he can try 1.Rg2 Nf3+ 2.Kf1 Ra1# or 2.Kh1 Ra1+ 3.Rg1 Rg1#. Well, that wasn’t much better, was it?
For a last try white protects the h2 square by 1.Rh6, but there follows 1…Nf3+ 2.Kh1 (2.Kf1 Rf2# again) 2…Kf2! 3.Rg6 (gee, wasn’t the rook just on this square?) 4.Ra1+ Rg1 5.Rxg1#. Naturally, 3.h4 instead of 3.Rg6 doesn’t help because h2 is covered by the knight and black mates with Ra1 that much sooner.
Obviously, white cannot prevent 1…Nf3+ without giving up the rook, which is the key.
This is a loss for white whether he moves first or not. For example 1.Rg3+ Nf3+ (2.Rxf3+ is out of the question because the white king is confined to the first rank) 2.Kf1 Rf2# or 2.Kh1 Rh2#.
Of course, white is not forced into a check; he can try 1.Rg2 Nf3+ 2.Kf1 Ra1# or 2.Kh1 Ra1+ 3.Rg1 Rg1#. Well, that wasn’t much better, was it?
For a last try white protects the h2 square by 1.Rh6, but there follows 1…Nf3+ 2.Kh1 (2.Kf1 Rf2# again) 2…Kf2! 3.Rg6 (gee, wasn’t the rook just on this square?) 4.Ra1+ Rg1 5.Rxg1#. Naturally, 3.h4 instead of 3.Rg6 doesn’t help because h2 is covered by the knight and black mates with Ra1 that much sooner.
Obviously, white cannot prevent 1…Nf3+ without giving up the rook, which is the key.
well.. Kf1 is the only move that doesnt lose immediately..
If it was black to move, white would lose immediately after Nf3+. Rg6 or Rg3 does not help to stop it, because after Rxf3 Kxf3 white loses. Kh1 results in mate after Nf3 followed by Kf2.
I think white can draw with Kf1.
Rook g3, if Night cheks then move the King to G2. This way black’s Night is in trouble. If I am wrong, that won’t be the first time.
Why not try 1.Rf6 ??
Answer to “Why not try 1.Rf6 ??” Then 1… Nf3+ and white has to give up the rook for the knight to avoid checkmate. (And then black would win easily.)
1. h7-h8=Q draws!
Smiley…
I was wrong; 1.Kf1 does draw the game. For some reason I thought that N + R verses R would win for black so I didn’t consider 1.Kf1. It appears that the white rook has enough “harassment power” to keep black busy because the knight no longer has the jump on white with a check.
Know what material wins and what doesn’t and then look for the exceptions. That’s a lesson for everyone.