5r1k/p6p/5PpN/p3p1P1/7P/1R1P4/n1P2b2/7K w – – 0 1
White to move. How can White save this game?
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1. Nf7+ if 1… Rxf7 2 Rb8+. If 1… Kh8, Nh6+, etc.
how about Nf7+ Kg8 / Ng6+ Kh8 / Nf7+ Kg8 / Ng6+ Kh8 / Nf7+ Kg8 and the games is drawn by three-fold repetitions
Well, white already has a clear draw by repetition:
1. Nf7 Kg8 (Rf7? 2.Rb8 Rf8 3.Rf8#)
2. Nh6 Kh8
So, by “save”, this must be a win for white somewhere. Prosaic attempts at winning by brute force by cleaning up of the weak black pawns probably won’t work due to the weakness of white’s own pawns- the c and d pawns are vulnerable to Nb4, and the kingside pawns are already under attack by the bishop. So, we can concentrate on attacking the black king by either mating or finding a way to queen the f-pawn. I really can think of only one starting sequence here:
1. Rb7
Threatens Rg7-Rg8-Nf7 with a smothered mate. Indeed, now looking at this, I don’t see any defense possible. It takes black two moves just to get into position to liquidate white’s knight-Bh4 to Bg5; there are no checks on the white king possible in less than 3 moves; sacrificing the rook at f6 is still mate after white takes with the g-pawn and then plays Rb8; and black can’t cover g7 with the rook from g8 as white just plays the smother move of Nf7#.
Easier than I thought.
Augusto Lima Rb3-b7 and g7 and g8+, and, after, Nf7 Mate. For example,1. Rb7,Bxh4, 2. Rg7,Bxg5, 3.Rg8+,Rg8 4.Nf7mate.
Augusto Lima Rb3-b7 and g7 and g8+, and, after, Nf7 Mate. For example,1. Rb7,Bxh4, 2. Rg7,Bxg5, 3.Rg8+,Rg8 4.Nf7mate.
I don’t see a win this late at night; however, 1.Nf7+ gives a perpetual after 1…Kg8 2.Nh6+, because 1…Rxf7 loses to 2.Rb8+ followed by mate. Phil
White has a draw with the amateurish 1.Nf7+ Kg8 2.Nh6+ Kh8 3.Nf7+ and perpetual check / threefold repetition since the knight cannot be taken 3….Rxf7 4.Rb8+ and mate follows.
But White also has a win:
1.Rb7! Rc8 (any knight, bishop or pawn move cannot help because they are not useful to the direct defence against the mate attack )
2.Rg7 Nb4 (or some other move)
3.Rg8+! Rxg8 4.Nf7 mate !
White is down a bishop and can force at least a draw.
Kf7+, if black castle takes the knight, then mate results with-
Rb8+, Rf8 (forced)
RxR (checkmate)
Otherwise, the black king moves to g8, then the white knight can force perpetual check with a draw.
A simple but elegant puzzle. White is significantly down in material but controls the escape hatches of the black king. This leads to a forced mate in 4.
First get to the 7th rank.
1. Rb7 black moves e.g. Ra8 or B*h4
Second strangle the king
2. Rg7 black moves (e.g. R can go back to Rf8 if it had moved; or B*g5 if it had moved)
3. Rg8+! (this is the pretty move)
… R*g8. 4. Nf7# (I love these mates!)
Psyche (anonymous)
Analysis for the weekend! yay! ^_^
Nf7+ and black can’t take with the rook because of the back rank mate.
..Kg8
Nh6 and a perpetual.
1.Ne7+ Rxe7 2.Rb8+ Rf8 3.Rxf8#
i can’t see anything better than a repetition of moves: Nf7+ and Nh6+. if black would take the knight, it would be a checkmate in two. is there a way, white can win this? i don’t think so. greets, jan
Rb7 following by Rg7
Rb7 Bd4
Rg7 e4
dxe4 Nb4
Nf7+ Rxf7
Rxf7 Nxc2
Knight x Rook and passing pawn.
The e Pawn will easily promote
White should probably try perpetual check:
1. Nf7+ Rxf7?
2. Rb8+ Rf8
3. Rxf8#
Hence
1. Nf7+ Kg8
2. Nh6+ Kh8
3. Nf7+
etc.
Perpetual check with Nf7+, Nh6+
Perpetual check with Nf7+, Nh6+
Kf7,Kg8
Kh6,Kh8
Perpetual. Black can’t play RxN because then White wins with Rb8.
1 rb7 2 rg7 3 rg8 4 nf7 mate !
Can more than save it.
Rb7, then Rg7, then Rg8 and Nf7 mate. Black hasn’t time to sac on f6 successfully with either N, B or R
Black has no defense against Rb7-g7-g8+ and Nf7#. …Rg8 at any time fails to Nf7# in reply.
White is lucky. There sits a quite straightforward example of smorthered mate in this position !!
1. Rb7!, Bxh4 (not much black can do about the coming smorthered mate…)
2. Rg7, Bxg5
3. Rg8+, Rxg8
4. Nf7 checkmate
Erik Fokke
Amsterdam, Netherlands
PS:
I am looking forward to attend the first round of a very promissing TATA chess tournement tomorrow.
1.Rb7 ~
2.Rg7 ~
3.Rg8+ Rxg8
4.Nf7#
Why trying perpetual chess when you can obtain mat !
Rb7, Rg7 then Rg8+ and Nf7# !
Black has no defense !
white has a chance to give a smothered mate to black.
Draw is easily possible anytime. But I think
Rb7 followed by Rg7 and Rg8 And Nf7# is unstoppable…
I saw the same drawe at Nxf7… but doesn’t mate follow Rb7
Rb7… Rg7…Rg8+ [Rxg8] Nf7#
or did I miss something?
I can’t see how Black can prevent getting mated by
Rb7, followed by Rg7, Rg8+ and Nf7 mate, for example
1. Rb7 Bxh4
2. Rg7 Bxg5
3. Rg8+ Rxg8
4. Nf7 mate
1 Nf7+ is a perpetual, but White has better here: a mate in four:
1 Rb7!
2 Rg7
3 Rg8+
4 Nf7#
Black can do nothing to effectively stop the mate.
“King in the corner is a goner.”
Smothered mate in 4: R-b7-g7-g8+, Nf7#
1. Rb7 whatever black moves
2. Rg7 black has no move to avoid
3. Rg8+ Rxg8
4. Nf7#
Rb7 Bxh4
Rg7 Bxg5
Rg8+! Rxg8
Nf7#
Black needs to improve somewhere, but I am not sure where.
White has perpetual with Nf7+. However I think white might have a win in the following line.
1.Rb7!?
The idea, here, is to move the rook to g7 in the next move. Black can’t move the rook here. Even if he moves he has to get it back to f8 in the next (2nd) move to avoid a mate. Black basically has 2 options here, to move either his knight or bishop. Let’s see what can be achieved in each case. It seems best to try and attach the knight with black’s bishop after apturing the pawns. So, continuing
1…Bxh4
2.Rg7 Bxg5
3.Nf7 Rxf7
4.Rxf7 Kg8
5.Rxa7 Bxf6
6.Rxa5 Nb4
7.Rc5 looks like everything is forced after 1…Bxh4
Will post the remaining analysis in my next comment
Oh my! how did I miss the smothered mate, after finding Rb7 and then to g7!!
Hoping to improve soon with PCU classes 🙂