White to move. How can white save this game?
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Qg6 checkmates
Well, the obvious move is rarely the right one, but here it was (at least the first move was my first try at a beginning. Too deep, though for me to actually see it without a board:
1. Bg6 Kf6
2. Qh6
One of the features of the position is the lack of immediate threats from black. Sure, black has 2 knights and pawns close to queening, but no checks on the white king, so white has time to set up this threat. Now white is threatening a direct mate with Bg5, and also has mate threats starting with Bh5. The e-file is covered by white’s rook, but black can’t do anything about this by taking at e1 since white will just mate starting with Be8. The best black can do is to move the rook down to cover the king at either e6 or e7, or he must play Ne6 to do the same at e7, but these still lose:
2. …..Re4
3. Bg5 Ke6
4. Be8 Kf5 (or Qf6 5.Qf6#)
5. Qg6 Kg4
6. f3#
Or, at move 2:
2. …..Ne6
3. Re6 Ke6 (or Re6 4.Bg5#)
4. Re1 Kd7 (or Kf6 5.Bg5#)
5. Bf5 Re6
6. Qe6#
All other move 2 alternatives are just shorter versions of these mates for the most part, I think.
Nope. Qg6 is perpetual at best. Bg6+, King moves, Qxpawn…
A draw is far too easy to obtain, so let’s check if we have more.
Really complicated.
So many attractive alternatives here!
What I like the best so far, is:
1. Rxe8 Bxe8
2. Qg6+! Kg8 (Ke7 Re1+ Ne6 Qxe6#)
3. Be6+! Kh8
4. Qxh6#
Nice, but I realize it looks more unclear after:
1. … Qxe8 (seems to be best defence)
2. Bg6+ Kf6
3. Bxe8 b2
If white is unable to find the winning line after 1…Qxe8, he shall of cource have the draw with Qg6/Qh7….
Here is another line I think I perhaps like better:
1. Bg6+ Kf6 (only)
2. Qxh6!
Now how to defend against Bh5+ Kf5 Qg6#?
2. … Rxe1 (Nf5 Bxf5+ doesn’t seem to help)
3. Bh5+ Ke7
and whites possibilities look overwhelming, though here are several variations….
So, now I have posted two suggestions, hope that one of them work 🙂
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,nice puzzle.
White wins the game.[ Variations exist ].
Example [ Variations exist ]
=======
1.Bg6+ Kf6
2.Be5+ R*Be5
3.R*Re5 b2
4.Ree6+ N*Re6
5.Qf7+ Kg5
6.Qf5++ Mate
White wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
1.Bg6+Kf6
2.Qxh6 if Ne6
3.Rxe6+Rxe6
4.Bg5++
if 2…Rxe1
3.Be8+ Ke7
4.Rxe1+Ne6
5.Qxe6++
Well, white can “save” the game – that is, half a point – by the perpetual Qg6+/Qh7+. So now let us look for ways to win. Since the queen check leads to draw, let us try the bishop check:
1. Bg6+ Kf6 (forced)
2. Qxh6!!
The threat is of course, 3. Bg5#. This move kills any chance black may have had in salvaging the game. There is no defense, which we can see after examining the possible moves for black:
2… Ne6
3. Rxe6+ Kxe6 (3… Rxe6 3. Bg5#)
4. Re1+ Kd7 (4… Kf6 5. Bg5#)
5. Bf5+ Re6
6. Qe6#
Or:
2… Re5
3. Be8+ Ke7 (3… Kf5 4. Qg6#)
4. Rxe5+ Ne6
5. Rxe6#
Alternatively, 3. Bxe5+ also leads to mate in this variation.
Last:
2… Rxe1
3. Be8+ Ke7 (3… Kf5 4. Qg6#)
4. Rxe1+ Ne6
5. Rxe6#
Never underestimate the bishop pair 🙂
Hi Susan Polgar,
This is my second post at this puzzle title.
I had missed out one step in my previous post,due to urgency to watch a television show.
Anyway,posting it again with the correction.
Example
=======
1.Bg6+ Kf6
2.Be5+ R*Be5
3.R*Re5 b2
4.Re1 b1(Q)
5.Ree6+ N*Re6
6.Qf7+ Kg5
7.Qf5++ Mate
White wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Can anybody suggest me simple chess software where I can put the position (Forsyth notation)and analyse the game? I am bored of physical chess board where pieces go on missing. I tried to download some winboard but it failed to work.
prof S.G Bhat,
I did a quick search on “chess gui” just now. The second on this list looked interesting, and visually clean.
http://www.triplehappy.com/