White to move. What is the best continuation for White?
Source: ChessToday.net
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The sequence below may not be best play for Black:
1. Bf4 QxB
2. Bxh7+ KxB
3. Qh5+ Kg8
4. Ne7#
Mark
Bf4 seems to do the trick… black can’t capture, because of Bh7+
White is down an exchange and has a busted up pawn structure on the queenside. At the moment, he has a bishop en prise, but so does black. White also has some pressure on the black king. I would, at the very least, take a look at a move like Qh5 attacking h7 and force some decisions on black:
1. Qh5
Threatens Bh7 followed by Bg6 and Qh7# if black takes g5. Black can try to block this with h6, g6, or f5. In addition, black could play a move like Bf2 since the piece is hanging anyway followed by one of the above pawn moves. Let’s look at each in detail:
Option 1 with 1. ….h6
1. …..h6
Here, white has two fairly obvious options- Bf4 and Bh6. The idea behind Bf4 is to deflect the queen from e7 and set her up for a fork:
2. Bf4 Qf4
3. Ne7 Kh8
4. Ng6 bags the queen. However, black can complicate this line with 2. …Qc5 (3.Be4 is no good for white due to the hanging bishop at c2). At that point, I think white must then play 3.Bh6 anyway to justify his play, so I think just playing 2.Bh6 immediately makes more sense. Continuing from white’s 2nd move:
2. Bh6
And I don’t see a non-losing defense, now:
2. …..gh6
3. Qg6 Kh8
4. Qh7# Or
2. …..Rf7
3. Bg6 gh6 (Rd7 4.Bd2 wins easy)
4. Bf7 Kf8 (Kg7 5.Qg6 #s in 2)
5. Re1 and if this isn’t a forced mate, black is going to lose a minimum of a piece. Or
2. …..Bf2
3. Kf2 Qc5
4. Kf1 Qc2
5. Ne7 Kh8
6. Bf4 Qh7
7. Ng6 will leave white up a piece after the queen exchange at h7. Or
2. …..Qd7
3. Bf4 is going to win a piece minimum. Or
2. …..f5
3. Bf4 leaves white still up a piece at a minimum (remember, Qf4 loses the queen to Ne7 and Ng6). Or
2. …..Bc5
3. Qg6 is probably mate or massive material loss for black.
Option 2 with 1. ….g6:
1. …..g6
Here, I find only one plausible continuation for white to justify the material given up:
2. Bg6
Complicated position, but the threat against h7 must be dealt with. Black can try Qd7, hg6, or Bf2:
2. …..Qd7
3. Bh6
There are no good replies to this move of white:
3. …..hg6
4. Qg6 Kh8
5. Bf8 is either mate or massive material loss. Or
3. …..Rf7
4. Nb8 Bb8 (hg6 no better)
5. Re1 hg6
6. Qg6 Kh8 (Rg7 7.Re8 Qe8 8.Qg7#)
7. Re4 and what can black do against the threat of Rh4 followed by Bg6? Or
3. …..Bb7
4. Bf5 Qf7 (Qd6 5.Qg4 Kf7 6.Qg7+-)
5. Be6 wins. At move 2 in this line, we have:
2. …..hg6
3. Qg6 Kh8
4. Qh5 Kg8 (Kg7 no better)
5. Bh6 Bf5 (Rf7 6.Qg6; Rd8 6.Qg6)
6. Qf5 Kh8 (what else against Qg6)
7. Bf8 Rf8
8. Na7 leaves white up a piece and a pawn with a an attack to boot. Or
2. …..Bf2
3. Kf1
Black has a trap with 3.Kf2? of taking at g5 with discovered check. Here, 3.Kh1 is probably OK, but why not keep an attack on the f2 bishop? Continuing:
3. …..Qd7
For alternatives, you can look at variations of the lines above. Continuing:
4. Bh6 Ra8 (nothing better)
5. Kf2 and we have seen a close variation of this position above, and black lost that one while still up material adv.
Option 3 with 1. ….f5:
1. …..f5
2. Na7 Qd5
3. Rd1 Qe6
Here, black does worse with attempted attacks on the knight and/or the bishop with moves like Qc5 or Qb7 since white has Bb3+ followed by Be3 or Be7 (winning an exchange). Continuing:
4. Be7 Bb7 (Qe7 5.Nc6; Rf7 5.Rd8)
5. Bf8 Rf8
6. Qg5 and white is up a piece for a pawn, though he will have to find a safe way to extract that knight. Time to look to see if white has better than 1.Qh5.
I don’t think Bf4 is adequate.
1. Bf4 Qxf4
2. Bxh7+ Kxh7
3. Qh5+ Qh6
Why not Bd2 heading for b4?
Qh5 looks good to me. Black can’t take the bish because of mate with Bxh7+; neither h6 nor g6 help; finally, Bxf2+ is simply met by Kh1, and all the threats are renewed.
If BLACK is NOT grandmaster (GM), WHITE only need 4 steps for “KO”:
1.Bcxh7+ Kxh7
2.Qh5+ Kg8
3.Bf4 Qxf4
4.Ne7#
But… If BLACK is a grandmaster (GM), WHITE need 14 steps for “KO” :
1.Bcxh7+ Kxh7
2.Qh5+ Kg8
3.Bf4 Qd7
4.Re1 Qf7
5.Ne7+ Qxe7
6.Rxe7 Bac5
7.Rxg7+ Kxg7
8.Bh6+ Kh8
9.Bxf8+ Kg8
10.Bxc5 Bd7
11.Qg6+ Kh8
12.Qxf6+ Kg8
13.Qg6+ Kh8
14.Bd4#
****WHITE won
– From MR KO (Malaysian)
I think it clearly has to start with:
1. Bh7+ Kxh7 (enforced here)
2. Qh5+ Kg8
and now Ne7+ is a strong resource, but white must do something else first. What? Don’t forget that black has a resource too, Bxf2+.
E.g.:
3. Bf4 Qd7
4. Re1 Bxf2+! (Kh1 not possible because of hanging rook)
5. Kxf2 Qf5+
6. Kg1 Qh7!
7. Ne7+ Kh8
8. Ng6+ Kg8
9. Qxh7+ Kxh7
10. Nxf8
and white is up with a piece, winning.
This is the best I got out of it so far, but I my have missed something, it could be better, or worse, for white ….
White is down the Exchange here with a Bishop under attack.
1 Bxh7+ is good for a draw.
1 Bxh7+ Kxh7
2 Qh5+ Kg8
3 Bf4 Qd7
Of course, not 3… Qxf4, 4 Ne7#.
4 Re1 Rf7
Better than 4… Qf7 of the previous commenter’s line, which wins for White after 5 Ne7+.
5 Re4
If 5 Nxa7 Bb7, and White’s attack is stalled.
5 … Bb7
6 Bc7 Bxc6
7 Rh4 Re7
8 Qf7+ Kh8
9 Qh8+ Kf7
10 Qh5+
White has a perpetual, as … g6 allows White to penetrate with both Queen and Rook and mate Black.
——
1 Bf4 doesn’t work, either.
1 Bf4 Qxf4
2 Nxa7
2 Bxh7+ doesn’t work, because of Kxh7, 3 Qh5+ Qh6. If 2 Nxb8 Rxb8 leaves White down a Rook.
3 … Bb7
White’s attack is finished, and Black is up the Exchange.
—–
1 Bd2 isn’t a bad move, but it isn’t the best here.
1 Bd2 Bb7
2 Nxa7 Rbd8
2 … Bxd5, 3 Bb4 c5 (…Qxb4, 4 Qxd5+ Kh8, 5 Qh5 f5, 6 Bxf5 Rxf5, 7 Qxf5) 4 Qd3 g6, 5 Bb3 Rbd8, 6 Rd1 wins the Bishop.
3 Bb3
3 Qh5 is met simply by f5.
3 … Rbd8
The position is roughly equal. White will probably lose the d-pawn and end up with two pieces for a Rook and pawn.
—-
Better for White is this:
1 Qh5! f5
Of course 1… fxg5 is out because of 2 Bxh7+ Kh8, 3 Bg6+ Kg8,4 Bh7#.
1 … Bxf2+ is answered by 2 Kf1!, which leads to similar positions as in the two main lines that follow.
Black has two ways of meeting the threat of Bxh7+
ONE
1… g6
2 Bxg6 Qd7
Again, … Bxf2 at any point is answered by Kf1 or Kh1.
3 Bh6! Rf7
If 3 .. hxg6, 4 Qxg6t+ Kh8, 5 Bxf8 (with the threat of Ne7, cutting off the Black Queen) Bxf2+, 6 Kh1! Rb6 (or even Bc5), 7 Ne7, and Black must give up the Queen to prevent mate. 3 … Bb7 is met by 4 Bf5, and Black will have to give up the Queen to avoid mate. 3 … Bc5 is met simply by 4 Nxa8.
Interesting is 3 … Ra8, 4 Re1 Bc5, 5 Ne7+! (Yes, I know the chess engines say 5 Re6 mates faster) 5 … Bxe7, 6 Bxh7+! Kxh7 ( 6… Kh8, 7 Bg6), 7 Bxf8+ Kg8, 8 Re7 Qxe7, 9 Bxe7, and White is up a Queen for a Rook and will mate Black soon.
With the given move, Black tries to add support to the 7th rank.
4 Re1
With the threat of 5 Bxf7+ Qxf7, 6 Ne7+.
4 … hxg8
Black can play 4 … Bxf2+, 5 Kxf2 first, but it changes nothing.
5 Qg6+ Kh8
6 Nd8!
The most effective move, although there are several other ways to win. White threates Nf7+
6 … Bf2+
Nothing is any better. Black hopes for 7 Kxf2 Qf5+, which trades Queens and allows him to play a while longer.
7 Kh1
White has too many threats for Black to handle.
—-
Line two is in the next comment
Hopefully, the previous comment posted.
LINE TWO
1 Qh5 f5
This move is the best of Black’s options and cuts off the mate threats.
2 Bf4! Qc4
Of course, not 2 … Qxf4?, 3 Ne7+ Kh8, 4 Ng6+ winning the Queen. Nor is 2 … Bxf2+, 3 Kf1 any good, as Black leaves another piece en-prise.
With the given move, Black threatens Qf2+ and also attacks the Bishop on c2. He isn’t worried about 3 Be3 because the Bishop on a7 was already under attack anyway.
3 Be3 Qxc2
4 Bxa7
There’s nothing to be gained yet by 4 Ne7+. White leaves the Knight where it attacks the Rook on b8.
4 … Ra8
4 … Bb7 is a bit better, but after 5 Nxb8 Qxb2, 6 Rd1 g6, 7 Qg5 Qf6, 8 Qxf6 Rxf6, 9 Bd4 Rf8, 10 Nd7, White is up the Exchange for a pawn, with a superior position. Play might continue 10 … Rd8, 11 Nc5 bxd5, 12 Nxa6 c6, 13 Bb6 Rc8, 14 Nc7, and the pawn will march forward and cost Black material to stop it.
5 Ne7+ Kh8
6 Ng6+ Kg8
7 Nxf8 Kxf8
Black must do something about the threat of Qe8. If 7 … Rxa7, 8 Qe8 h6, 9 Ng6+ Kh7, 10 Ne7, and Black can only delay mate at g8 for a while by giving up material. No better is 7 … Bb7, 8 Qxh7+ Kxf8, 9 Bd4, much as in the following line.
8 Bd4 Qe4
Black must do something about the threat of Re1. 8 … Bb7, 9 Re1 f4 (to prevent Qxh7), 10 Re6! (to prevent … Qg6), and Black can do nothing about the threat of Qe5 and Bg7+.
9 Bc3 Bb7
9 … b4 might hold on a bit longer, but after 10 Re1! bxc3, 11 Rxe4 fxe4, 12 bxc3, White has a Queen and pawn for Rook and Bishop, with a much better position and an easy win in sight.
10 Qh7
With the threat of 11 Qxg7+ Ke8, 12 Re1, winning the Queen.
10… Qxd5
Or 10 … Bxd5, 11 Qg7+ Ke8, 12 Re1, winning the Queen. Nor is 10… Qe7 any good because of 11 Qh8+ Kf7, 12 Qxg7+ Ke8, 13 Re1.
With the given move, Black hopes White gets careless with such as 11 Re1??? which is answered by the abrupt … Qg2#.
11 Qxg7+ Ke8
12 Re1+ Kd8
Or 12… Qe4, 13 Rxe4+ any, 14 Bf6 any, 15 Qe7#
13 Bf6+ Kc8
14 Re8+
And White mates next move.
Respectfully, none of the solutions above demonstrate a direct win for White. So may I give my variation?
First this is difficult partly because of …B*f2+, K*f2 then …f*g4+.
So the first line (Line 1) has to look at …B*f2+ (its disadvantage is that the R at b8 is not protected).
The second line is the more conventional.
Line 1:
1. Qh5, b*f2+ 2. Kf1 (it’s safe here and at a later point threatens K*f2 so gets an extra tempo that way).g6 (now f5 allows taking the B ultimately and first the rook) 3. B*g6 h*g6 4. Q*g6+ Kh8 5.Bh6 Rg8 6. Qh5 Qd7 (must get to a white colored square) 7. N*b8 Qf5 8. Q*f5 B*f5 11. K*f2 (safer if calculating this in advance; if N*a6 complications like B*h3 with g2*h3 leading to Rg1) R*b8 with some winning chances (Pawn up but opposite colored bishops).
Line 2 involves not replying 1.…B*f2. Instead here 1.…f5 is probably best. 2. Bf4 Qf6 (if Qd7 then the dramatic 3. B*f5 3.…R*f5, 4. Q*f5, Q*f5 5. Ne7+ Kh8 6.N*f5 B*f4 7. B*c7 loses on material; so one over the board line runs 2.…Qd7, 3 N*a7, Q*d5 4.B*c7, Bb7 5. Qg5, Ra8 6 Rd1 Q*g2+ 7. Q*g2 B*g2 8. K*g2 R*a7, 9. Bb6 should win; not that 2. Bf4 cannot have 2.…Q*f4 3. Ne7+ Kh8 4. Ng6+ Kg8 5. N*f4 wins).3. B*e5 Qf7 ( if 3. …Qh6?? then 4. Ne7+ Kh8 5. Q*h6++ ) 4. Q*f7+ R*f7 5.N*a7 Bb7 6.Bb3 should win easily.
Psyche/ anonymous.
First of all, White has a way to regain his material but i do think it is slightly advantageous for Black:
I) 1.Be3 !? Bxe3 2.Nxb8 and 2…Bc5! is maybe the best. How is the pressure on f2 going to be opposed, it is a very actual problem and the powerful on c6 might appear, in this respect a bit out of play. But still White has this safeline so he can now invest a large amount of thinking time.
II)1.Qh5 ! is the other serious candidate
A) 1….f5 2.Nxa7 maybe it’s +-
B) 1….Bxf2+ 2.Kf1! this tactical intermezzo might appear many times. It is not necessary to calculate it all the time, but just to remember it once in a while when it may come handy.
C) 1….h6 2.Bxh6 ! threatening 3.Bxg7! and you just do not further investigate that
D) 1…g6 2.Bxg6!
a) 2…Qd7 3.Bh6 !? (maybe there is something better but still this move is just sufficient to keep on the terrible attack )
b) 2….hxg6 3.Qxg6+ Kh8 4.Bh6! avoiding the defence Qd7
4….Rg8 5.Qh5! Qd7 6.Bg5+ etc..