White to move. How should White proceed?
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let’s try 1. Rxf8+. Now if
1. … Kxf8, then
2. g7+ Kxg7
3. Qh7+ Kf8
4. Qh8+ Ke7
5. Rh7+ Kd6
6. Qd8+ and Rxc7 next move.
if 5. … Ke6, then
6. Qe8+ Kf6
7. Qd8+ and Rxc7 next as well.
other moves for black don’t look promising. greets, jan
My first thought is can I get the white queen in on the vulnerable black king’s position? The most obvious attempt would be the exhange sacrifice at f8, clearing the way for the queen to check from f3. Let’s see if there is anything to this idea:
1. Rf8 Kf8
2. Qf3
And, now, there are moves like Ke8, Ke7, Kg7, Kg8 and Rf7 to choose from for black. Let’s look at each one in order:
Option 1 with 2. …..Ke8:
2. …..Ke8
3. Rh8 Ke7 (Kd7 below)
Here, I spent some time trying to make 4.Qf7 work, but it just doesn’t. Every variation I looked at seems to leave black up an exchange with no compensation for white that I could easily see. 4.Qf8 seems to win, but since 5.g7 was a critical part of this line, I see no real reason to not to just play it immediately:
4. g7 Qa2 (what else is there?)
5. g8(Q)Rc1 (again, what else?)
6. Bc1 Re1
7. Qf1 Rf1
8. Kf1 and given that there are no immediate checks for black, there is no hope of a draw by perpetual. At move 3, black does no better with
3. …..Kd7
4. g7 Rc8
5. Rc8 Qc8
6. Qg4 Re6
7. g8(Q)with a decisive edge.
Option 2 with 2. ….Ke7:
2. …..Ke7
3. Rh7 Kd6 (K8th rank, see above)
4. g7 Rg7 (what else?)
5. Rg7 and I don’t see a way to defend against the twin threats of Rg6 and Bf4 (with check or just pinning the rook and winning it).
Option 3 with 2. ….Kg8:
2. …..Kg8
3. Qf6 and how can black stop the mate at h8 other than just delaying it with sacrifices?
Option 4 with 2. …..Kg7:
2. …..Kg7
3. Rh7 Kg8 (Kg6 4.Rh6 Kg7 5.Qf6+-)
4. Qa8!
Took me while to work this one out. 4.Qf6 draws at best after black takes at h7.
4. …..Rc8
5. Qb7 and now black can only delay the mate by sacrificing material, not stop it.
Option 5 with 2. …..Rf7:
2. …..Rf7
3. gf7 Qf7 (otherwise, Rh8)
4. Qa8 Re8 (Qe8 5.Rh8;Kg7,Ke7 bel)
5. Bh6 Ke7
6. Qb7 Ke6 (everything loses)
7. Qc6 Ke5
8. Re2 Kf5
9. Rf2+- At move 4, black does no better with
4. …..Kg7
5. Qh8 Kg6
6. Qe5 Or with
4. …..Ke7
5. Qa7 Ke6 (what else?)
6. Rh6 and the black queen is toast anyway.
So, in all lines I can see, 1.Rf8 is a winner as long as white follows up with Qf3.
From Spain..
1)g7!!
1)….,Qd3
2)gf8++
1)…,Be6,Bg7
2)Qh7++
Greetings from Spain.
The best I’m coming up with is:
1. Rh8+ Kxh8
2. Rxf8+ Kg7
3. Rf7+ Rxf7
( 3. …. Kg8 4. Bh6 theatens mate)
4. Qxc4
and it’s Q+B > 2R ?
The best I’m coming up with is:
1. Rh8+ Kxh8
2. Rxf8+ Kg7
3. Rf7+ Rxf7
( 3. …. Kg8 4. Bh6 theatens mate)
4. Qxc4
and it’s Q+B > 2R ?
1. g7 is incorrect due to … Rxg7+
1. Rh8+ throws away all of White’s advantage.
Can’t get fancy. It’s a practical road to the win that isn’t necessarily checkmate (thus “Practical Chess Tactic”).
1. Rxf8+ Kxf8 2. Qf3+ looks really promising, since it gets rid of the Black bishop which was defending against the g-pawn advance and against checks to the Black king. Also, the White queen on f3 not only commands the f-file, but also the long diagonal, where it can go with one move to the 8th rank, Qa8. So let’s see where this leads.
1. Rxf8+ Kxf8
2. Qf3+
Without considering the interposes 2… Rf7, 2… Rf5 and 2… Qf7 that lose material, Black’s options are 2… Ke8, Ke7, Kg8, Kg7
2… Kg7
3. Rh7+ Kg8 [ 3… Kxg6 4. Rh6+ Kg7 5. Qf6+ Kg8 6. Rh8# ]
4. Qa8+ Rc8
5. Qb7 threatening Qg7#, and its just about over.
2… Kg8
3. Qf6 (threat Rh8#) Rg7
4. Rh8+ Kxh8
5. Qf8+ Rg8
6. Qh6#
2… Ke7
3. Rh7+ Ke6 [ also need to consider 3… Ke8, Kd8, Kd6 ]
4. g7 Rc8
5. Rh8 threatening Qg4+, and the conclusion might be:
5… Kd7
6. Rxc8 Qxc8
7. Qf7+ Re7
8. Qd5+ Kc7
9. Bf4+
2… Ke7
3. Rh7+ Ke8
4. Qa8+ Rc8
5. Qb7 threatening 6. Rh8+, and the conclusion might be:
5… Rc7
6. Qb8+ Rc8
7. Qxe5+ Kf8
8. Bh6+ Kg8
9. Qg7#
2… Ke7
3. Rh7+ Kd8
4. Qf8+ Re8
5. Bg5+ and that’s about all she wrote….
2… Ke7
3. Rh7+ Kd6
4. g7 Rc8
and a possible conclusion would be:
5. Qf8+ Rxf8
6. gxf8=Q+ Kc6
7. Qc8+ Kd5
8. Qg8+ Re6
9. Rh5+ Kd6
10. Qd8+ Kc6
11. Qc8+ Kd6
12. Bf4+
That leaves 2… Ke8
2… Ke8
3. Rh8+ and this would likely go:
3… Kd7
4. g7 Rc8
5. Rxc8 Qxc8
6. Qg4+ Re6
7. g8=Q Qxg8
8. Qxg8 winning.
Too many variations……………
But I think that in an actual game, what would be important to realize right off is the likely advantages of playing 1. Rxf8+ Kxf8 2. Qf3+ and to realize that there are too many variations, given the time limitations, and just go ahead and play 1. Rxf8+ and have faith (or confidence) that it would work.
Ok, well, practically I think I would play this:
1. Qxc4 Rxc4
2. Rf7 white controls the 7th rank.
if
2. … Be7
3. R2h8 Rc7
4. Bf4 wins a rook.
if say
2. … a6
3. Rf6 picks up a pawn.