White to move. Is this a win or draw for White? What is the best continuation for White?
k7/P2R3p/2p5/8/1PP5/1r6/3K4/8 w – – 0 3
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
- About Us
- Chess Improvement
- Chess Puzzles
- Chess Research
- College Chess
- General News
- Home
- Major Tournaments
- News
- Polgar Events
- Privacy Policy
- Scholastic Chess
- SPICE / Webster
- Susan’s Personal Blog
- Track your order
- USA Chess
- Videos
- Women’s Chess
- Contact Us
- Daily News
- My Account
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
Well, the very first thing I would look at in an actual game is winning at h7 and seeing if I could bring the king around the c-pawn to attack c6:
1. Rh7 Rb4
Hard to imagine any other move here for black, especially since I already have a pretty good idea what the winning plan actually is. Continuing:
2. Kc3 Ra4
Here, I didn’t think Rb7 was as clear since white can exchange at b7 and have various options in the king + pawn vs king + pawn endgame: [Rb7 3.Rb7 Kb7], but when I check the Nalimov tablebase (http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&lang=en), that position is a draw, too. Continuing:
3. Kd4
The other real alternative here was Rc7-[3.Rc7 Ra7 4.Rc6]- getting a pawn advantage in a rook ending. However, long experience with this type of position lets me already know that it is drawn in this case, and the Nalimov tablebase confirms this. The idea of Kd4, such as it is, is to try to get a king + pawn vs king + pawn ending that is winnable for white. Continuing:
3. …..Ra7
For me, this is the most easily understood draw for black. Continuing:
4. Ra7
Here, the other plan I might try would be 4.Rh8 followed by 5.Ke5, but this is almost surely a draw, too, since black checks from a5, and transfers to the king side for long distance checks on white, or immediately plays to the lower ranks and checks the white king from the back. And the table base agrees that [4.Rh8 Kb7 5.Ke5] is drawn. Continuing:
4. …..Ka7
5. Kc5
Now, this looks bad for black visually, but a little reflection shows that it is a dead draw with proper play:
5. …..Kb7 (only move, of course)
6. Kd6 Kb6
7. Kd7
The move c5+ is a dangerous illusion- one have fallen for in the past in haste: [7.c5+?? Kb5 and white loses the c-pawn due to zugzwang]. Continuing:
7. …..Kc5
Of course, black’s playing of c5 on move 7 is the same dangerous illusion in reverse: [c5??? 8.Kd6 and black loses his c-pawn due to zugzwang].
8. Kc7 Kc4 (now or next move)
9. Kc6 with a draw.
In my next comment, I will analyze what I think white should do to win this starting position.
White wins with:
1.b5 cxb5, 2.c5
The pawn goes to c6 and then Rd8+ forces Kxa7 when c7 guarantees promotion and an ending with an extra Rook.
1.b5 cd
2.c5 Ra3
3.c6 b4 (3…Ra7 4.Rd8 mate)
4.c7 Kb7
5.Rd8 promotion cannot be stopped
without loss on Rook
5…Kc7
6.a8(Q)
In my previous comment, I did a cursory analysis on what arises when white takes at h7, and showed that the the arising positions are pretty clear draws, though there are lines that can be tough over the board for both players. The very next thought I had after Rh7 was to simply push the doomed b-pawn, forcing black to take with the c-pawn- at which point, white can push the c-pawn to c5:
1. b5
Now, here, black has moves like cb5, c5, h6/5, or Rb4/b2/b1, or leave the b-file. None of lines that allow white to play bc6 look visually good:
1. …..Rb1 (Rb4 2.Kc3 c5 3.Kd3!)
2. bc6 Rb6 (what else?)
3. c7 Rc6 (Kb7 4.a8Q Ka8 5.c8Q)
4. Rd8 wins convincingly.
Back at move 1 for black, he needs to try either cb5, or c5, I think, to have any hope:
1. b5 cb5
2. c5! Rb4
Here, a move like h5 is going to lose quickly as white pushes the c-pawn to c7 and plays Rd8 after: [h5 3.c6 Rb4 (h4 4.c7 wins) 4.c7 Rc4 (Ka7 5.c8Q +-) 5.Rd8 +-]. Continuing:
3. c6
There is no time to waste for white. Continuing:
3. …..Rc4 (what else?)
4. c7 Kb7 (Ka7 5.c8Q with check)
5. Rd8 and black cannot stop both pawns queening, only one of them.
Or, at move 1:
1. b5 c5
2. Kc2 Rb4 (Rh3 3.b6 with 4.Rd8)
3. Kd3 Rb1
Here, Ra4 also loses: [Ra4 4.b6 Ra6 5.Rd8 Kb7 6.Rb8 Kc6 7.a8Q]. Or: [h5 4.Ke4 Rc4 5.Kd5! Rd4 6.Kc6 Rd7 7.Kd7 Ka7 (c4 8.b6 c3 {Kb7 9.a8Q Ka8 10.Kc7 c3 11.b7+-} 9.Kc7! c2 10.b7 Ka7 11.b8Q Ka6 12.Qb6#]. Continuing:
4. Ke4 and there is nothing black can do that we haven’t already seen is losing- the white king is headed for d5-c5-b6 to threaten mate.
I think 1.b5 clearly wins for white.
This is fairly simple if you see the idea behind it.
1.b5 cxb6
2.c5 and white wins.
If A)
2…Ra3
3.c7 RxP
4.c7 Kb7
5.c8(Q)+ kxQ
6.RXR and that is a simple endgame win.
Black could play his last trick with
B)
2…Rb2+ (hoping for 3.Kc3 Rb1 4.Kc2 Rb4. This might be winning for white but it’s a harder win)
3.Kd3 b4
4.c6 b3
5.c7 Rc2
6.Rd8+ and white wins
Opps, there is a huge blunder in my lsat post.
4.c7?? LOL. Missed mate with 4.Rd8#.
4.c7?? actually draws 4…ra2+ 5….Kb7.
The idea is for white to push the b pawn forward and if black exchanges then c5 wins the game for white.
1.b5 cx 2.c5 1-0
1. b5! look interesting.
Black can either opt to capture with 1…cxb5 ,or 1…c5.
In either case,it will create room for white King and pawn to advance going to the 8th rank.
Thanks,
Henry
My first thought here is b5 where cxb5 c5 should lead to a win since black can’t stop the fast pawn advance without sacrificing the rook.
b5 c4 should be more interesting Kc2 Rb4 (or Rb1) Rxh7 Rb1 (b6 with no Rxb6 would be deadly since then Rh8+ Kg7 a8=Q+ would follow) Rc7 followed by Rxc5 follow and black is helpless.
A win for white
Not so fast Yancey, what about …
1. b5 c6xb5
2. c5 Ra3 (is there a better move?)
3. c6 Rxa7
4. c7 Kb7
5. c8=Q Kxc8
6. Rxa7
well, i suggest creating a second passed pawn by b5:
1. b5 cxb5
2. c5 Rb2+
3. Ke3 Rb3+
4. Ke4 Rb1
5. c6 Rc1
6. c7 Kxa7
7. c8Q+ or
2. … Ra3
3. c6 Rxa7
4. c7 Kb7
5. c8Q+ Kxc8
6. Rxa7
other first moves:
1. … Rh3
2. bxc6
1. … c5
2. Rxh7
greets, jan
At first glance my gut reaction for white would be 1 b5. I’d play this in a speed chess game.
1 b5 c6xb5
2 c5 and now the black rook is cut off from the c-pawn, as the king protects the c3 square and the black pawn at b5 now cuts off the rook from coming back that direction. If 2…Ra3, 3 c6, so that if …Rxa7, 4 Rc8# withe the pawn on c6 trapping the king.
I think b5 should seal the victory for white, anything from here looks bad for black…white cannot get his rook behind two queening pawns quickly. Soon the rook has to die.
Nah.. It should be win for white with precise play.
b5 cxb5, c5* etc
1.b5 cxb 2.c5 looks great.
@For Yancey Ward
http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&lang=en
Web Query for Nalimov Endgame Tablebases
Fantastic website
Thanks for the tip.
bye
Stef