Black to move. How should black proceed?
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1. …, Rb2; 2. Rxb2, Rxb2; 3. Qxb2, Nd3+
1…Rb2! is good 2.Rxb2 Rxb2! but White can somehow put some fight with 2.Kf1!
1… Rb2
2. Rxb2 Rxb2
3. Qxb2 Nd3+
winning the queen
1. .. Rb2
2. Rxb2 Rxb2
3. Qxb2 Nd3+
0-1
Okay
1…Rb2 was played in the game but after
2.Kf1! Rxc8
3.Rxb8+ Kg7
4.Rxc2
Black is better but white still has some chances to hold
Of course
2.Rxb2? is bad because of
2…Rxb2 followed by Nd3+
Well, I am a bit stumped. At first I thought Rb2 was going to be winning, but white gets both rooks for the queen by simply moving the king:
1. …..Rb2
2. Kf1!
Here, neither Rb2 nor Qb2 holds: [2.Rb2 Rb2 3.Qb2 Nd3 forking the queen and king giving black a queen for a rook]; or [2.Qb2 Rb2 3.Rb2 Nd3 transposing into the same queen for rook line]. Continuing:
2. …..Rc2
3. Rb8 Kg7
4. Rc2 Nf3
And while I think black has an edge due to the loose position of white’s king and pawns, I don’t know how decisive it might be. Clearly, though, white’s position is a tough and tedious defense. I have to be missing something better here.
1.-Rb2!! 2. Rxb2 Rxb2 3. Qxb2 Sd3+ and Queen is lost
… Rb2 should be curtains for white
because of the Nd3 fork.
1. … Rb2 2.Rb2 Rb2 3.Qb2 Nd3+ wins
Hard to say how to proceed.
Also difficult to say how to improve Black’s position.
Perhaps in real life I would have played 1…f5 2. Nd2 Rd8 3. Rxb6 axb6 4. Rb1 Qd6 (with the game maneuvered)… uhmm maybe draw.
It is not easy.
Ok! a better plan.
1…Rb2
The white can not play
2. Rxb2 Rxb2 3. Qxb2 Nd3+ and black wins.
The White loses the queen, but preserves the rooks
2. Kf1 Rxc2
3. Rxb8+ Kg7
4. Rxc2
Black wins (I think) by centralizing the Queen.
After 4…Nxf3 5…Qc7 6…Qe5
Best regards
Stef
Well, I can’t wait to see this one. I think I have tried everything that looked even 10% interesting.
“Well, I can’t wait to see this one.”
Dear Yancey Ward,
Also I’m curious.
In my post that has not been published I only gave strategic direction.
🙂
Best regards
Stef
Yancey: I like your lines right up to 4. Rxc2, and though it’s probably beyond the intent of the puzzle, Black can capitalize on the advantage with something like 4. … Qd7 (with threats on the d-file) 5. Rd2 Qc6 (threatening … f5) 6. Rf2 Nxc4, and Black is doing quite well.
The “rapid fire” part is answered by your 1. … Rb2, setting up the knight fork. 2. Kf1 is a very good reply, but it doesn’t equalize.
The b2-square is just yelling out that it wants a heavy White piece
to land on it!!! It’s in colusion with the Black knight that wants to go a-forking on d3. So…….
1. … Rb2 2. Kf1
This smart king does not like to be
on the receiving end of a fork. A wise move, if he wants to play on.
If the queen or the elephant interfere, this is what happens:
(2. Rxb2 Rxb2 3. Qxb2 Nd3+)
(2. Qxb2 Rxb2+ 3. Rxb2 Nd3+)
So let’s continue with the intelligent variation, sans knight forks.
2. .. Rxc2 3. Rxb8+ Kg7 4. Rxc2
After this, Black has an advantage, but not an overwhelming one.
The play might continue as follows.
4. … Qd7 {Threatening Qd1+, and picking up the White rook}
5. Rd2 {Nothing doing, queenie!}
5. … Qc6
{That’s OK , buster. I was just using d7 as a transit point from
e7 to c6 so that I can put pressure on e4 and f3. If I were a knight, too, I could have hopped from e7 to c6 in one move!}
6. Kf2 f5 7. Ng5
{It got too hot for me on e4. But I’m a good horsey. I’m doing my job protecting f3.}
7. … h6 {For how long, buster?}
8. f4 hxg5 9. fxe5 g4
{It’s clear that Black has a big advantage, but it’s quite a ways from realization. I hope
you enjoyed the humor of these uppity pieces. They wouldn’t stay quiet today.}
First, notice the rook on B1, it has only 2 protectors!
So, I would play R takes R.
White would follow by taking the R back with the R. If the Queen then white loses the Queen for a R.
Now carefully observe the position, with the Queen moved to B1 the pawn on C4 is En Prize!!!
So, a quick flick of the knight to c4 wins a loose pawn!!!
However, I am only rated 978 by the USCF, so maybe my analysis is wrong. These guys playing having ratings more than double my own.
This just seemed like one of the more easier puzzles on here, so I posted a response…
1. …..Rb2
2. Kf1!
then
2…. Nxb4!!
no?
JCheyne and Lucymarie,
Yes, now that you show it to me, 4. …Qd7 looks stronger than the hasty Nf3 that I looked at, and Lucymarie’s continuation with Qc6 looks really good. The two queen side pawns for white look horrid in that line, and probably unprotectable.
I liked the idea
1. … Rb2
2. Kf1 Nxc4
up with pawn
How would white reply here?
(The other person meaning the same wrote Nxb4.)
To @pht
1… Rb2
2. Kf1 Nxc4?
3. Rxb2 Nxb2
4. Rb1 draw
1… Rb2
2. Kf1 Nxc4?
3. Rxb2 Nxe3+??
4. Kf2 Nxc2
5. Rxb8+ Kg7
6. Rxc2 The White wins
Best regards
Stef