Black to move. How should black proceed?
Source: Yancey Ward
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1. … d2!
2. Rxb7 Rc2!
3. Rd1 Rc1 0-1
1. … Rc2! looks like a good continuation.
2. Rxb7 d2 (threatens 3. … Rc1+)
3. Rf1 Rc1
4. Rxc1
(4. Ra7 Rxf1+ 5. Kxf1 d1Q#)
4. … dxc1Q+ 0-1
Oleg,
White can reply with 2.b6 rather than taking the bishop.
Not many answers here.
Anand Gautam’s idea looks correct to me, was also my idea before looking up the answers.
Just sacking a piece with
1. … d2
and when white plays the natural Rxb7, then Rc2 is killing (white checks can only delay slightly).
If white doesn’t take bishop, than black has very strong Be4 and Bc2, and white should try to sack back rook for bishop and d-pawn, though that is also loosing in the end.
My first comment seems unaccurate. Be4 and Bc2? directly should be of little help to black (Rxd2). But in between there is the move Bh6, that helps!
1. … d2!
2. b6(!)
Natural attacking move when bishop was taboo (uncorrect was Kf1? Rd1 Rd3+! Kg1 Be2).
Now bishop truly hangs, since Bxb7 Rc2 can be answered with Rc7!
2. … Be4
3. Rd2 Bh6!
Right moment to back up that d-pawn.
If white now plays b7? then Bxb7 and bishop is again taboo, so:
4. Kh2 Rb2
Still b7 is no good. I have problems finding good move for white here since Bc2 comes next, and Kf1? is answered with Bd3+.
5. b7 Rxb7!
Black is going to win this.
I think Pht and Anand are right that d2 is the correct move. I think it the only winning move:
1. ….d2
Threatens Rc2 and Rc1. I will cover the two main defenses at a time:
2. b6 Rb2
I think Be4 (also pointed out by pht) will win, too: [2. …Be4 3.b7 Rb2!]. Continuing:
3. Rd1 Bd5 (Be4 4.f3 Bd5)
4. Rc8 Kf7
5. Rc7 Kf6
6. Rd7 Bf8 (freeing the piece)
7. Rh7 Be7
8. Rh8 Ke6
9. Rg8 Kf7
10.Rc8 Bg5
11.Kf1 Rb6 and black has finally consolidated his material edge. This is surely decisive. There are other variations to the moves 3-11 above, but I have looked in detail at all of them, and they don’t really differ all that much. Black’s main problem at the start is untangling his king and king’s bishop, giving them some scope for action.
So, back at move 2 for white:
1. …..d2
2. Rd1 Bd5
3. b6 Rb2 and we have transposed to the position seen above.
Now I want to cover the line Oleg mentioned. When I played this the other day, I was under a bit of time pressure (5 minute game, 2 second increment, and I had about 25 seconds showing on my clock), and I played Rc2 myself, with the idea of d2 to follow, but the position does not transpose, and my opponent was a bit too good to take the poisoned bait at b7- he/she played b6, and I blundered by pushing d2 hanging the rook:
1. …..Rc2?!
2. b6!
Here, Rc2 might be ok for white (transposes to some other lines where white pushes b6 later). The c-pawn will fall, and black, to win, will have to push the central pawns. The position after 2.Rc2 dc2 3.Rc1 e4 4.Rc2 Bd4 5.Rc7 Bd5 isn’t all that clearly won for black, even though black has a pretty big material edge- a chess problem you really need a high powered chess engine to assess- there are just too many variations for me.