White to move. How should White proceed? Can White save this game?
2r1k3/2P4R/8/8/p1p5/1p6/1K6/8 w – – 0 1 (R. Messa, 2000)
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
Rg7 Kf8
Rd7 Ke8
Rh7 zug
The trick is to get black into zugzwang: if black moves a pawn, all three fall. So the move is:
1 Rg7 Kf8 (the only non-pawn move that avoids losing the rook to Rg8)
2 Rh7 Kg8 (again, the only non-pawn move that avoids losing the rook to Rh8)
3 Rd7 and now the king can’t run back in time to stop Rd8, and black wins.
If instead black moves a pawn on move 1 or 2, then white simply gobbles all three pawns with the king.
yes. it’s a draw! 1st move is g7 for white.
Rg2! and black can only move his King alone 1st rank. Keep the rook on 2nd rank. black has nothing more than repeating the moves.
If it were black to move he would be in zugzwang.
So
1. Rg7 Kf8
2. Rd7 Ke8
2. Rh7 and we have the same position with black to move.
The pawns fall and then the rook.
I don’t think white can win, but Rf7secures a draw.
Sorry, Rg7 secures a draw
1 Rg7 Kf8 2 Rd7 Ke8 3 Rg7 Kf8
4 Rh8 Kg8 5 Rd7 wins
Actually, if it was Black turn to move, Black would be in zugzwang.
So, if White has a way to reach the same position but with Black to move, White wins.
And yes, White can do this, starting with 1. Rg7.
After 1. … Kf8. 2. Rd7 Ke8 3. Rh7 we return to the starting position, but with Black to move. Now Black is basically lost – either the rook is lost or the pawn gets promoted, depending on a specific line.
1.Rg7 conceding the move to Black:
1…Kf8, 2.Rd7 Ke8, forced since Rd8+ would win the R,
3.Rh7 and now it is the original position with Black to move. Any move loses: if 3…Ra8, 4.Rh8+ winning; if 3…Kf8, 4.Rh8+ winning; if a pawn advances, White takes it and the process is repeated with the other pawns; or if 3…a3+, 4.Kxa3 Ra8+, 5.Kb2 Ra2+, 6.Kc3 escaping the checks and the c7 pawn decides.
If it were Black to move, Black is losing.
Examples:
1…Kf8 2.Rh8+
1…Ra8 2.Rh8+
1…a3+ 2.Kxa3 Ra8 3.Kb2 Ra2+ 4.Kc3 Rc2+ 5.Kb4
1…c3+ 2.Kxc3
So White has to simply lose a move. Here is the (only probable) way to do that
1.Rg7 Kf8
[1…Ra8 2.Rg8+ +-]
[1…a3+ 2.Kxa3 Ra8+ 3.Kb2 Ra2+ 4.Kc3 Rc2+ 5.Kb4]
2.Rd7 Ke8 3.Rh7 +-
And the above variations hold.
– SS
Maybe Rg7 even wins. The black rook cannot move. Pawn moves give up pawns and only delay having to move the king. And the king has to be able to get to e8 every time a rook check on g8 or h8 is threatened. Whereas the white rook has freedom of movement and can force a zugzwang
1.Rg7 Kf8
2.Rd7 Ke8 (otherwise Rd8 check)
3.Rh7
zugzwang, black has to move a pawn, which white captures with no relief from the zugzwang
Why don’t you mention sources?
This position is a mirror of a study!
Full references :
Messa, R., Torre & Cavallo – Scacco!/6, 2000.
You can buy the brand new Van der Heijden Study Database 4, it isn’t more expensive than the latest interfaces availble on the market now…
Sincerely Yours