White to move. Can White save this game? How should white proceed?
7r/3PR1bk/2pQ4/5p1p/2q3pP/2Pn2P1/pr4P1/4R2K w – – 0 1
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1. Qf6 Rg8 (forced; what else? 1. … Qf7?) 2. Qg5 and I can’t see any way for Black how he can stop White from playing Qxh5#
It seems to me that 1.Qf6 is in fact winning. For example, 1…Rg8 2.Qxf5+ Kh6 3.Qg5+ Kh7 4.Qxh5#; on 1…Qg8, again 2.Qxf5+ and mate follows.
1.Rxg7+ is wrong in view of 1…Kxg7 2.Re7+ Qf7! 3.Rxf7+ Kxf7 4.d8=Q (or d8=N+) Rxd8 5.Qxd8 Ke6!! Or 3.Qd4+ Kg6 4.Rxf7 Kxf7 5.Qxh8 and black wins.
Rxg7ch then
……kxg7
Re7ch Qf7 (forced to avoid mate next move)
Rxf7ch Kxf7
Qxd3 leads to a possible draw with 2 rooks v queen
Or (Kxf7)
Qe7 intending to take perpetual. I assume there is one.
Note if, after Kxf7 white queens the pawn then black plays Rb1ch and after Kh2 Nf2 it is black who is mating
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7
2. Qe7+ (a) Qf7
3. Qg5+ Qg6
4. Re7+ (a1) Kf8
5. d8/Q+ Qe8
6. Qxe8#
4. … (a2) Kg8
5. d8/Q#
2. … (b) Kh6
3. Qg5+ Kh7
4. Re7+ Qf7
5. Rxf7#
2. … (c) Kg6
3. Qg5+ Kf7
4. Re7+ Kf8
5. d8/Q#
2. … (d) Kg8
3. d8/Q#
Mark
I remember this one well. I wasted a lot of time on the wrong move on this one. From earlier this Summer.
After 1. Qf6 Black is a dead duck.
Black can string things out by one move playing 1. .. Nf2+ 2. Kh2 but this doesn’t change the subsequent play at all.
2. .. Qg8 3. Qxf5+ Kh6 4. Qg5+ Kh7 5. Qxh5#
2. .. Rg8 3. Qxf5+ Kh8 (3. .. Kh6 4. Qg5+ Kh7 5. Qxh5#) 4. Qxh5+ Bh6 5. Qxh6#
I think Qf6 with way too many mating threats will do it!
1. Qf6!
{ 1… Rg8 2. Qxf5+ Kh6 (2… Kh8? 3. Qxh5+ Bh6 4. Qxh6# )
3. Qg5+ Kh7 4. Qxh6# }
{ 1… Kg8 2. d8=Q+ Bf8 3. Qdxf8# }
{ 1… Qg8 2. Qf5+ Kh6 3. Qg5+ Kh7 4. Qxh6# }
{ 1… Qxc3 2. Rxg7#}
{ 1… Nf2+ 2. Kh2 Nh3 3. Qxg7# }
Marcelo
1.Qf6and black is helpless.
1…. Qg8
2.Qxf5+ Kh6
3.Qg5+ Kh7
4.Qxh5#
1… Rg8 does not help.
2.Qxf5+ Kh8
(1… Kh6 same sequence as above)
3.Qxh5+ Bh6
4.Qxh6#
Qf6
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7
2. Re7+ Kg8 / f8
with mate to follow soon with white Q.
What is wrong with this?
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7
2. Re7+ Kg8 / f8
with mate to follow soon with white Q.
What is wrong with this?
rxg7+ wins
han
rxg7+ wins
han
1Qf6 wins
Like a few of the commenters, the first time I worked on this puzzle, I was enamored of 1.Rg7, but that is a blunder:
1. Rg7?? Kg7
2. Re7
And it looks bleak…..for white! Black is perfectly happy to give up the queen to remove one of white’s heavy piece:
2. …..Qf7!
I looked at this a good long while. The plausible continuations are losing- Rxf7 and Qd4+:
3. Rf7 Kf7
And, now, black is threatening both Rb1 or a1Q with check followed by Nf2/Rxg2 if needed. White doesn’t even have a good line for hopeful perpetual. Totally lost. Also:
3. Qd4 Kg6
4. Qd6 Qf6
5. Qf6 Kf6
6. Re8 a1Q
7. Kh2 Rg2
8. Kg2 Qa2 and mate is unavoidable.
Pumpf and Yancey Ward,
You both believe that (1) Rxg7+ fails because you both are tied to (2) Re7+ to follow. If instead you considered (2) Qe7+ as outlined above, you would find it is winning.
Mark
Mshroder,
I disagree. Let’s take your line:
1. Rg7 Kg7
2. Qe7 Qf7
3. Qg5
And here you suggested black play Qg6. That does lead to mate for white, however, black just puts the king on h7 instead to win:
3. …..Kh7!
It is easy to overlook this move because it looks visually bad. So, tell me, what can save white in this position now? If he doesn’t play Re7 now, he never will since black is going to pin the rook with Rb1 (i.e. 4.Rf1 Rb1! wins for black). So, let’s just finish out the possibilities here:
4. Re7 a1Q!
Probably a draw if black takes the rook now, but the continuation that follows is very straightforward and is an analog from of the position I described above. Since the black queen can’t walk over the file to get close the king in the line below, he must, instead arrange a check from g or f file by the queen to get her close, all protected by the knight. The obvious route is….
5. Kh2 Rg2!
6. Kg2 Qb2 (or Qa2)
7. Kh1
The alternatives other than the trivial delays 7.Qd2/7.Re2: [7.Kf1 Qf2#]; or [7.Kg1 Qf2 8.Kh1 Qf1 9.Kh2 Qh3 10.Kg1 Qg3 with mate by either Nf2 or Qf2 on the next move]. Continuing from 7.Kh1 above:
7. …..Nf2
8. Kg2
Or [8.Kh2 Nh3 9.Kh1 Qb1 with Qg1# being unstoppable]; or [8.Kg1 Nh3 9.Kh1 Qb1 and again Qg1# being unstoppable]. Continuing:
8. …..Nh3
9. Kh1 Qb1 and again, Qg1# is unstoppable.
Now, backing up to move 4 in this line, white can queen the pawn, but this won’t save him:
4. d8Q Rd8
And what now for white? He can take at d8, but lose the rook at e1, or he can again play Re7 but lose to a1Q with check. This is clearly lost. Or, lastly at move 4:
4. Rg1 Rb1 wins for black with ease.