White to move. Does White have enough compensation for the pawn? How would you proceed as White?
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Nc6!
If …Rc8, then
Ne7+! winning rook for knight
If …Ra8, then
Rab1! followed by
Qc7 or Qc8 and Ne7+! winning rook for knight or queen for knight.
I guess Nc6 must win at least quality:
1. Nc6
A)
1. … Ra8
2. Rb1 Qc8 (other moves looses queen)
3. Ne7+ Rxe7
4. Qxc8+ Rxc8
5. Rxc8+ Kh7/Nf8
6. a6!
B)
1. … Rc8
2. Ne7+ Rxe7
3. Qxc8+ Qxc8
4. Rxc8+ Kh7/Nf8
5. a6!
I should have liked something better than winning a quality here, but couldn’t find it, and I guess the a6! move shall quickly win blacks a7 pawn. A fairly quick win for white, I think.
An additional comment here:
Critical looks
1. Nc6 Qa8! (delaying whites Rb1)
2. Nxb7 Qxb7
3. Rb1
and the black queen has reasonable places to go.
This gives a more equal play than if black tries to save quality with a rook move.
But at least I think the question about enough compensation for the pawn may be answered with “yes”.
Nc6 … followed by Rab1..
Ne7+ threat is looming
Nc6 … followed by Rab1…
Ne7+ threat is strong
1. Nc6! Ra8
(1……. Rc8
2. Ne7+! wins an exchange)
2. Rab1! Qc8
3. Ne7+! Rxe7
4. Qxc8+ Rxc8
5. Rxc8 wins an exchange.
1-0
White can win the exchange with 1.Nc6. If black plays either rook to c8, white plays 2.Ne7+. The only other relevant line seems to be the following:
1. Nc6 Ra8
2. Rab1!
And now the black queen can’t go to c8 either due to the same threat of Ne7+, so black must block the attack with Nb6 to give the queen an out:
2. …..Nb6
3. ab6 ab6, but white is up a piece for two pawns, and it is unlikely that black can even hold onto the b-pawn.