White to move. How should White proceed?
3r3k/p1r2P2/1p1p4/3B4/1bP2Pp1/1P5P/P6K/4q1Q1 w – – 0 1
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Well, I see nothing but
1. Qd4 Kh7
2. Be4 Qe4 (Kh6 3.Qf6 Kh5 4.Qg5#)
3. Qe4 Kg7
4. Qe8 Rf7 (Rcc8 5.f8(Q)+)
5. Qd8 and white should win since the rook cannot take at f4. It is so nice to have a relief puzzle that I don’t have to work hard at.
White is down a whole bunch of material, but does have the passed f-pawn on the 7th, and some checks
on the Black king. Even a mate if Black cooperates. (Black never does cooperate win I’m playing her.)
In fact, the more I look at this, I believe this is a win for White.
1. Qd4+
Making sure that we cover everything, 1…. Qe5,
one of two legal moves, loses to 2. fxe5. I’m being serious: one cannot assume that this loses, no
matter how likely that is. The only other legal move:
1…. Kh7
2. Be4+
Again, Black has two legal moves, 2…. Qxe4
and 2…. Kh6. We will have to come back to 2…. Qxe4,
since on 2…. Kh6, there is a forced mate:
2…. Kh6
3. Qf6+ Kh5
4. Qg5#
So, we had better take a look at 2…. Qxe4.
1. Qd4+ Kh7
2. Be4+ Qxe4
3. Qxe4+
and Black has 3…. Kh8, Kh6, or Kg7.
After any of these moves by Black, 4. Qe8 appears to
be the only plausible try by White. All other moves
lose, and this one wins. And
either 4…. Rxe8 or 4…. Rxf7 must be played by Black.
Otherwise, White will queen with check, 5. f8=Q+,
and have 2 queens on the board. Let’s say that Black
moved the king to g7 on the 3rd move. Then what we have
so far is:
1. Qd4+ Kh7
2. Be4+ Qxe4
3. Qxe4+ Kg7
4. Qe8
Here Black can play:
4…. Rxe8
5. fxe8=Q gxh3
6. Kxh3
Black can also try:
4…. Rxf7
5. Qxd8 gxh3 (not 5…. Rxf4?? 6. Qg5+)
6. Kxh3 or 6. Qg5+ right away
White should win in either case, but it will be a long
night if Black wants to play on (and she will want to, I’m afraid).
Lucymarie
1.Qd4+, Kh7 2. Be4+, Kh6 3. Qf6+, Kh5 4. Qg5#…black would have to sacrifice the queen to stop this.
Qd4+ Kh7
Be4+ Kh6
Qf6+ Kh5
Qg5+ #
Won’t 1. Qd4+ Kh7 2. Be4+ force checkmate? Am I missing something?
Regarding my last comment:
After 1. Qd4+ Kh7 2. Be4, Black can play 2… Qxe4 and still (s)he is ahead in material. Need to analyze more.
1.Dd4+ Rh7 2.Fe4+ Dxe4 3.Dxe4+ Rg7 4.De8! +-
1. Qd4+ Kh7 2. Be4+ Qxe4 3. Qxe4 Kg7/h6 4. Qe8! with the threat 5. f8Q+ wins another R.
That should win the game.
White is far behind in material, but had the black queen not been there, he had a mating attack:
1. Qd4+ Kh7
2. Be4+ Kh6
3. Qf6+ Kh5
4. Qg5#
Black can give up his queen to avoid this, but is it good enough for white?
2… Qxe4
3. Qxe4+ Kg7
Now? Can white win with Q vs 2R+B? Took me some staring at the board to figure out the answer:
4. Qe8!!
Now, a black rook also goes off the board whatever black does. White should win the resulting position.
1. Qd4+ Kh7 (1. … Qe5 loses easily)
2. Be4+ Qxe4 (2. … Kh6 gets mated)
3. Qxe4+ Kg7 (or any other move)
4. Qe8 wins 1-0
Checkmate in 4…