White to move. How should White proceed?
Rinck, 1932
8/6qp/pB6/3k2PP/3N4/3K4/2P5/8 w – – 0 1
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1 c4+ Ke5
2 Ba7 idea Bb8 and N fork
Massimo, Italy
1.c4+ Ke5 2.Ba7! 1-0
1.c4+ Ke5 2.Ba7! winning
Happy new year!
1. c4+ Kd6
2. Nf5+
or
1… Ke5
2. Be7++
c4+ Ke5
Ba7!!
1.c4+ Ke5 (1.-Kd6 2.Nf5+) 2.Ba7! threatening 3.Bb8#.
Every defense seems to run into a knight fork:
2.-Qa7: 3.Nc6+
2.-Qg8/b7/c7 3.Bb8 anyway, with or without check followed by Nc6 if needed
2.-Kf4 3.Ne6+
2.-Kd6 3.Nf5+
2.-Qg5: 3.Nf3+
Bonus question – if this is a problem rather than a position from an actual game: What is the role of the black pawn on a6? The one on h7 prevents 2.-Qh7+
c4 and a n fork
1. c4+ Ke5 (….Kd6 2. Nf4+)
2. c5 Kd5
3. c6 Q:g4
4. c7 looks like a good start
How about:
1. c4+ Ke5(if kd6 then nf5+ forks the queen)
2. Ba7! (threatening Bb8 Mate)
The King can only move to f4 or d6. In either case Nf5 forks the queen. If black play Qxa7 then Nc6 forks the queen. If black moves the queen anywhere (black has no checks), Bb8+ is mate. If the queen moves to a square that covers b8, then Nc6+ will fork the queen after the bishop checks on b8.
Why is this more “special” than any other?
The solution: 1. c4+ Ke5 (…Kd6 2. Nf5+ bags the queen) 2. Ba7 prepares for Bc8#. If the queen takes the bishop (either on this move or the next) then Nc6+ gets the queen.
1. c4 Ke5
2. Ba7
threatening 3. Bb8#
The bishop cannot be taken with the Q because of Nc6 fork. For the same reason, guarding b8 is useless — white will play it anyways.