White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1. Rh5 and black can’t hold this.
A couple of moves jump out at me, both bishop sacrifices. With the precarious position of white’s own king, I would favor Bh7, the more forcing sacrifice, as the choice rather than an immediate Bg7.
1. Bh7 Kh7
2. Qh5 Kg8
3. Rg5? f6 (if g6 4. Qh6)
4. Qh6 Rf7 (if fg5 5. Qg7#)
And now what for white? The best I can find is
5. Bf6 Qc7 (only move I see)
And I see nothing else for white here. 6. Rf1 might be a way to continue this attack, but black has everything protected at the moment and is threatening d5 opening on white’s king. However, in the above line, sacrificing the second bishop looks much more promising to my eye:
1. Bh7 Kh7
2. Qh5 Kg8
3. Bg7! Kg7
4. Qg5 Kh7 (Kh8 5. Qf6, 6. Rh5)
5. Qf6 and now black can only delay the mate:
5. …..Bf5
6. Rf5 Be3
7. Rh5 Bh6
8. Rh6 Kg8
9. Qh8#
Not taking the bishops doesn’t help black, unless I missed something really obvious (always a possibility).
1. Bxh7+ Kxh7
2. Qh5+ Kg8
3. Bxg7 Kxg7
4. Qg5+ Kh7
5. Qf6 1-0 (Rh5+-h8#)
1.B:h7+ K:h7 2. Qh5+ Kg8 3. B:g7 looks very tempting. 3…K:g7 4. Qg5+ Kh7 5. Qf6 and 6. Rh5+ is unstoppable, so Black can’t take.
No better defense seems feasible. 3…f5 4. B somewhere (a1 for the sake of argument) and there are WAAAY too many threats for Black to be able to defend.
The position is a horror show for black. 1. Bxh7+/Rg5/Bxg7 are all real easy wins. Bxh7 being most forcing and including a double bishop sacrifice for a quick mate and Rg5 being IMO conceptually easiest since black has to sacrifice huge amounts of material immediately.
The position is a horror show for black. 1. Bxh7+/Rg5/Bxg7 are all real easy wins. Bxh7 being most forcing and including a double bishop sacrifice for a quick mate and Rg5 being IMO conceptually easiest since black has to sacrifice huge amounts of material immediately.
bh7+ kxb rh5+ kh8 qf6! Forcing mate
Bxh7+ Kxh7
Qh5+ Kg8
Bxg7 Kxg7
Rg5#
If … Kh8 at first move, Qh5 and mate follows less thrillingly.
Mark
1.Bxh7+! Kxh7 2.Qh5+ Kg8 3.Bxg7!! Kxg7 4.Qg5+ Kh7 5.Qf6! and 1-0
Qh5 if h6 simply Bxg7. If g6 then Qh6 and after f6 Bxg6 followed by Rh5