White to move. How should white proceed?
2r3k1/1p3p1p/p4Pp1/8/4R3/8/1qrQ2PP/5R1K w – – 0 2
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1. Rc4! wins!
Qe3 Rf8
Qh6 +-
White’s P at f6 gives hopes of back rank mate but chances seem remote.White is under trouble.His Q is attacked and black’s pieces look menacing.Even P at f6 is in danger of extinction because of …. Qxf6 due to white’s weak back rank. But white comes out with master stroke
1 Rc4
Immediate threat is winning queen by 2 Rxc8+ Rxc8 3QxQ
Possible replies by black
(a)1… R(8)xc4 2Qd8#
(b)1…. R(2)xRc4
2QxQ wins queen.
(c) RxQ RxRc8#
(d) 1…. Qxf6
2Rxc8+ Rxc8
3RxQf6 clear Q up without any mate threat.
Dear Anonymous,
1Qe3 is a nice idea threatening mate at e8 but black has a reply.
1Qe3 Qxf6
2Re8+ RxRe8
3Qxe8 kg7
4Rxf6 Rc1#
else
1Qe3 Qxf6
2Rxf6 Re1+
3Qe1 Rxe1+
4Rxe1 KxRf6
Black gets out of trouble and wins in the endgame.
I thought that 1. Qe3 was the move, but apparently it is a mistake:
1. Qe3? [1. … Qxf6? 2. Rxf6 Rc1+ 3. Qg1! wins]
[1. … Rc1? 2. Re8+ wins]
[1. … Kf8? 2. Qh6+ wins]
Now, if:
1. … Qb5?
2. Re1 Rc1!? [2. … Kf8? 3. Qh6+ wins]
[2. … Re2?! 3. Qh6 wins, and NOT 3. Re8+? Rxe8 4. Qxe8+ Rxe8]
3. Rxc1 wins [3. Qh6? Qf1+!]
But, if:
1. … h5!
2. Re8+ Kh7! [2. … Rxe8+? 3. Qxe8+ Kh7 4. Qxf7+ Kh6 5. h4! wins]
3. Qe7 Rxg2 [3. … Qb3/a2? 4.Qf8 wins]
4. Qxf7+ Kh6
5. Qf8+ Kg5 [5. h4? Rh2+ 6. Kg1 Qg2#]
6. h4+ Kxh4
7. Re4+ Kg5
8. Qd6 Qd2
9. Qxd2+ Rxd2
10. f7 Rdd8
11. Re6 Kh6
12. Rg1 Kg7
13. Rexg6+ Kxf7
14. Rg7+ Kf8
15. Rg8+ Kf7
16. R8g7+ Kf6
17. Rxb7 and Black should eventually win.
Did I miss something after 1. Qe3 ?
I don’t think so. There has got to be a different 1st move for White. Hmmm…..
Intriguing problem. I think the keymove is:
1. Rc4 !! and black is going to lose material. I do not see a forced mate.
Erik Fokke
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oh, silly me!
1. Rc4 R2xc4 [1. … Rxd2? 2. Rxc8+ Rd8 3. Rxd8#]
[1. … R8xc4? 2. Qd8#]
2. Qxb2 wins
Or, if:
1. … Qxf6
2. Rxc8+ Kg7 [2. … Rxc8 3. Rxf6 wins, c1 is covered]
3. Rxf6 Rxd2
4. Rf1 and White is a Rook up, and should be able to win Black’s queenside pawns first, and then the game.
Actually, the wrong solution that I gave first (with 1. Qe3?) was more interesting than the correct one. It had some funny twists to it.
Best move will be:
1.Rc4! QxP
2.RxR8+ Kg7
3.RxQ RxQ
4.Rf1! winning game by white
Rc4
nice1
1. Rc4
1. Rc4 Qb3 2. Qh6
Rc4 looks good to me for white.
Cant see how black can prevent loss of material by this move….or am i missing something ?
Rc4
Rc4
1. … R8xc4
2. Qd8 mate
1. … R2xc4
2. Qxb2
The immediate Qh6 does not work because of …Qxf6 and White’s vulnerable back rank. Best is
1.Rc4!! This takes advantage of black’s own back rank weakness, attacks the rook on c2, and threatens Qh6 (since c1 is now sufficiently covered). And now
1…R2xc4
2.Qxb2 a5
3.Qxb7 a4
4.Qf3 Rc3
5.Qf4 a3
6.Qh6 a2
Alert!! Black has a pawn on a2!!! This spells doom!
7.Qg7 mate.
This one took me a while! I tried everything 1.Qh6, 1.Qc2, 1.Re1, 1.Re8, 1.Qe3, 1.Qe1 etc. Finally, started looking for more outrageous first moves and realized I had completely overlooked a beautiful solution:
1. Rc4!!
Hard to see that this pins the c2 rook to his queen unless it is staring me in the face. If black captures at c4 with the c8 rook, white will mate with Re8. If black captures at c4 with the c2 rook, white will win the queen at b2. If black captures at d2, white will mate starting with Rc8+. If black moves a pawn or the king, white captures at c8 with check and then either wins the queen at b2 or wins the other rook at c2. If black moves the c2 rook to c3, white can still capture at c8 or go for mate with Qh6. If black moves the c2 rook to c1 white can just take at c1 with the queen. Any move of the c8 rook off the c-file will just lose the rook at c2. And any move of the c8 rook off the eight rank is mate with Qd8. So, what is best for black? As far as I can tell, the best move is just to play Qf6 to remove that offending pawn:
1. …..Qf6
2. Rc8
I am pretty sure that 2.Rf6 is also ok, but seems to only win the queen for a rook. Continuing:
2. …..Kg7 (Rc8 3.Rf6+-)
3. Rf6 Rd2
4. Rf1
And white is up a rook for three pawns. So, which is better- being up a rook for three pawns, or up a queen for a rook and three pawns?
All posts seem to suggest 1. Rc4 wins for white.
Can someone analyze and explain how white should proceed if black replies
1. Rc4 Qb3
or
1. … Qb5
I can’t see how white can force a win with these lines.
Oddly I missed the simple 1 Rc4! which does win and came up with:
1 Qe3 h5 (1…Rf8 2 Qh6 +-) 2 Re8 Kh7 3 Qe7 R2c7 (3…R8c7 4 Rh8 Kh8 5 Qf8 Kh7 6 Qg7#) 4 Rc8 Re7 (4…Rc8 5 Qf7 Kh6 6 Qe6 +-) 5 fe7 Qe2 6 Rf7 Kh6 7 Rh8 Kg5 8 h4 Kh4 9 e8=Q +-
I am not sure if this solution works as well.
-Justin Daniel
Lucymarie was correct- Qe3 is more fun, but not the solution.
Dear Anup,
After 1.Rc4 Qb3/b5
White replies 2. Qh6
@anup either Qb or Qb5 will be answered with Qh6 … Rc4 is good
Thanks, Lucymarie & Anonymous. I missed out that one.