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. Ba5
1-0
1.Ba5 ! 1-0
1.Ba5 Qxa5
2.Nxf6 Kg7
3.Qxh7+ Kxf6
4.Bg5+ Kxg5
5.Rf1 and checkmate soon
looking at the “other side” of the board, I found….
Ba5 and winning after Nxf6 threatining mate
1. B-g5 N-d7
2. Q-h4 K-g7
3. B-h6+ K-h8
4. Q-g5
There look to be two possibilities:
1. Bg5 Nd7 (what else?)
2. Bf6 Nf6
3. Nf6 Qf6
4. g5 wins back the exchange white is down. What is better is
1. Ba5! Qa5
2. Nf6 and there is no defense against mate:
2. …..Kg7 (anything else?)
3. Qh6 putting the king back into his hole, first, then delivering
4. Qh7#
2. …..Bf5 delays the inevetible by a single move. So black is forced to play, after 1. Ba5!
1. …..Qg8
2. Nf6 Qg7
3. Rf1 with a continuing attack, and now up a full piece.
I’m not sure, but at a first glance, Bg6 seems sound.
Bg5?
Ba5 followed by Nxf6
1. Ba5+ wins for white, diverting the black queen and next winning the rook for on f6 with a mating threat on h7
Ba5 looks promising
Ba5
1. Nxf6 Qxf6
2. g5 Qd8
3. Qh6
now, one plan is Ba5, and if the black queen moves, the d6 pawn is gone. defending with …Rd7 gets pretty cramped.
if
3. … a5
4. Rf1
threatening 5. Bxa5. neither the rook, nor the queen can take the Bishop.
so
3. … Nc6
4. Rf1
Now, white can attack on d6, or h7. Black seems to have no counter chances.
Also, black may be forced to play …f6 or …f5, losing the f-pawn. After gxf6, the pressure on h7/g7/f8 will be replaced by a menacing advanced f-pawn.
LOL, I just realized I made a mistake in my line:
1. Ba5 Qa5
2. Nf6 Kg7
At this point, I suggested Qh6 to force the king back to h8, but that overlooked that the bishop was no longer on d2. The correct reply at move 3 is
3. Rf1 Be6
4. Qh7 Kf8
5. Qg8 Ke7
6. Qe8#
If
3. Rf1 Bd7
4. Qh7 Kf8
5. Qg8 Ke7
6. Nd5 Ke6
7. Rf6#
Ba5 QxB
NxR followed by mate
1. Ba5 deflects the black Q from defending the Rf6, then 2. N:f6 leads to mate.
ba5!
White seems to be focusing on the kingside, so it is easy to overlook
Ba5 Qa5 (Rf1+ is no better)
Nxf3 Kg7
Qxh7+ mating