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Black is losing.
…..Nf3!
gosh, I think I finally found the solution. The position after
1. … Nf3
2. gxf3 Qxf3+
3. Kg1 Bd4+
4. Nf2 ….
was very tempting to me but I couldn’t solve it at first. White wasn’t necessarily forced to take the Knight on move two with gxf3 (I’ll look at the alternative below) but 4. Nf2 was forced to get out of check. Now the Bishop has turned the tables and has become the attacker instead of the attacked. Furthermore, the Knight no longer guards the Queening square (e1). But still I was stuck for a while with no ideas that seemed to lead anywhere.
4. … Bc3 Getting to this square in two steps because now the White Knight no longer blocks communication between the Black Q and this square, meaning the Q supports the Bishop. And now where does the White Queen go?! She’s under attack and there’s no retreat squares!
Going back to 1… Nf3, why does White have to capture the Knight at all? I didn’t correctly foresee an exact sequence at first (in fact I may have been looking at the wrong idea) but obviously with this move Black is attacking the Queen while also contesting the Queening square, all while keeping the Rook under attack by the Black Q
2. Qa5 …. Seems to be threatening a series of checks and maybe perpetual check via Qa5-d8-e7-h4. There’s not a lot of choices anyway it turns out, almost all other squares are covered by one Black piece or another.Initially I had the wrong idea of pushing the pawn and disrupting White’s communication and defense of the back rank: 2)… e1=Q+, 3) Nxe1?? Qg1 mate. But instead of 3) Nxe1 White can improve with 3) Rxe1 still guarding the g1 square against the smothered mate. White gives back the exchange but perhaps gets out of the worst. But Black has a better resource.
2. … Qxc1+ Gets rid of another guardian of the Queening square and in order to recapture the White Knight also is deflected from its task of guarding the Queening square.
3. Nxc1 e1+
4. Qxe1 Nxe1 Black has emerged a piece up for 2 isolated pawns. I think Black wins this.
– Craigaroo
1…Nf3 and Black goes on to win.
1. …Nf3 interests me since I can immediately see that black might not be able to take the knight:
1. …..Nf3
2. gf3? Qf3
3. Kg1 Bd4
4. Nf2 Bc3
And black has a bit of a problem, though I don’t know if it is a fatal one. The queen has nowhere to go. I think black does best to just exchange at c3, but am not really sure:
5. Qc3 Qc3
6. Nd3 Qd2 (threatens Qc1)
7. Re1!
I think black’s edge is decisive, but can’t really be sure without basically a day of analysis, which I am not going to do.
So, is there a better defense for white at move #2? All I see are the queen moves to f2, b4, and a5 but they will all follow this line:
1. …..Nf3
2. Qa5 Qc1!
3. Nc1 e1Q (the point to Qc1)
4. Qe1 Ne1
And this is also complicated. My feeling is still that this is decisive for black. I see two main defenses for white from this point- exchanges the knights at d3, or push the c-pawn to c4. Of these, I like the pawn push better since I see no hope in the ending where black has a piece for two pawns. Continuing:
5. c4 Kf7
6. a4 Ke6 and this is surely lost for white???
1. … Nf3
2. gf Qxf3+
3. Kg1 Bd4++
1 nf3+ 2 gf3 qf3 3 kg1 bd4+
4 Nf2 bc3 wins
First I looked at 1. … Nxc2? 2. Rxc2 Qxd3 3. Rxe2 leading nowhere for black.
Then I looked at:
1. … Nf3
2. gxf3 (alternative below) Qxf3+ 3. Kg1 Bd4+
4. Nf2
Not having this on a board but only in my mind, I was now attracted to 4. … Qg4+? (utilizing the pin on N) 5. Kh1 but only found Qf3+ and it’s a draw. But then I found:
4. … Bc3!
trapping white’s queen (it’s choked). So taking black’s N sack can’t be an option for white then.
Alternative:
1. … Nf3
2. Qa5
Looks better than Qb4.
This looks really complicated. I have the feeling that it looks stupid to go for the hanging h2 pawn here.
One idea could be to play Nd2 having Ne4 in mind and the possibility to sack Q on g1 for Nf2#. At the same time this plan looks slow. I need a tempo to obtain it.
To continue my first post, I think I have to go for:
1. … Nf3!
2. Qa5
I earlier discussed gxf3 Qxf3+ Kg1 Bd4+ Nf2 Bc3! gaining Q for B.
2. … Qxc1+
3. Nxc1 e1=R+
4. Qxe1 Nxe1
and black is up with B+N vs. N for the fragmented a and c pawns. The endgame looks exciting. Is this possible to win for black?
Example line:
5. c4 Nc2
6. Nd3 Bd6
7. a4 Nb4
8. Nxb4 Bxb4
Could white hope for a draw here?
How about this:
1. ..Nf3+
If, for example, 2. Qb4, then
2..Qxc1
3. Nxc1 e1=Q+
4. Qxe1 Nxe1 and black wins.
If 2. gxf3 then 2…Qxf3+
3. Kg1 Bd4+
4. Nf2 Bc3 trapping the white queen
…Nf3; gf Qf3; Kg1 Bd4; Nf2 Bc3 -+
Tricky indeed!
1. … Nf3!
2. gxf3 Moving the queen instead does no good, since Black captures the rook and ends up with a piece plus, e.g.:
1. … Qa5
2. Qxc1+ Nxc1
3. e1=Q+ Qxe1
4. Nxe1 -+
2. … Qxf3+ Kg1
3. Kg1 Bd4+
4. Nf2
4. Qf2 Nxf2 -+
4. … Bc3 and the white queen has no safe square to go to.
5. Qxc3 Qxc3 -+
It’s a draw..
lovely puzzle. not easy to spot.
1…Nf3!! 2. gxf3 (if 2. Qa5!? Qxc1+!! 3. Nxc1 e1=R+ 4. Qxe1 Nxe1 wins) 3. Qxf3+ 3. Kg1 Bd4+ 4. Nf2 Bc3 game over
1…. Nf3
2.gxf3
(2.Qa5 Qxc1+
3.Nxc1 e1=Q+
4.Qxe1 Nxe1
5.c4 looks like a win for black; at the least he would not lose.)
2…. Qxf3+
3.Kg1 Bd4+
4.Nf2 Qg4+
5.Kh1 Qf3+
6.kh1 draw by repetition.