White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tuesday chess tactic
About Author
White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Clearly, the rook sac will work:
1. Rh8+! Kxh8 (otherwise say goodbye to the queen)
2. Qh5+ Kg8
3. Qh7+ Kf8
4. Qxf7#
A flashy one!
1.Rh8+ wins the queen and the game.
The rook is taboo:
a)
1…Bxh8
2.Qxf7+#
b)
1…Kxh8 (relatively better)
2.Qh5+ Kg7 (or Kg8)
3.Qxf7#
Here’s the entire game:
1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5 (Caro-Kann)
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Bf5
5. Ng3 Bg6
6. Nf3 (h4 is played more frequently) Nd7
7. Bd3 (h4 is good, too. For 7.c3, see the game Polgar, J-Jobava, Warsaw, 2010) Bxd3
8. Qxd3 Ngf6
9. Bd2 (0-0 is more fashionable nowadays) e6
10. O-O-O Be7
11. Kb1 c5
12. Ne4 O-O
13. Nxf6+ Bxf6
14. h4 cxd4
15. Ng5 g6
(Fen=r2q1rk1/pp1n1p1p/4pbp1/6N1/3p3P/3Q4/PPPB1PP1/1K1R3R w – – 0 16)
16. Nxh7!? (Tricky and double-edged sacrifice) Kxh7
17. h5 (h-line will open) Rh8
18. hxg6+ Kg7
19. Bh6+ Kg8 (far from easy to choose between this move and the sacrifice’s acceptance 19…Rxh6, which was best but perhaps not for a human brain)
20. Bg5 Rxh1 (20…Bxg5 was possible but messy)
21. Rxh1 (till now, Black is doing well, but his next move is lethal) Nf8? (21…Bxg5 led to draw)
22. Qf3 (The bishop is doubly pinned! To his queen d8, but less obviously to the square f7. Thus, he can’t move at all!) Nd7
23. Rh8+ (quickest and flashiest way to win)
Black resigns
This game contains numerous attack ideas against the short castle!
Three moves win, but one wins immediately!
1. Rh8+
1. … BxR
2. Qxf7 mate
1. … KxR
2. Qh5+
followed by checks on h7,f7
as needed for mate
R-h8ch wins
Rh8+