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c6 Bf3
c7 Bb7
Bd7 a5
a8=Q Bxa8
Bxa8
this was a trivial problem.. i didn’t take more than a couple minutes to solve it. the first thing i look for is what color are the bishops. they are both light squares. this is crucial information.. i pondered Bc6 for a second and then realized black moving Bc8 would cause that to be a bad move. i don’t consider Bd7 to be a tactical move . its more of a positional move to prevent black from moving Bc8
c6 g3, Kxg3 axb5, a5 winning.
c6 should win from here:
1. c6 g3
If black tries ab5, c7 wins easily. Also, Bf3 loses to 2.c7 and 3.Bd7. Continuing:
2. c7 Bg4
3. Bc6!
Not 3.Ba6?? since g2 wins for black. White should win with bishop moves like Bd3 or Be2, but Bc6 is clearly more forcing and direct:
3. …..Bc8 (threat was Bb7)
4. Kg3 Kg8 (what else?)
5. Kh4 Kh7
6. Kh5 a5 (Kg8 7.a5)
7. Kg5 Kg8
8. Kf4 Kh7
9. Ke5 Kg6
10.Bd5 Ba6
11.Be4 and 12.Bf5 followed by 13.c8 is unstoppable.
Way too hard.
After the winning move, 1. c7, there are hundreds of variations, many of which transpose into each other. It is clear that the response 1. .. axb5 quickly loses to 2. c7. Both 1. .. Bf3 and 1. .. g3 are good tries, but they also lose.
Here are some representative variations.
1. c6 Bf3
(1. .. g3 2. c7 Bg4 3. Bc6 a5 (3. .. Be6 4. Kxg3 Bc8 5. a5 Be6 6. Bb7) (3. .. g2 4. Bxg2 Bc8 5. Kg5 Ke8 6. Bc6+ Kf8 7. a5 Bg4 8. Bb7 Be6 9. Bxa6) (3. .. Bc8 4. Kxg3) (3. .. Kg8 4. Kxg3) 4. Kxg3 Bc8 (4. .. Be6 5. Kh4 Bc8 6. Kxh5 Kg8 7. Be4 Kf8 8. Bc6 Kg8 (8. .. Be6 9. Bb7 Ke8 10. c8=Q+ Bxc8 11. Bxc8) 9. Bf3 Ba6 10. Bg4 Bb7 11. c8=Q+ Bxc8 12. Bxc8) 5. Kh4 Be6 6. Bb7 Ke8 7. Kxh5 Kf8 8. c8=Q+ Bxc8 9. Bxc8)
(1. .. Bb3 2. c7 Be6 3. Bxa6)
(1. .. axb5?? 2. c7)
2. c7 Bb7 3. Bd7 a5
(3. .. g3 4. Kxg3 a5 5. c8=Q+ Bxc8 6. Bxc8 Ke8 7. Kh4 Kd8 8. Bf5)
4. c8=Q+ Bxc8 5. Bxc8 Ke8 6. Ba6 Kd8 7. Bc4 Ke8 8. Bd5 Kf8 9. Bc6 Kg8 10. Kg5 h4 11. Kxh4
1. c6! Bf3
2. c7 Bb7
3. Bd7 a5 (forced)
IF 3…… Kg8
4. a5! Kh7
5. c8=Q +-
4. c8=Q Bxc8
5. Bxc8 Kg8
6. Kg5 g3
7. Bh3 +-
1-0
1. Bd7
It continues to prevent Ke8, continues to support a4, and stops black’s g and h pawns in their tracks.
Following this move, white can push the c pawn up, forcing black to give up her bishop on c6, for example,
1…Bf3
2. c6 Bxc6
3. Bxc6