Alekhine – Shishko [Moscow, 1919]
White to move. How would you assess this position? How should White proceed?
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Rxf6 possibly to force a Qxf1, followed by Rxf1. White gains slight advantage with the pawn on ‘A’ file
1. R5xf5 Kxf5
2. Rxf2+ gxf2
3. g4+ Kxg4
4. Kg2
and white’s a pawn will queen
if
3 …. Ke5 (instead of …Kxg4)
4. Kg2 Kd5
black is in the square to capture the white a pawn, but then white king will clean up black’s k-side pawns and win.
I got this in about 10 seconds. White can actually take the queen right away, even though it looks like the f-pawn can’t be stopped after black recaptures at f2, but white has a resource:
1. Rf2!! gf2
2. Rf5! Kf5 (else, lose f2 or f1)
3. g4
Clears the g-pawn out of the way with check. Now black’s king must guard against the passed a-pawn, which he can stop, but the position is hopeless anyway:
3. ……Ke5 (or Ke6)
4. Kg2 Kd5
5. Kf2 with an easily won ending.
1.Rxf5 Kxf5 2.Rxf2 gxf2 3.g4† Kxg4 4.Kg2 and the a-pawn wins.
1. Rxf5 Kxf5
2. Rxf2+ gxf2
3. g4+ Kxg4
4. Kg2
Now black can’t protect the f pawn, nor stop white’s a pawn from queening.
spoiler possible answer is it d5 to b5?
spoiler possible answer is it d5 to b5?
spoiler of possible answer in case you want to figure it out Is it d5 to b5?
spoiler of possible answer in case you want to figure it out ——————————- is it d5 to b5?
spoiler of possible answer in case you want to figure it out ——————————- is it d5 to b5?
spoiler of possible answer in case you want to figure it out ——————————- is it d5 to b5?
I could exclude both Rxf2?? gxf2 and Ra1? Qb2 and then I had to look at:
1. Rxf5!
Not difficult but funny! Black queen kind of sandwiched between the rooks.
1. … Qxf5
2. Rxf5 Kxf5
3. b6
Or:
1. … Qa2 (Qb2 Rxf6 Qxf6 ends as above)
2. Rxf6+ Kg5 (Kg7 just helps a-pawn ahead. a6, Rf7+, a7 etc.)
3. a6
Next white plans d4! Black can’t prevent it with Qa4? R1f5+ Kg4 Rf4+.
1. Rxf2 gxf2
2. Rxf5 Kxf5
3. g4+ Kxg4
4. Kg2
And black can not stop white a pawn
1. Rxf2! and white wins easily
A The toughest line If 1…gxf! 2. Rxf5!.Kxf5! 3. g4+!!
A1. 3…Kxg4 4. Kg2..h5 5. a6..h4 6. a7..h3+ 7. Kxf2..h2 8. a8=Q and wins
White needs only 3 moves to queen whereas black needs 5 moves and white king can stop the f6 or h6 pawn whereas black king cannot stop white a-pawn.
A2..3..Kf4! 4. Kg2..Ke3 5. Kf1! and white queens a-pawn and wins easily
Note that white needs to liquidate queen immediately and cannot transpose moves ie., correct order is Rxf2 and then Rxf5 and not 1.Rxf5?!? gives black some chances for resistance due to mate threats along h file. 1..Qe4. 2. Rxf6+.Kg7 (not Kg5 for 3. R1-f5+ and 4. R5-f4+ liquidating the queen and queening a-pawn for an easy win) 3. R6-f4 stopping mate but …Qe5! and white has no time to queen or mate as black keeps threatening mate along h file at h2!
Harry
Neat! Moves 1 & 2 are interchangeable I guess, but here is the solution:
1. Rxf2!! gxf2
2. Rxf5!! Kxf5
3. g4+! Kxg4
4. Kg2 1-0
Rxf2 gxf2 Rxf5! Kxf5 g4+! etc.
At first glance, 1. Rxf2, looks suicidal, so I examined other moves first.
So I looked at 1. Rxf5 but that leads to nothing decisive after 1. .. Qd4 2. Rxf6+ Kh7 3.Rf7+ Kh8 4. Rf8+ Kh7 5. R1f7+ Kg6
Next I looked at the truly suicidal 1. Ra1? But Black can push the f-pawn with devastating results. 1. .. f4 2. Rd8 f3 3. Rg8+ Kh5 4. Rxg3 Qxg3 5. Ra2 f2 6. Rxf2 Qxf2
But due to the saving, and actually winning Zwischenzuege on the 2nd and 3rd moves, 1. Rxf2! is actually the correct move. 1. .. gxf2 2. Rxf5 (first Zwischenzug) Kxf5 3. g4+ (concluding Zwischenzug allowing White king to stop the pawn) Ke6 (to keep the a-pawn in sight) 4. Kg2 Kd5 5. Kxf2 Kc6 6. Ke3 Kb5 7. Ke4 Kxa5 8. Kf5 Kb4 9. Kxf6 Kc5 10. Kg6
1Rxq 2RXP 3G4+ WINS
1RXP 2 rXP 3G4 CH
1RXP 2RXP 3G4+
1rXP 2RXP 3 G4+