White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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Wroclaw chess tactic
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
My chess teacher, Grind-master Lenya Gristmilli, suggested today that I try this position, but advised me that I should cancel all my appointments for the day. I studied the position for a bit, and told her that this wasn’t too difficult. After
1. Bb8 Rxb8 2. Qxb8 Ra2 3. Qd6+ Ke8 4. h3 Qg8 5. Rb1
White is winning, and I told Lenya:
I won’t need to cancel any appointments.
But, dear, what do you play after: 1. Bb8 Ra2 2.Qb7+ Ke8 3. Qxc6+ Bd7 Hmmmmm???
I stared at this for a long time, and finally told her:
Maybe, I had better cancel those appointments after all.
After hours of looking at this, I finally found the quiet, but deadly 4. Qf6!!
This led to tons and tons of variations, but one of the most thrilling was this:
4. … Rxb8 5. Qh8+ Kf7 6. Nxd5+ Bf5 7. Qh7+ Ke6 8. Qe7+ Kxd5 9. Qd6+ Kc4 10. Rc1+ Kb5 11. Rb1+ Ka5 12. Qc7+ Ka6 13. Rb6+ Ka5 14. Qa7#
You don’t see them like this every day.
After showing this to Grind-master Lenya, she said to me:
“Well done, dear. I’ll give you a break from working chess problems tomorrow.
Thanks for the compliment, Grind-master Lenya, but I know you better than that! When you look at the next position from Susan Polgar’s Blogspot tomorrow morning, you won’t be able to resist posing it to me.
Well then, Lucymarie, you’ll just have to convince Susan to STOP POSTING THESE FIENDISHLY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS.
Hmmm….
I notice that I don’t need to worry about Ra2? since this is answered with Qb7-h7.
But if I now open f-file with Nxe6, hoping to get R activity in f-file, this activity is clearly restricted by Ra1+.
My queens activity is restricted by Be5 blocking the diagonal. But where could I put it to threat something?
If there is a tactic here, it’s well hidden for me.
The only move I find looking like activity, is:
1. h3
And now there are few places where black queen would feel really safe.
Safest looking to me is:
1. … Qg8
2. Nxh5 …
3. Nf6+
This actually doesn’t look bad.
Guess I would have played h3 to see what happens.
But I have not found anything decisive.
B-b8! fatally disrupts black’s position.
1. Bb8 with threats such as Bxa7 and Qe5, the rook can’t move because of Qb7+
A sample line:
1. Bb8 – Rxb8
2. Qxb8 – Rc7
3. Nxe6 – Qxe6
4. Rf8
I don’t have the time to do this right at the moment, but I would dislodge black’s a7 rook with Bb8. I can’t quite see the end of the line in my head right now, but after Rxb8 2.Qb8 Rc7, white can try a move like 3.Ng6 followed by Rf8, and I don’t see how black can avoid losing material to prevent the mate with either Q or R to d8/, or Qe7.
1. Bb8…
a) 1…Rc7 2. Bxc7 Kxc7 3.Nxe6+ Qxe6 4.Qg7+ /+-/
b) 1…Rxb8 2.Qxb8 Rc7 3.Qf8 Qg8 4.Qd6+ Kc8 5.Nxe6 /+-/
c) 1…Kc8 2.Bxa7 Rxa7 3.Nxe6 Qxe6 4.Rf8+ Kd7 5.Qg7+ / +-/
d) 1…Qg8 2.Bxa7 Rxa7 3.Nxe6 Kxe6 ( 3…Qxe6 4.Qg7+ /+-/ ) 4.Qf6+ Kd7 5.Qd6+ Ke8 ( 5….Kc8 6. Rf8+ /+-/ ) 6.Qb8+ /+-/
e) 1…Ra2 2.Qe5! Rxb8 3. Qd6+ Kc8( Ke7 ) 4.Ne2! Ra1 5.Rxa1 Qg8 ( 5…Qxe2 6.Qxe6+ /+-/ ) 6.Ra7 Rb1+ 7. Kf2 /+-/
f) 1…Qg5 2.Bxa7 Rxa7 3.Qb8 Rc7 4.Qf8 Qe7 5.Nxe6 Qxg8 ( 5…Kxe6 6.Qf5# ; 5…Qxe6 6.Rf7+ /+-/) 6.Nxg8+ /+-/