White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1Rxe6 check.
If Kd7 , Re7 mate
If 1..fxe9 , then :
2.Qxe6 check , Kf8.
3.Qf6 check , Kg8.
4.Re7 , threat Qg7 mate.
This is fairly simply , but the hardest of the moves for a human to see , as it does not appear to be “forcing”.It could be quite easily missed in time-trouble. After Re7 , Qxd4 prevents mate on g7 and offers a Q exchange , but then Qf7 check is followed by a mate on h7.
Rxe6 appears to be a good next move by white:
[FEN “2rrk3/p4p1p/1p2p2Q/8/P2PR3/2q5/5PP1/4R1K1 w – – 0 0”]
1. Rxe6+ fxe6
(1… Kd7 2. Re7#)
2. Qxe6+ Kf8
3. Qf6+ Kg8
4. Re7
There seem to be two alternatives at this point.
Alternative 1: Sacrifice the queen, which only delays mate for a while:
4… Qe1+
5. Rxe1 Re8 {It is to white’s advantage to exchange rooks at this point.}
6. Rxe8+ Rxe8 {White now can advance the pawn on the d file and force an exchange of the remaining black rook.}
7. d5 Rf8
8. Qe6+ Kg7
9. d6 Rg8
10. d7 b5 {Instead of promoting the pawn and forcing the exchange here, we have the opportunity to exchange the white queen for the black rook and then promote the pawn, which is more or less equivalent but gives black fewer alternatives.}
11. Qxg8+ Kxg8
12. d8=Q+ Kg7
13. axb5 h6
14. Qd7+ Kf6
15. Qxa7 h5
16. b6 Kf5
17. b7 Ke6
18. b8=Q h4
19. Qab6+ Kf5
20. Qe3 h3
21. gxh3 Kg6
22. Qbf4 Kg7
23. Qeg3+ Kh7
24. Qfh4#
Alternative 2: Black forces white to exchange his rook at e7 for the black queen that maneuvers itself to c7, which results in a shorter game, but doesn’t change the outcome:
4… Qc1+
5. Kh2 Qc7+ {Since the white king is in check, white pretty much has to exchange.}
6. Rxc7 Rxc7 {White doesn’t mind at all, since he now can take both black rooks.}
7. Qxd8+ Kf7
8. Qxc7+ Ke6
9. Qxa7 Kd5
10. Qxb6 Kc4 {Now promoting the pawn on the ‘a’ file is a simple matter.}
11. a5 Kd3
12. a6 Kd2
13. a7 Ke2
14. a8=Q Kd3
15. Qb3+ Ke2
16. Qaa2+ Kf1
17. Qbb1#
Analyzing the position in the first line above after move 5 with Fritz 13 in infinite analysis mode, Fritz decided a better move than my Rxe8 is Re6, which resulted in the following line computed entirely by Fritz, which is similar to my line in that it exploits the pawn on the d file to force black to sacrifice his rook:
6. Re6 Rc1+
7. Kh2 Re1
8. Rxe1 Rxe1
9. d5 Rf1
10. d6 Rd1
11. Qe7 Rd3
12. d7 h6
13. d8=Q+ Rxd8
14. Qxd8+ Kg7
15. Qc7+ Kf8
16. Qxa7 h5
17. Qxb6 Ke7
18. Qc5+ Kd7
19. Qxh5 Kc8
20. Qf7 Kd8
21. a5 Kc8
22. a6 Kd8
23. a7 Kc8
24. a8=Q#
Rxe6 will do!
1).Rxe6 pxR (If ..Kd7 2). Re7#)
2).Qxe6+ Kf8
3). Qf6+ kg8
4). Re7 (Threat 5). Qg8#)
4)…Qxd4 (if …Qc1+ 5). Kh2 Black cannot defend)
5).Qf7+ Kh8
6).Qh7#
Well, Rxe6 is certainly worth a look:
1. Re6 fe6 (Kd7 2.Re7#)
2. Qe6
I looked at 2.Re6, but after Kd7, I don’t see a winning, or even drawing, line. Continuing:
2. …..Kf8
3. Qf6 Kg8
4. Re7 and I don’t see how black can avoid the mate without giving up the queen. There may even a mate I am missing in lines that continue with 4. …Qe1 and 4. …Qc1.