White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? No computer analysis please.
4Q2K/8/kp2p3/q7/8/1PP1p1p1/8/8 w – – 0 4
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Its at least a draw
Qc8+ Ka7 (Kb5 Qc4#)
Qc7+ Ka8(a6)
Qc8+ Ka7 etc
I did not find anything but a draw with Qc8+.
I succumbed to computer. But now that I know I can say: Waw!!
I’m thinking
1.Qa8+ Kb5 2.Qc8 threatening Qc4 mate
As far as I can see, black can only prevent this by moving his queen to a3, a2 or a1. If 2…Qa3, Qe8+ and if the king goes to the a-file, 3.Qa8+ wins the queen and if it goes to c5, 3.Qf8+ wins the queen.
So black can play 2…Qa1 or 2…Qa2 and now 3.Qc4+ Ka5 4.b4+ winning the queen after Ka4 and 5.Qxa2 or 5.Qa6+ depending on whether the queen went to a2 or a1.
Have I overlooked anything?
Great endgame. 1. Qc8+ ensures at least a draw for white, so I started looking for winning chances – and found it:
1. Qa8+!! Kb5
2. Qc8
and black has no answer.
Brilliant.
I see something like
1. Qa8+ .. Kb5. It’s forced, and hinders queen movements. Then
2. Qc8, threatening mate with Qc5, but i have to check more carefully…
Sorry, i meant
“… threatening mate with Qc4”.
And it seems to work, if the queen moves, some skewers there seems to be threaten…
Qa8+ Kb5
Qc8! threatening Qc4# now:
Qa1 Qc4+ Ka5 b4+ Ka4 Qa6+ or
Qa2 Qc4+ Ka5 b4+ or
Qa3 Qe8+! Ka5 (Kc5 Qf8+) Qa8+ all win the queen
1.Qa8+ Kb5
2.Qc8 Qa1
3.Qc4+ Ka4
4.Qa6+
1:0
2…. Qa3
3.Qd8 Qd7+
and the blach Queen ist lost
2…. Qa2
3.Qc4+ Ka5
4.b4+
1:0
2…. Qa7
3.Qc4+ Ka5
and after b4+ and Qa2+ the
black queen is lost
Qa8+ Kb5
Qc8! threatening Qc4#, now
Qa1 Qc4+ Ka5 b4+ Ka4 Qa6 or
Qa2 Qc4+ Ka5 b4+ or
Qa3 Qe8+! Ka5 (Kc5 Qf8+) Qa8+
all win the queen
It looks like white can win with 1.Qa8+ Kb5 2.Qc8!! The threat is now 3.Qc4# The king can’t move, so black has to move his queen.
A few tries:
2…Qa6/Qa7 3.Qc4 Ka5 4.Qa4#
2…Qa1 3.Qc4 Ka5 4.b4 Ka4 5.Qa6
2…Qa2 3.Qc4 Ka5 4.b4 and 5.Qxa2
3…Qa3 3.Qd7 Kc5 4.Qe7
After winning the queen it should be easy to pick off all black’s isolated pawns one by one.
Nice puzzle, it took my a few tries to find Qc8. After 2.Qe4 for example, black can play Ka6 and settle for the draw (I think his best option). Hope I didn’t miss anything, so I will check now 🙂
Kind regards,
PdV
How about
1.Qa8+ Kb5
2.Qc8
I don’t really know how to make progress after the following:
1. Qa8+ Kb5
2. Qe4
(threatening Qc4#)
2. … Qa3
3. Qc4+ Ka5
Now what?
Just a little remark: after 2. Qe4 Black draws (or even wins, i don’t want to delve into it) with Qxc3+. The move Ka6 gives White another chance!
@Consul, I found the same… Black seems to win even after Qxc3. There was another mistake in one of my lines as well, but perhaps someone else wants to try to find it 🙂
Kind regards,
PdV
It seems…
“here are the results” (famous intro of the presenting of the televoting of the european eurovision song contest) of a very delicious cup of tea with lemon and a relaxing analysis of this beautiful study: (the solution is already mentioned) all the lines are very very instructive, and relevant for the practical game, all pieces work together, so i enjoyed it very much! thanks!
The solutions after Qa3, Qa2 and Qa1 were very elegant. So as there is no post with the full answer, here is my post.
1. Qa8+ Kb5 2. Qc8, and now:
(a) 2…Qa6 or 2…Qa7 looses because of Qc4+ followed by Qa4#
(b) 2…Qa3, 2…Qa2 and 2…Qa1.
(b1) 2…Qa3 3. Qe8+ and white wins the black queen.
(b2) 2…Qa2 3. Qc4+ Ka5 4. b4+ and Qxa2, 1-0
(b3) 2…Qa1 3. Qc4+ Ka5 4. b4+ Ka4 5. Qa6+ and Qxa1, 1-0
Overall I would say that Qc8 is very elegant, paralyzing the black queen by hindering its exit onto the long dark diagonal through Qxc3. Thanks! /Rauan