White to move. How should White proceed?
6r1/P7/KPk4p/2p2p2/7p/2P1P3/6P1/8 w – – 0 2
A number of solutions have been posted. Can you now pick which is the correct continuation?
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1. b7 Rg4 2. b8=N+ Kc7 3. c4 Rxc4 4. Nc6 Ra4+ 5. Na5 Rxa5+ 6. Kxa5 Kb7 7. Kb5 +-
1. b7, RXg2 (threatening Ra7 mate)
2. b8 (Knight)+, Kc7
3. Nc6, Ra1+
4. Na5 …and white wins
if 5…KXN then 6. a8 (Queen)+ and the black rook is toast!
Oops, I missed 1. b7 Rxg2.
1. c4 h5 2. g3 hxg3 3. b7 g2 4. a8=Q
White would like to play b7 followed by a8 or b8:
1. b7 Rg2
2. a8(Q)Ra2# and b8(Q) suffers the same fate. White could try an under promotion at move 2:
2. b8(N) Kc7 and what now for white? The a-pawn can still not be queened due to the check at a2 by the rook, and another underpromotion just loses the knight at b8, and 3. Kb5 loses to Kb7. White could try
3. Nc6 Ra2 (Kc6?? 4.a8(Q)+-)
4. Na5 Ra5!
5. Ka5 Kb7 and black will win with the passed h-pawn. At move 4 in this line, white can do no better with
4. Kb5 h3
5. Na5 Ra5 again wins.
No, white needs another plan. White cannot move the king as black’s king takes control of b7 and neither the a or b pawns can be advanced any further. This leaves 4 moves- c4, e4, g3, g4. Taking them in order:
Variation A with 1.c4:
1. c4
And now the question is put to black- what move to make? The options are pawn moves or a lateral rook move (the a-pawn is threatening to queen with check). Continuing:
1. …..Rd8 (path to d1/d2)
2. b7 Rd2
3. b8(N)Kc7
4. Nc6 Ra2
5. Na5 Ra5
6. Ka5 Kb7 and black wins the a-pawn just like the line that starts 1.b7, but the key difference is that black does not have a passed h-pawn. Indeed, white wins the c-pawn and the game with his passed c-pawn as there is no counterplay for black in this line, at all.
The loose threads are now the very first move of black in this line. I see no further way to hold with any other rook move of black, so the possible pawn moves are f4, h5, and h3. Taking these in order:
1. c4 f4
2. ef4 h5 (rook moves no good)
3. f5! h3 (rook moves no good)
4. gh3 h4 (rook moves bad still)
5. f6 Rd8 (what else?)
6. f7 and there is no defense- one of the pawns will queen no matter what.
There is no need to analyze 1. …h3 as this still doesn’t allow black to get the required passed pawn to hold this position. The only remaining line to analyze is
1. c4 h5
Now, it took me a few minutes to see the answer
2. g3!! hg3 (Rg3 3.a8(Q)+ wins)
3. b7 g2
4. a8(Q)g1(Q)(Ra85.ba8(Q)Kg7 6.Qg2)
5. b8(Q)Kd7
6. Qd5 Ke7
7. Qbd6 Ke8
8. Q5e6#
A very nice puzzle. Honestly, I couldn’t actually see the path to victory without working it out in detail. I found the correct moves only by the process of eliminating everything else and doing the analysis exhaustively.
1.b7 Rxg2 2.b8=N+ Kc7 3.Kb5 Ra2 4.Na6 +-
In the line by the first Anonymous: Black plays 4…Rxa5+ 5. Kxa5 Kb7.
In the line by the second Anonymous: Black can play 3…Rb2+ and …Ra2.
Maybe 1. g4 works? If 1…h3 2. b7 h2 3. a8=Q h1=Q 4. b8=Q+, 1…Rxg4 2. a8=Q+, 1…fxg4 2. b7, in the meantime the threat of b7 looks to be unstoppable.
b7 sucks you freeking fish, instead try g4
Hi Susan.
a:
1)g3,hg3
2)b7,g2
3)a8=Q,Ra8
4)ba8=Q+,Kd6
5)Qg2 +-
b:
1)g3,hg3
2)b7,g2
3)a8=Q,g1=Q
4)b8=Q+,Kd7
5)Qg8 +-
c:
1)g3,Rg2
2)a8=Q+,Kd6
3)Qg2 +-
Grettings from Spain
Jorge,
That won’t work
1. g3 h3 (or hg3)
2. b7 Rg4 and white must deal with the mate threat, and the only way to do that is to underpromote at b8.
Also, 1. g4 also fails for the exact same reason.
c4 is the killer move. Jorge has the right idea but misses a refutation at the second move 🙂 Guess what c4 prevents 😉
Jorge analyzes 1.g3 Rg2?!? What kind of drugs is he on? Can I get some?
ok, think I have it.
If
1. b7, RXg2 (threatening Ra7 mate)
2. b8 (Knight)+, Kc7
3. Nc6,
Black has Rg8, eg 4.Nb8, Rg6+; 5.Kb5, Kb7
So White needs the black rook on the d file because after Nc6 in the above line, the rook cannot come to d8.
Jorge’s 3 lines all win for white after 1.g3, so
1.g3! Rd8
2.b7! Rd1
3.b8(N)+ Kc7
4.Nc6 Ra1+
5.Na5 Rxa5
6.Kxa5 Kb7
White has a simple K and P ending win
These lines that start with 1.b7 or 1.g3/g4 look insufficient to me, because they fail to stop Black’s plan to check on the a-file. I think White needs to close that off with 1.c4. I’m not sure what the best reply is, but I think White will be able to play that line with b7, b8N+, then Nc6-a5 which ought to win. The problem with 1.g3? hxg3 is that Black can counter 2.b7 with …Rg4! and White cannot queen without being mated, so Black wins with an eventual …g2.
Looking at Jorge’s line:
Black can answer 1.g3 with 1…Rg4,
after which the black rook can cross over to the a-file to deliver mate.
Or so it seems to me.
Please ignore my last.
Dan
After a little more thought, how about:
1.b7 Rg4
2.b8=N+ Kc7
3.Nc6 Rg8
4.Nb8 Rxb8
5.axb8=Q+ Kxb8
6.Kb5 1-0
I’ll leave the elucidation to Yancey.
This is a good problem! I’m chiming in again.
Of course, my previous solution falls apart because Black plays 1…Rxg2, which changes the resulting position to a Black win.
Artificial intelligence points out that in this problem’s initial position, White is in no hurry; Black isn’t able to do much until White pushes that b-pawn.
So, White can prepare the field with simple pawn pushes like 1.c4 (to block the fourth rank), and then 2.g3 (which is crucial: Black is unable to capture on g3 because he then loses the mate threat on the a-file) after which White blocks the h-file with 3.gxh4before pushing the b-pawn.
After that, it really is a 1-0 position.
From Spain….
1)b7,Rg2
2)b8=N+,Kc7
3)Nc6,Ra2+
4)Na5,Ra5+
5)Ka5,Kb7 and black win with 6)…,h3
Too trcky for me,but the comp confirmed that only Arvind Narayanan is right. 1.b7 is wrong.
This is a beautiful position. So many moving pieces!
1.g4! h3!
2.b7 h2
3.b8->N+ [..Rxb8 4.Qxb8 h1->Q?? 5.Qa1+]
..Kf7
4.a8->Q (stopping black’s promotion) ..Rxb8
5.Qa7+ Kc8
6.Qxc5+ Kd8 [..Kd7 7.Qxf5+, any square the king moves to loses the passer]
7.Qd6+ followed by Qxh2, picking up the escaped convict and winning the game.
OK, please ignore my analysis. As much as I wanted 1.g4 (maybe just for it’s aesthetic appeal?) it falls apart after Yancey’s 2..Rxg4.
@Wes emmett, I like your ideas, but I don’t see anything for white after
1. b7 Rxg2
2. b8->N+ Kc7
3. Nc6 Ra2+
4. Kxa5 Kb7, when black stops white’s a-pawn and promotes his h-pawn.
I really like the following line because it seems to solve most of our problems:
1.g4 h3
2.g5 h2
3.b7 h1->Q
But with black’s queen on the board, white is stuck.
So, to make a long story short I don’t have an answer, but I look forward to seeing the clever line that solves all of our problems.
b7 looses for
… Rxg2
b8N Kc7
Nc6 Ra2+
Na5 Rxa5+
Kxa5 Kb7 and the h-pawn is unstoppable
g3 looses for
… hxg
b7 Rg4 and the same as above
c3! wins cause the rook can’t leave the 8th row (a8Q+), and the 4th row is blocked.
If the rook moves on 8th row (e.g. Rd8), b7 is possible now, cause the pawn on g2 stops the h-pawns.
If 1) … h4, 2. hxg and black has the same problem.
If 1)… h5, 2.) g3! hxg 3.) b7: now black’s rook is not able to reach the a-line in two moves
Wes emmett said…
“So White needs the black rook on the d file because after Nc6 in the above line, the rook cannot come to d8.”
If this is right I suggest
1. c4 with the idea to do nothing = zugzwang. g3 isnt it, as hxg3 and after b7 Black plays Rg4 which renews the mate thread
So after 1. c4 …
1. … Rd8 (in order to reach the four last rows)
2. b7 Rd2
3. b8N+ Kc7
4. Nc6 and now
4. Ra2+ 5. Na5, 4. Kxc6 5. a8Q+, 4. Rd8 5. Nxd8 always with a win for White.
I must need more coffee.
I wrote,
“1. b7 Rxg2
2. b8->N+ Kc7
3. Nc6 Ra2+
4. Kxa5 Kb7, when black stops white’s a-pawn and promotes his h-pawn.”
Please insert
4.Na5 Rxa5+
So the complete line is:
1. b7 Rxg2
2. b8->N+ Kc7
3. Nc6 Ra2+
4. Na5 Rxa5+
5. Kxa5 Kb7, when black stops white’s a-pawn and promotes his h-pawn.
1.g3 or g4 h3 or hxg3 (let’s take hxg3) 2.b7 g2 3.a8/Q g1/Q 4.b8/Q+
1.c4 is the winning move.
If 1…Rd8, then 2.b7 Rd1 3.b8=N+ Kc7 4.Nc6 Ra1+ 5.Na5 Rxa5+ 6.Kxa5 and pawn ending is won.
If 1…h5 – 2.g4 !!
(2.g3 h3! 3. b7 Rxg3!)
2…hxg3 3.b7
Now black has not defending move Rg4, and on 3…g2 4.a1=Q is winning
M. Pasman,
I am pretty certain that 2. g4 deserves a ?.
1. c4 h5
2. g4? Rd8!
3. b7 Rd1
4. b8(N)Kc7
5. Nc6 Ra1
6. Na5 Ra5
7. Ka5 Kb7 and black wins with the passed h-pawn.
At move 3, white could try
3. g5 h3 and white can’t win this race and must still push the pawn to pick up another tempo:
4. b7 Rd1
5. b8(N)Kc7
6. Nc6 Ra1
7. Na5 Ra5
8. Ka5 Kb7
9. g6 h2
10.g7 h1(Q)
11.a8(Q)
Here, 11.g8(Q) would be a blunder since black has a mate in two starting with Qe1+, however, the position is now a likely draw since there is no hiding place for either king.
Your objection to 2. g3:
1. c4 h5
2. g3 h3
3. b7 Rg3 is a loser for black- the rook takes two moves to reach the a-file (the e3 pawn is in the way), and white queens the b-pawn on the next move followed by the a-pawn, or vice versa.
Yancey Ward,
you are right,
I just posted my comments when I was too tired , without looking on the position , so I missed the pawn e3.
So 1.c4 h5 2.g3! is winning, of course.