8/8/4r2p/2R3p1/k4p2/n2N1P1P/6PK/8 w – – 0 1
White to move. Is this a drawn endgame? How should White proceed?
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Rxg5 should do it
White can play 1.Rg5, and with a few moves white will capture the black pawn on f4…
1. Rxg5 looks tempting.
Rxg5! Rd6
Kc5+ Kb4
Rf5
and black’s pawsn should be easy picking later on.
Rxg5 hxg5 Nc5+ Kb5 Nxe6
Rxg5 Re3 Rd5
Rxg5 Rf5 Rg4
Rxg5 Rd6 Nc5+ Kb4 Rf5 or Rh5 followed by maybe Ne4
Not completely sure that white is winning, but it looks very promising being a pawn up, black’s remaining pawns are weak, the white king is poised for both defensive and offensive roles. Black’s knight is still a few moves away from participating as is the black king.
Rxg5 wins a crucial pawn.
if Black captures, then we have the Knight check forking the rook & king
Surely should win for White
Funny thing: White could win a rook with Nc5+ if her rook weren’t on c5-sqare. That suggests that White might be able to be extravagant on her first move.
1. Rxg5
The critical variation is where Black attacks White’s rook and knight simultaneously:
1. .. Rd6 2. Nc5+ Kb4 3. Ne4 Rc6 4. Rf5
If Black takes the rook:
1. .. hxg5 2. Nc5+ Kb4 3. Nxe6 Kc4 4. Nxg5
r:g5..h:g5
nc5+..kb4
n:e6..and white certainly wins that by two pawn up
Nc5+ would be good for white, but his R is in the way. The obvious solution is 1. R:g5. Capturing the R is obviously hopeless, as the knight fork followed by capturing the R also hits both black pawns.
Black can counter by hitting the white N, but 1…Re3 2. Rd5 seems OK and 1… Rd6 2. Nc5+ also gets the N out of harm’s way.
Rxg5 wins a pawn and destroys pawn structure of black. If hxg5, then Nc5!, pinning black rook
The position of black’s rook and king suggests clearing c5 for white’s knight for the threatened fork, so I would be looking Rxg5 before any other move:
1. Rg5 Rd6 (any better move?)
2. Nc5 Kb4
3. Rf5 Nc2
4. Ne4 will net two pawns overall.
1. Rxg5! hxg5 2. Nc5+ Kb4 3. Nxe6 1-0