White to move. What should White do to hold this game? No computer please!
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Well, there are two visually plausible beginnings here- Bc3 which anticipates and attempts to neutralize the threat of e4 discovered check/mate; and the only check available to white, g4. While I would normally be attracted to the less active of these two moves, the one check available has two additional features that attracts me- the bishop cuts off the retreats to g5 and h6, and moving the pawn helps clear the second rank for the white queen to maneuver (of course, the bishop is in the way, too, but I think I can already see how to clear him, too). With that idea, let’s proceed:
1. g4 Kh4 (only move)
So, what can white do now? White needs to clear the bishop out of the way of the queen, but doing it with check isn’t going to work- e1 is covered, and the sacrificial check from g5 just looks pointless on only a cursory glance. This leaves 2.Bc3 and the direct attack on the black queen. Now, one might think giving up the bishop at h6 is also pointless, but if you can see just a couple of moves past that point, you can quickly see black has a problem if he takes the bishop:
2. Bh6 Qh6
3. Qh2 Kg5
4. Qd2!
The black king can’t move without dropping the queen, and he also can’t block this check with Nf4 since 5.Qd8 is mate! Finally, black can’t decline the bishop either- white is going to mate with Qh2 if black tries moving the queen.
g4+ Kh4
Bh6 …
Black loses Queen
Excellent explanation Yancey! It took me a while to find that line, as I was hesitant to consider 2.Bh6 for some time. After dismissing other options I came back to it.
I tried to find a way for white to win, but I wasn’t able to find it within 20 moves. Unless I overlooked something (which is more than likely), I suspect that a win would be a long battle.
That was a good puzzle and I enjoyed it.
Very early publishing of the solution here, but it does seem like Yancey Ward found a win for white here. I couldn’t find any flaw.
1. g4+ Kh4 (only)
2. Bh6 Qxh6 (e4+/Kf3/Kh3 Bxg7, other moves Qh2#)
3. Qh2+ Kg5 (only)
4. Qd2+!
A)
4. … Nf4
5. Qd8#!
Black king was actually completely choked between his own pieces here.
For me this was impossible to foresee before it actually happened:-)
B) (enforced)
4. … Kf6 (Kh4? Qxh6+ Kg3 Qxg6)
5. Qxh6
From here it’s just a matter of technique to find the win with Q vs. B+N.
Like in all endgames of this type, the best practical tip is to let your queen be “lazy”. Let the king do the hardest work!
As pht and Geoffrey Burrows point out, the rest of the problem is a tedious ending, but the problem only asked white to hold the position, not necessarily win it. I think white’s edge is decisive, but if one really wants to know, it will require a high powered chess engine to work out in less than a day.
1.g4 kh4
2.be1 nxe1
3.qh2#