For most people the weekend is a time to relax, see friends, have a few drinks. So too for many chess players; though the weekend can also lead to trouble, poor rook endings and a requirement for lots of work!
For most people the weekend is a time to relax, see friends, have a few drinks. So too for many chess players; though the weekend can also lead to trouble, poor rook endings and a requirement for lots of work!
I would start with 1…Rf8 and then if 2.Rd8 Rxf2+.
Then 3. Kg3/h3? Leads to mate after h5. But after 3. Kg1 I do not see a win yet.
Lets try: Rf8 Rd8 Rxf2 Kg1 Rf1+ Kg2 R8f2+ Kg3 ah! found it.
Ke3!! c8Q? Rg1 Kh3 and Rf3 mate. nice!
however: ke3 Kg4 Rg2+ Kh5 and he walks.
what about h5 instead of Ke3. then c8Q and Ke3. threat is rg1 and rf3.
white can try Rf8 but after Rxf8 there is no check so and white’s king is still unsafe.
Say Qc2? black wins queen back with Rf3 and Rf2.
Qc4 then? Rg1 and Rf3 mates. So that is winning.
Other try (instead of Rf8) is Qc6 to guard the f3 square.
Then black plays e4. After Qxe4 Kxe4 black is winning with d-pawn and mating threats.
So that;s my solution. NO pc no bord used; probably big holes in analysis.
My winning line runs: 1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3. Kg1 Rf1 4. Kg2 R8f2+ 5.Kg3 h5 6.c8Q Ke3
and white is forced to return its Q to protect the mating threat Rg1 and Rf3 and returning a rook with Rf8 does not change that situation after 7. Rf8 Rxf8.
@Indra Polak
Even better is (after Qc6) not e4 but Rg1 Kh3 and Rf4 with mate on h4. After my line white could try Qxe4 Kxe4 Re8+ Kd2 and Rxa7 unclear.
yeah I think i agree with your line Indra…. was trying to see if i could switch the timing of h5 and get h4 with a tempo sometime and really finish it off (with Rs on f3 and f1 and a threat of h3#) but i couldnt find a way. I guess after 7.Rf8 Rxf8 the d pawn will win the day for black.
Very ambitious to look for a win. Actually, White just won easily. Maybe finding a draw is a challenge?
@Indra Polak
One of the main things I ask my students to do is to find “resistance” with a capital R. Find the things that are a problem for either side, to see if it can be solved.
Your mate is answered with 4. Rxf8 Rxf8 5.a5 Kd5 6.Rf6! and White wins. I assume you missed the first move, because you went with the king to g1 in most of your lines?!
Oh! May need to have a rethink later on then 😉
Hmm i did not mention lines with pawn moves; . … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3. Kg1 Rf1 4. Kg2 R8f2+ 5.Kg3 h5 6.c8Q Ke3 7. h3 Rg1 mate and . … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3. Kg1 Rf1 4. Kg2 R8f2+ 5.Kg3 h5 6.c8Q Ke3 7.h4 Rg1 8.Kh3 g4 mate.
Erh 4.Rxf8 is not possible because the king is in check at g1? What line are you mentioing now?
Maybe you mean 1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ and now 3.Kg3.
My answer here was h5 which is refuted by Rxf8 I agree. So here i now propose
1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3.Kg3 R8f3 4.Kg4 Rxh2 and mate threat on h4.
Then only move for white is 5. Rxd4+ exd4 6. Re6 Kd5 and black remains a rook up.
Erhm except that white gets a Q on c8…allright! Maybe black is not winning!
My idea was to play Kd3-Ke2 & h5 aiming for a perpetual if White only focus on promoting his pawn.
Of course White can simply snatch the pawn on h6 and then the “variation tree” grows very large as both sides will advance pawns.
Messy, but it might hold?!
This is a case of spending lots of time looking at a sharp variation and totally not looking at other candidate moves 🙂
Maybe the drawing line is 1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3.Kg3 R8f4 and then perpetual check with a rook on f1,f2,f3. After Rxd4+ and Kxd4 Rd6 Ke3 white can only try Rd1 Rxd1 c8Q but then black mates with Rg1 and Rf3 :).
Hmm rook is on f2 in that line. So 1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3.Kg3 R8f4 4.Rxd4 Kxd4 5.Rd6 Ke3 6.Rd1 Rc2 keeps the rook up;
And 1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3.Kg3 R8f4 4.Rxd4 Kxd4 5.Rd6 Ke3 6.Rd2 Kxd2 is at least a perpetual.
@Indra Polak
Yes, this is the solution.
Black missed it in the game.
Svane – Shengelia, Kozloduy 4/11-2013
40… h5? 41. Rc6 Rff8 42. a5 g4 43. b6 axb6 44. axb6 Ra8 45. Rc2 h4 46. b7 h3+
47. Kg3 Rf3+ 48. Kh4 Rh8+ 49. Kg5 Rf5+ 50. Kg6 Kf4 51. c8=Q Rhh5 52. Rxd4+ exd4
53. b8=Q+ 1-0
Awesome blog ! Just found it and will be back on a regular basis. Your books are really forcing me to THINK !! 🙂
Why can’t the King just take the rook on F2 if the black rook captures the pawn after Rd8? I don’t understand why the king would move away to g3?
1. … Rf8 2. Rd8 Rxf2+ 3.Kxf2
What does black have then? Forgive me I am a little rusty. I have probably missed a glaring tactic knowing me.
@Michael Bartlett
Because on the first move the rook from c8 goes to f8. That makes a later Kxf2 illegal.
Oh I was looking at the wrong Rook moving. Thank you!