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White to move. What do you play? White to move. What do you play?

03-10-2017 , 05:35 AM


(Taken from r/chess, one of the few interesting positions posted there lately.)

Put analysis in spoilers as usual. Finding all the relevant lines might take a lot of effort.
White to move. What do you play? Quote
03-10-2017 , 11:14 AM
Spoiler:
I will admit I only looked very briefly, but Bh6 looks good to me. The threat is a simple Qg3, for now, but the main point is of course to let the a1 rook come to f1. The only semi decent candidate moves I can spot for black are 1... gxh6 and 1... Bh4. If 1... Bf6 2. Rxf6 wins on the spot, if 1... Bd6 then 2. Nxf7 and 3. Rf1, while anything else allows Qg3 with at least some material gain.

So, if 1... Bh4, I don't think immediate Rxf7 works. 2. Rxf7 Rxf7 3. Rf1 Bf6 4. Rxf6 gxf6 5. Qg3+ Kh8 6. Nxf7+ Qxf7 and we have nothing.

We also don't really wanna play 2. g3, since in may lines that square is needed for the Queen. However, if 2. g3 Bf6 3. Rxf6 is winning for white, which it probably is, we might also play 2. g3 in this line. However, I think a simple 2. Rf4 is also quite enough to gain a winning advantage, so 1... Bh4 is not very scary.

So if 1... gxh6, now I think 2. Rxf7 Rxf7 3. Rf1 is lethal (2. Nxf7 might also be enough actually)... This is where black has many possibilities, but on general feel I think it is impossible for him to defend against all the threats, and therefore I am not calculating any further.

Last edited by YouKnowWho; 03-10-2017 at 11:23 AM.
White to move. What do you play? Quote
03-11-2017 , 11:37 PM
Spoiler:
Yeah I saw Bh6 pretty quickly, wasn't sure about exact followup, Rxf7 and Raf1 both looked pretty good.

Engine analysis follows:

Spoiler:
I haven't delved too deeply into it, but after 1. Bh6 gxh6, Raf1 looks a bit better, so that Nc6 can be met with Nxf7. If 2. Rxf7 Rxf7 2. Rf1, Nc6 is annoying because Nxf7 allows Kg7, where Black is up a piece and White can't quite break through (evaluation is equal). Required is 3. Rxf7 Nxd4 4. Qg3+ Bg5 5. Qd3, forking the knight and mate on h7.

Clearer is 1. Bh6 gxh6 2. Raf1 Nc6 3. Nxf7 Nxd4 (3. ... Kg7 4. Qg3+ Bg5 5. Nxg5 and White threatens Rxf8, with Rxf2 able to be met by Nf7+ or Ne6+) 4. Qg3+ Bg5 5. Nxh6+ Kh8, where White wins the queen and just has to be careful with the vulnerable back row.

Nxf7 immediately is less good, looks to be drawing actually after Black again steps out of the firing line with Kg7, Qg3+ Bg5 and White struggles to prove he has enough for the piece.

And yeah, after Bh4, Rf4 is sufficient.

Last edited by ChrisV; 03-11-2017 at 11:49 PM.
White to move. What do you play? Quote
03-22-2020 , 11:47 AM
Very cool tournament so far but of course I haven't been following very closely. Best thing so far is the tweet about how Magnus is incognito Hammer with his new look. Thanks
White to move. What do you play? Quote

      
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