Chess problem 35 / Schachaufgabe 35

in #chess7 years ago (edited)

English


The following position arose in a team competition where I had the white pieces and a rather promising position against an international master from Hungary. However in tournament chess it is not only important to play well but also fast enough: I had spent already much thinking time on some previous moves, so that there remained only a few minutes until the next time control. Unfortunately the running clock prevented me to think clearly with the result that I missed the only move which had saved a clear advantage. Do you spot what I didn't see and find the best white move?



Deutsch


Die folgende Position ergab sich in einem Mannschaftskampf, in dem ich mit den weißen Figuren eine sehr vorteilhafte Stellung gegen einen ungarischen internationalen Meister erreicht hatte. Allerdings ist es im Turnierschach nicht nur wichtig, gut, sondern auch schnell genug zu spielen: Da ich über einige Züge sehr lange nachgedacht hatte, blieben mir bis zur nächsten Zeitkontrolle nur noch wenige Minuten. Leider hinderte mich die tickende Uhr am klaren Denken, sodass ich den einzigen Zug übersah, der mir einen deutlichen Vorteil gesichert hätte. Seht ihr, was mir entgangen war und findet den besten weißen Zug?


White to move: / Weiß am Zug:

FEN: 7r/ppk4p/3p2n1/2p2P1Q/8/5N2/P1q3PP/3R2K1 w - - 0 26

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White should move the white knight. It adds protection to the rook. Next, threaten the queen (F3-E1) with the knight so you have pressure on the queen. Queen is forced to move and at best can only take the white pawn on a2. Then white clearly has a winning position! (next move would be pawn takes black knight (F5-G6)

Cheers.

Congrats: 1. Ne1! is the solution! By moving the knight the queen protects the rook and the knight attacks the black queen. Therefore the queen must move, but then white can play fxg6 and take the black knight.

I played 1. Re1? Qxg2+! 2. Kxg2 Nf4+ 3. Kg3 Nxh5 and black had the advantage.

Fun games. Keep up this chess mania!

Ne1 sucks, Qc2-c3

After 1. Ne1 1. ... Qc3 sucks, because of 2. fxg6.

So, i can play h7 x g6 or the other option is Qe3+

Qe3+ threatens nothing.

Ne1, Qc3
fxg8, Qe3+ (da!)

This post received a 44% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @bleujay! For more information, click here!

Thanks a lot, and thanks to @bleujay as well! :)

Maybe worth to add: the retreat to e1 also protects the g2 pawn and prevents the game continuation Qxg2 as the pawn is now protected by the knight on e1 :-) So knight to e1 is a real multifunctional move: it helps protecting the rook (indirectly), protects the pawn on g2 and attacks the queen at the same time - beautiful harmony between the white pieces after Se1 !

Time trouble or not: always if I remember that game I still think it's unbelievable that I didn't spot that move during the game ...

I understand your feelings, but your moves led to that beauty , don't forget that! :-)

Moving the knight looks best as it is preventing the queen from covering the rook. It has a lot of options that are mostly bad. We can simply eliminate those to arrive at the correct one (least bad)

Ng5 : I kinda liked but then the queen no longer covers the f5 pawn.

Nh4 : Now we invite black to just take the knight. If he does things like Qf7 > Qd5 don't give anything interesting. If Qd5 doesn't result in check the knight takes the f5 pawn covering d6. If black doesn't take the knight on h4 white has only uninteresting moves left.

Ne5 : The black knight can just take it and cover f7 in the process.

Nd4: Interesting but we haven't the technology to pin the queen to the king after the pawn takes. Its just a waste of material.

Nd2: Also interesting, it prepares the knight to take on the d6 pawn. Sadly the black queen has both c4 and e4 covered. If the black queen takes a2 however, then Ne4 becomes possible. Sadly this isn't forced and black has Ne5 which escapes capture and isn't a bad place to be for it.

This leaves Ne1 attacking the queen or the fairly uninteresting rook moves of which f1 is the most spectacular (joke) or Rook e1. It seems white has good odds pushing his pawn into an exchange.

Rf1 seems dull but black has to do something to keep his knight. With the white knight covering e5 it cant both move away and prevent Qf7+. But after Qf7+ things don't get dramatically more interesting for white.

Ne1 is really the only option as it both attacks and prevents black from Qg2+! followed by Nf4+

  1. Ne1 is the solution, indeed. :)

I voluntarily retract. the below is bad.

taking the black horsie with the pawn looks like an opton, captures a power piece. They may be likely to offer to exchange queens at g6, if they go for the easy pawn at a2 then threaten their castle with the pawn. Assuming they offer a queen exchange, Rather than take his queen right off, I might move mine to g5. If they do take the queen, you have the advantage with a castle and horsie. If they fail to take the queen, the easy pawn at d6 is picked off soon by moving te queen to e7 putting him in check.

If you take the knight, black will take your rook with check ...

Rd2 would be the safe move I see but don't know if it's the best move

After 1. Rd2 blacks queen gives check and after that he can save his knight ...

Ok got it. Ne1

I just see that you found the solution, too! Congrats! :)

I actually found it first ^^ but thanks! :)

Yes, indeed, but you hid your solution better, haha - just kidding. ;-)

Haha, I guess so, next time I'll make it clear :p

Move your Queen ahead one block :)

Then the black queen can take the white rook.

Thn move your horse ahead and in second chance check the king

White Knight to 5G

@tfeldman found the correct solution already ...

Then the pawn is not covered by the queen anymore.

I give up, I can not get past it.

Check the solution of @tfeldman . Thanks for participating. :)

Yes..
You are welcome..^^

I agree with @primal-buddhist. I like white knight to G5. Protects white rook and puts pressure on the g-h 6-8 corner.

  1. Ne1 is better because it attacks blacks queen. Therefore black has no time to save the knight at g6 ...

Touché, that is a superior move.

I would play Nd4

  1. Ne1! wins!

After 1. Nd4 cxd4 2. fxg6 hxg6 black has the better position.

Qa5+

  1. Ne1 wins the black knight ...

After 1. Nd4 cxd4 2. fxg6 hxg6 3. Qa5+ black simply plays 3. ... Kb8 and has the better position.

There's more than one way to win a game.

Sometimes yes, but not in this position. Only 1. Ne1! wins.

Rd2 - Qc1+
Kf2 - Ne5
Qg5 - ....

Now there are a few options but Nxf3 seems reasonable.
Ideally black would prevent Qe7 which would be possible if he didn't move the queen to the much more attractive looking c1 but to b1.
If white manages to Qe7 black will have to invent king moves that prevent both Qxd6+ as well as the even worse Rd6+

In stead of trading the Knight on e5 for the knight on f3 it seems black can move from e5 to c6 but then Qg7happens and black is forced to Kb6 or he loses the rook with check.

Then Rb2 happens which seems to force Nb4?

Its not an exact attack but black has a lot of ways to lose.

The funniest is after Qxd6+ the Ka8 - Qd8+ - Rxd8 - Rxd8

What other ways out are there for black?