In the following puzzle, Black is under a huge pressure as below. Now we can all see what is coming. But that is not the question I want to ask. What I want to ask is:
Evaluate and find the best continuation after 1. Rxf5 gxf5 (this is what actually happened in the game).
When you have finished, see what Fritz found in the explanation far below! FYI, I didn't find the correct continuation but there's no stopping the silicon monster.
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1. Rxf5 gxf5 and we reach the position below. How do we proceed?
2. Ne4+!! A shot out of the blue!! Kh8 (forced) (2... Kh6 3. Qg5# naturally)
3. h6 (threatening 4. Qg7#)
and now.... Black is surprisingly mated.
2.... Rg8 is met by Qe5+ with unescapable mate to follow on g7
Yeah, I kind of messed it up, seeing 3.Qe5+, but then 3..f6 and Black can sac the exchange for the knight to disallow the pretty 3..Kg8, 4.Nf6+ Kh8, 5.Ne8 double-ch Kg8, 6.Qg7 mate.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that it only took me a couple minutes to find that, and if I were looking right, would have looked for 3.h6 more since that looked right, an h6 push.
Thanks for the puzzle. :-)
The funny thing about this is that I think you have stumbled upon a "stock" motif, weakening the f-file by forcing Rg8.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if roughly this position is in a tactics puzzle-book somewhere. It's almost a standard sac, or maybe is one. I was looking at h6, but forgot about the motif of pulling the rook from the f-file. Feels familiar, though.
Took me a minute. Not too hard.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Temposchlucker and LinuxGuy.
ReplyDeleteThe continuation was a bit difficult but not overly hard to see. The key point is that once you see h6, and the weakness along the a1-h8 diagonal, everything clicks into place. :)
Cheers!