How should play continue?

[David Blower]

Ok so this position is from one of my most recent games. I am white and it is my turn to move. What should I have done?

Just to clafify the result of this match has already been decided, so I am not looking for help with an ongoing game.

8/1r3N2/pb2p1pp/2p5/4PPPk/PP1R4/2P4P/6K1 w - - 0 1

[Roger de Coverly]

Ok so this position is from one of my most recent games. I am white and it is my turn to move. What should I have done? [/pos]

One for the cheapo merchants perhaps, but don't the simultaneous threats of Rxf7 and c4 check leave White struggling a bit? Given that you've a pawn or two in hand, playing c4 to shut down the Bishop looks relatively best, even if it allows the Knight on f7 to be taken for nothing. Still the Bishop will lack scope and the envelope of pawns might be useful. Draw agreed would be a good result for White.

The alternatives look to be Nd6 or Nd8 but the reply of c4 check looks very strong.

(edit) Cheapo ideas. Can Kg2 be made to work? Taking the Knight on f7 is the obvious try. So Rh3+ Kxg4 and then Rg3+. If .. Kxf4, then Rf3+ picking up the Rook and I don't think there's enough for the exchange. So just .. Kh4, and white repeats for a draw (/edit)

[Chris Rice]

Ok so this position is from one of my most recent games. I am white and it is my turn to move. What should I have done? [/pos]

One for the cheapo merchants perhaps...

Finally something I can help with. Clearly White plays 1 Ne5 hoping for 1...c4+ 2 Kg2 cxd3 3 h3 and mates at g6 or f3. I haven't checked this on the computer and if Black doesn't cooperate and plays something other than 1...c4+ then he may get out of the mating net. A cheapo merchant wouldn't be bothered by such technicalities. If you are losing anyway then if you see a trap, go for it, if you lose you lose. This would have been a nice position for the chapter on Traps in Aagard's Calculation book.

[David Blower]

OK one solution given is the correct one. The other solution is what I did in the actual game.

Ne5 is the correct move, hoping that black plays for taking the rook with the obvious threat of 1...c4+ 2 Kg2 cxd3. However the rook sac gains the checkmate.

In the actual game I played Kg2, after 1... Rxf7 I then played 2 Rh3+. After 2... Kxg4 I then played 3 Rg3+ accepting the draw but my opponent then played 3... Kxf4 which allowed me to play 4 Rf3+ Kxe4 5 Rxf7.

Because of the rook sac leading to checkmate black should avoid taking the rook, and white is in reality comfortably winning. But I did not feel like I was winning during the game, with my time running low. I had spotted I could get a draw using the moves Roger had suggested, but only saw afterwards (when I used the computer) the checkmate idea by doing the rook sac.

Would have been one to dine out on had I spotted it!

[Roger de Coverly]

Ne5 is the correct move, hoping that black plays for taking the rook with the obvious threat of 1...c4+ 2 Kg2 cxd3. However the rook sac gains the checkmate.

You have to notice the pattern. Put the King on g2, the pawn on h3, then the King on h4 is mated by Nf3. Otherwise you have to only see the obvious. So play Ne5 because it's been hit. Lose a Rook to c4+, but notice the mate in 2 after Kg2. If Black does something else, Kg2 also threatens Rh3 mate as the e5 Knight defends the g pawn.

I'm not sure what Black was thinking about in running his King to h4 if it wasn't forced. What they write in endgame books about activating the King is only conditionally true. An over active King can run into trouble.

(edit) What was Black's previous move? If it had been Bc7-b6, it's Black attempting to set traps as well, as Bxf4 would have prevented Ne5 as well as making the mating idea more difficult to set up. (/edit)