Chess Analysis - A Last Look Beyond the Obvious

This article follows on from Chess Analysis - A Deeper Look Beyond the Obvious, and is intended to be my last look at the attack I analysed in that article, and have been looking at for a while in the articles leading up to it. I emphasise it is intended to be my last look at this attack because I will be writing more about it if people post comments bringing further possibilities to my attention.

This article starts from the first diagrammed position:

Here white has just taken (with the rook) black’s knight on h5, and black has played …h6 somewhat confusing the issue. Material is about level, and white must find a way to continue the attack. Note that white can’t play Rxh6 because the knight on g5 would be en-pris to the black queen.

This is the line I initially thought would prove the most tricky, but, on taking a closer look, it seems white can win quite quite easily. Although it’s fairly easy for black to avoid being mated, black has to give up significant material and the position ends up with material on the board being very much reduced. Further, I think in this line it is harder for white to find all the necessary moves than in other lines previously looked at.

I have sought extensive advice from Fritz in this position, and Fritz seems to be of the opinion that the strongest move is 23.Nxe6, as also suggested by (regular contributor) Kevin in a recent comment.

Now 23.Nxe6 and if black plays 23…fxe6 white crashes through, playing 24.Bxg6 and 25.Qh5, and white’s pieces will finish black off.

23.Nxe6 Qe7 is trickier, however white has the creeping move 24.Qe3, when black can’t take white’s rook (24…gh) because of 25.Qg3+ leading to mate. 24…Qxe6 is also useless on account of 25.Qxh6 leading to mate (note that 25…gh doesn’t help black because white’s light squared bishop is trained on h7).

It seems black’s most testing approach is, after (in the first diagrammed position) white’s 23.Nxe6, to play 23…Qe7 and to meet 24.Qe3 with 24…f5!? The position is now as shown in the second diagram.

Here white can play 25.Rxh6 Qxe6 26.Qh3 Nd8 27.Bb5! leaving the position as in the third diagram

when white wins at least a piece: 27…Nc6 28.Rh8+ Kf7 29.Qh7+ Ke8 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Qh8+ - after black blocks the check with the queen and the queens are exchanged, the black knight on c6 drops off.

The only other try at defence I can see for black is 27…Nf7, to cover h8 - taking advantage of white’s rook getting in the way of the white queen getting to the black king. However white has the surprise 28.Bd7!! (See the fourth diagram).

Now the black queen can’t stay on the sixth rank, and then g6 will fall followed rapidly by black’s king.

I still think this line (beginning with the first diagrammed position) is the trickiest, because (to emphasise what I said above) white’s attacking moves seem to me to be harder to find. For example (see the third diagrammed position) white had to take time out to play the quiet but effective move - effectively gaoling the black king. Even harder (in my opinion) to find is the combinational shot (see the fourth diagram) 28.Bd7!!