Only good move for white

Hi Guys, this was one of the positions from my game. The only move which white can play and win. All other moves, white can resign.

The move in the puzzle is best, but White is OK (and probably winning) after 1. Rc8+?! Rxc8 2. Qxc8+ Kxc8 3. Rc1+

I think at the end of that line white is winning because of the e-pawn supported by two knights.

Hi Metristian, I got ur point in the position. Nice suggestion.

In my solution,Maybe if queen checks with Qe4+, then King can take knight Kb6+, and white can exchange queens.

But white is still better with 2 connected pass pawns and more  pawns in the end game and equal pieces.

Caveatcanis, i played Rc8+ lines and lost my rook and queen and lost the game. Maybe there could be variations, but black should have an easy game after Rc8+.

Btw black's attack happened only bcoz i opened up my h file a few moves earlier to take the poisoned knight on g4.

Nice puzzle

cool

How does black have an easier game? White has 2 knights supporting an advanced e-pawn, black's pieces are uncoordinated, and white pieces are coordinated.

Hi Frankwho,

Maybe u r right, but i couldn't check the king nor could i promote pawn ,bcoz of the bishop. Also, i couldn't use the 8th rank for rook coz of the king. Meanwhile, black used his pawn on g rank to open up my king and mate me. i am posting the game here so u could give me a few more comments.

An improvement over this line (but not the puzzle) is 1.Rc8+ Rxc8 2.Nd7+! Bxd7 (otherwise Qxc8) 3.exd7 where promotion follows, so that White did not lose any material to attract the rook away from the h file.

[edited after confusion between d and e files]

White is also probably not dead (and winning) after 1. f3 Qh2+ 2. Kf2 Qh4+ 3. g3 Qh2+ 4. Ke3 and black has no checks, the queen is protected and white's up lethal material. Not better than the puzzle, but still a possibility.

1. f3?? Qxe1#

Right. Missed that.

Hi Irontiger,

If 2. Ne7, then black plays Qxe7.

I think u meant nd7, then bishop takes, pawn takes, and then rook takes queen. Pawn can't be promoted coz black queen defends d8 square.

It makes a big difference whether the Black pawn is on g5 (original puzzle) or g4 (the position at move 27 of the quoted game).

Irontiger's line works in the original puzzle because the pawn on g5 blocks the queen's defence of d8.

In the game continuation,  White can force a draw with

31. Rc8 g3 32. Ra8+ Kxa8 33. N5b6+ Ka7 34. Nc8+ Ka8 35. Ncb6+ with perpetual check.

The line 27. Rc8+ Rxc8 28. Nxg6 also looks good for White.

Ya Caveatcanis, it was a mistake by me. The actual game position is true. However, The lines suggested by Metristan and which is actually the best way to play for white ensures checkmate in either 3 or 4 moves, and leaves that pawn position on g4 or g5 unimportant.

I meant Nd7 ("obviously"). I will edit that. I make that error on a regular basis.

As already mentioned, g5 is intercepting the defense of d8.

So after g5-g6, u intend to push the pass pawn pair to get queen. But bfore that black pushes g pawn and checkmates the king my friend with queen and bishop.