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Problem of the Week
2007.03.11

White to move and win

[need a hint?] [Solution] [archive]

White to move & win

1.Nbd6+

Forking the king and the f7-pawn, which will lead to a further knight fork of the two rooks!

1.Ned6+ also works: 1...Kb8 2.Nxf7 Bc5 3.Nxh8 Rxh8 the difference is in where White's remaining knight will be. In this line it's on b5, but in the text it is on e4. A centralized position is better for the knight, so that's why 1.Nbd6+ is preferable to 1.Ned6+

1...Kb8

1...Bxd6 2.Nxd6+ Kc7 3.Nxf7 arrives at essentially the same position, the difference being that Black's dark-squared bishop is gone.

If you are going to lose material, as a general rule don't exchange any more pieces than you have to. The fewer pieces on the board, the more powerful a material advantage is, that's why the general rule of thumb is - when ahead in material exchange pieces, when behind exchange pawns. So the text move is preferable because it avoids the exchange of the bishop.

2.Nxf7

After 2...Be7 3.Nxh8 Rxh8 White finds herself an exchange and a pawn to the good. With careful play, that ought to be enough to win.