RE: Chess problem 54 / Schachaufgabe 54
1.) a7 has to be first move. It doesn't seem to me that black can ignore the threat of pawn captures queen, so a queen response is essentially forced. Either Qa8 or Qc8, but the Queen seems overworked between stopping white's knight from eventually capturing black's d7 pawn and/or a7 from being pushed to promotion with a rook behind it.
Black's first goal I'd guess is to get the two c-pawns to advance one space so that the knight can find an outpost on c6, also opening up the back rank to the rooks.
2.) regardless of where black's queen goes, next is e5 to stop black from pushing e5, keeping black near zugzwang (only c pawn moves and queen moves available, other than a rook sac on e7 that I'd pass on capturing or a g5 pawn push that simply leads to Rg1, then Bg6 or g4+; a.) if g4+ then Rxg4, if hxg4+ then Nxg4 and Nh6# is coming, if the pawn doesn't capture on g4 and goes with something like Bg6, then rook comes back to g1, setting up the Ng4 idea*; b.) if Bg6, Rxg5, with the same idea to pull back the rook to g1 and offer the Knight sac on g4). I think black's best bet is c4, with the idea of clearing an outpost for the knight on c6.
3.) With black's pieces tied up, white can focus on the exposed king. *Ng4. If black captures Knight, then white captures back on g4 with the king. If no capture and black does any other legal move, then Nh6#.
4.) Assuming black captures Knight and king captures pawn on g4, I don't see how white's king can be stopped from walking up via g5 and h6 to set up the queen mate on g7 (protected by white's king on h6).
Nice description of plans and ideas ... How can white win after:
Yeah, I was working on that scenario before I noticed your comment...
If 2.) ...g5
3.) Rg1 (skewer pawn to black's king) and there are several replies by black, but it would be unwise to ignore the threat of Rxg5.
The two best replies as I see it are g4+ and Bg6 (blocking the pawn/ rook skewer and opening up g7 to black's king, which can also open the g8 square to black's rook)
a.) if 3.) ...g4+; 4.) rxg4+, and hxg4 leads to 5.) Kxg4... now black can ignore white's threat of walking the king (unchallenged) to H6 to set up Qg7# (via Kg5 and Kh6, all helped by black's bishop blocking the king from moving), or try to give it's king some escape squares by moving it's bishop. It really doesn't matter where the bishop goes as it can only protect the light squares, all of which black doesn't need in order to mate. Say 5.) Bf5+; then 6.) Kg5, Kh7 (to stop Kh6) 7.) Qh6+ (forcing king back to g8, which also keeps rooks from having access to the g-file, not that it really is even relevant at this point), Kg8 8.) Kf6... and Qg7# is inevitable on the next move.
b.) if 3.)...Bg6; 4.) Rxg5 (bishop is now skewered to king), waiting move by black (any captures lead to a loss, probably push a c-pawn. 5.) Ng4...
...if 5.)...Hxg4; 6.) Kxg4, there are no checks on white's king or threat to take major pieces and best move is probably Kh7 to move out of skewer and open g-file 7.)
...this is a tough one, lol...
Well done! :)
You will find the complete solution above.