Daily Chess Improvement: Sitges Chess Tactic!
SusanPolgar
White to move! How should white proceed? This is a LONG variation so please DO NOT post a 1-2 mover.
SusanPolgar
White to move! How should white proceed? This is a LONG variation so please DO NOT post a 1-2 mover.
Editor
You aren't going to get a long variation from me. I think this is probably a reasonable variation that I have worked out below, but I have no idea if it is the best variation or not. I have looked at the actual game, and it is clear that Ivanchuk defended poorly. Liang found the same idea I did (it is an obvious idea to try, in my opinion).
1.Rxe5 Qxe5 2.Bxb6 cxb6
The first thing I thought of was the sacrifice at b6 to create the passed pawn, but white does have to exchange off the rooks to be able to play this sacrifice- he gets mated otherwise. Continuing:
3.Qxb6 Bc8 4.Qb8 Qe1+ 5.Bf1 Qe8 6.Qxd6+ Qe7 7.Qb8 Qd8 8.b4 axb4
Here black cannot play 8.....Bxc3 because this leaves the queen undefended and allows the killing 9.Bh3.
9.cxb4
So, I think only white is playing for a win, but I couldn't tell you if this is winnable or not with proper play. If I were playing white, I would just keep the queenside pawns rolling down the board, but it isn't clear to me that this is enough to win.