24 Feb 08
Originally posted by FlyingDutchmanYou and DF are correct. It is over.
Rf1, threatening Qe7+ and Rf6+ if Black strays.
Rf1+, but Black's position is untenable. He needs to resign to preserve any scrap of dignity!
EDIT: Not to mention Ke8 Qe5+ forking King and Rook.
Black is without hope here in my opinion.
Rf1+
25 Feb 08
I don't think that knowing the players will be of much help in judging. The critical points in the game were all well within the theory/already played domain, and we left that at the moment that the game was basically over.
Besides that point, I don't see anything wrong in playing a game out up to the checkmate. In fact, the winning side should feel it rewarding to be able to execute, and certainly he doesn't have any reason to feel 'annoyed'.
25 Feb 08
Originally posted by Mephisto2I don't think white should feel annoyed that black has not yet resigned as, after all, black is still a R & B up and it would only take a simple slip from white for the game to swing from won to lost.
I don't think that knowing the players will be of much help in judging. The critical points in the game were all well within the theory/already played domain, and we left that at the moment that the game was basically over.
Besides that point, I don't see anything wrong in playing a game out up to the checkmate. In fact, the winning side should feel it ...[text shortened]... ewarding to be able to execute, and certainly he doesn't have any reason to feel 'annoyed'.
Having said that this is correspondence chess and most of the lines are pretty much forced so it is not too difficult to see but white does still need to demonstrate that he can win this. Until then black has every right to play on.
Of course with the benefit of time to analyse this it is much easier to find whites best lines. OTB this would not be easy and white could still lose such a game.
25 Feb 08
2 edits
Originally posted by FlyingDutchmanIf 19. ... Kg8 then follows 20. Qe7 (threatening 21. Rf8 mate) and how can black stop the mate short of giving away pieces a la Fritz (e.g. 20. .. Qe8, 21. QXQ+ .. Kg7, 22. Qf7+ .. Kh6, 23. Rf5 and mate next move or 20. .. QXg2+, 21. KXg2 and mate next move).
Kg7
Qe7+!
.... Kh6 possibly Rf6
.... Kg8 Rf8#
I think Black is utterly crushed here. Most of his pieces are Qside, and absolutely no help.
I think [b]Kg8.[/b]
So 19. ... Kg7 is better when if 20. Qe7+ (20. Qe5+ is of course also playable) .. Kh6, 21. Qh4+ (see your suggestion 21. Rf6?? below) .. Kg7, 22. Qd4+ .. Kh6, 23. QXh8 .. Nc6 (is there anything else?) when 24. Rf6 winning the Q (for a Rook) might be the easiest way to victory.
Now if 21. Rf6?? .. Nc6, (now 22. RXQ fails to 22. ... NXQ so) 22. Qe3+ .. Kg7, 23. RXQ .. hXR when white has run out of pieces and cannot deliver mate. Meanwhile black has 2Rs and a B for the Q and must have excellent winning chances.
So black must play on hoping for 21. Rf6??