Puzzle of the week #190

Submitted by eugen on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 00:39

The attraction (2)

Level
4-Rook
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #190"][Date "2012.03.26"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r1b1rb1k/5Q1p/p3p1p1/4p1P1/qpB1P3/8/PPP4P/2KR1R2 w - - 0 1"]
Rooks controlling open lines are like tanks in the open field: extremely hard to stop once they get going. Here you have not only one open file for launching the attack but two! Your tasks:
a) White to move and win
b) Why is the attack successful? Every good reason will bring you points!
c) Would it make a difference if it was Black to move first?

Total available points for this puzzle is 25. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #191.

Puzzle #189 solution:
Golovko - Ignatiev, Moscow 1964. Good answers overall from a lot of people; this is a positive sign! The top three solvers were not up by much, as the difference was made by finding the solution right away, or only after some hints. Ziyao's answer:
a) Black is up a pawn and it is an Middlegame-Endgame position. White's King is safer because Black has no good way of exploiting White's King's openness due to White's f2-Rook and Black's lack of attacking pieces. As an added bonus to White's safety, it is also his turn to move.
White's plan should be to exploit the fact that Black's pieces are all in a passive position where they do not necessarily defend Black's King, nor do they attack White's. White should try to draw Black out of his relatively safe spot where he has the comfort of his g- and h-pawns, then take advantage of the fact that Black's king cannot escape to the Queenside and go for a quick mate.
Black's plan should be to exchange all the pieces so he can simplify into a King+pawns endgame where he is up a pawn and should easily win.
b) Solution

[Event "Puzzle #189"][Date "2012.03.19"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "6R1/p4r2/1p3r1p/4Qbpk/1P6/P2q2P1/5R1K/2B5 w - - 0 1"]1.g4+ Kxg4 (1...Bxg4 2.Rxg5+ Kh4 (2...hxg5 3.Qxg5#) 3.Rxg4+ {Opening the position so White can take advantage of his heavy pieces} 3...Kxg4 4.Rg2+ Kf3 5.Rg3+ {White wins}) (1...Kh4 2.Be3! {Interposing on Black's Queen from defending g3 so White can mate} 2...Qd6 3.Rf4! {Protects both the g-pawn and threatens mate with the Bishop; taking the Rook is useless due to the bishop mate} 3...Bxg4 4.Qxd6 Rxd6 5.Rxf7 {White wins}) 2.Qf4+ Kh5 3.Rxg5+ hxg5 4.Qxg5#

Correct solutions:
Harmony, Philip, Ziyao - 20 points
Daniel, James, Leo, Derrick - 17 points
Alex, Coco - 15 points
Leroy - 12 pojnts
Justin - 10 points

Standings:
Philip - 219 points
Ziyao - 191 points
James - 181 points
Harmony - 167 points
Daniel - 158 points
Jeffrey - 141 points
Leo - 132 points
Derrick - 126 points
Leroy - 125 points
Alex - 121 points
Coco - 115 points
Kevin - 27 points
Justin - 22 points