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No Lucena or Bridge here

Many are familiar with the famous Lucena bridge building procedure to win the first of the two positions shown as white starting with Rd1+ and Rd4 next and then bringing up the king in a zig zag. But what about the second position. If we try the same approach it does not work since there is no bridge to build here :). for eg. Rd1+ Ke7 Rd4 Ra1 (black simply waits) Kc7 Rc7+ and white has no Kb6 here. So is there a win still for white in the original position?

5 comments:

  1. This one took me a while, but I think I got it....
    Rd1+ Ke7 Rd5 Ra1 (waiting move) Rd6! and that should win, as you make the bridge with the black king.
    if rc1 then rc6! and pawn queens. I hope thats right.

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  2. It looks like Alanna's line allows Black to at least draw: 1. Rd1+ Ke7 2. Rd5 Ra1 3. Rd6 Kxd6 followed by ... Rb1
    --Robert Cousins

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  3. Rob,
    After Kxd6, doesn't Kc8 win? The pawn queens with Check. If Rc1, then doesn't white just go Kd8? The pawn will queen and White should win. I hope I'm not over looking anything :)

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  4. I think, Rd1+ Ke7 and immediately Rd6! is good enough. You dont need the Rd5 move at all. Kxd6, Kc8 and white wins. But ofcourse Rd5 is no harm -- may be in real game black might blunder immediately and move away from a file.

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  5. Oh, I see, you were talking about the second diagram. My mistake. Yes, Rd6 looks like the winning idea. Black's better off playing Rc2 instead of taking on d6, but then Rc6! Rd2 Rc5 Kd7 Ra5 Kc6 Ka8 and White should be all set.
    --Robert Cousins

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