Answers.Body: <p>15.g3 looks winning!  </p>
  
  <p>16.f4 is coming to win the Bishop on e5.  </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T13:17:43.070Z
Answers.Text: Did you mean "15. g3"?  that was my first thought, also.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jim
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-28T19:13:06.910Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-29T15:10:00.210Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-08-29T15:10:00.210Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Answers.Body: <p>White could play 15. Bf4, covering h2 and attacking the Bishop on e5 which can't move due the pin in the e-file. 
  But the probably stronger continuation is 15. g3 followed by 16. f4, winning the bishop on e5 and winning the game... </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-28T14:08:28.577Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-28T14:08:28.577Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Chris
Answers.Body: <p>15.g3 followed by 16.f4 wins for White since the e5-bishop is pinned.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-09-02T21:54:01.927Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-09-02T21:54:01.927Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Inertial Ignorance
Answers.Body: <p>It is indeed a forced win for Black, partly due to White's choice to ignore the mate threat. White could respond better with 16.g3, thereby buying time and throwing Black off-guard.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T15:48:15.853Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-30T15:48:15.853Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Arvind Raja
Answers.Body: <p>The best move would have been <code>16. Rxe5</code>, which entirely eliminates the mate threat, leaving white with a winning advantage.</p>
  
  <pre><code>r6r/ppNk1p1p/3p2p1/2p1R3/2P3bq/3Q4/PP3PPP/R1B3K1 b - - 0 16
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here, if black takes the white knight (<code>16. ... Kxc7</code>), <code>17. Bg5</code> wins the queen as <code>Qh5</code> is met with <code>Bd8+</code>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T04:25:52.013Z
Answers.Text: Is `16. ... Kxc7 17. Bg5 Qh5 18. Bd8+ Raxd8 19. Rxh5 gxh5` that bad for Black? The queen has been traded for a knight, a bishop, and a rook. (Although Black was already a piece down after `Rxe5`.)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Misha Lavrov
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T07:02:26.403Z
Answers.Text: @MishaLavrov Yeah, trading a lot of pieces just for the queen is not a good idea for White when he can go for the throat instead by 18. Re7+, 18. Rd1 or even 18. Rxc5+. White's domination on the dark squares and the central open files plus the fact that there's no safe haven for Black's king on the queenside or center are absolutely devastating.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Annatar
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T10:50:16.983Z
Answers.Text: Agreed; `Re7` or even something like `Rxc5` does look a lot better than Bd8.
Answers.UserDisplayName: konsolas
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T07:04:48.590Z
Answers.Text: I don't understand your posted position or your comment. Why after `Rxe5` is it bad for black to capture the rook? And why should black move the king to `d7`?
Answers.UserDisplayName: user21820
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T11:02:38.313Z
Answers.Text: @user21820 Black can't take the rook as the d-pawn is pinned. Because of this you are right with your second assertion, 15...Kd7 (with the intent to threaten Kxc7) is not a helpful move. But what is? Both ...Kf8 and ...Ke7 have their own cans of worms.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Annatar
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T11:09:36.443Z
Answers.Text: @Annatar: I said "after `Rxe5`". See the original post, which is asking about the possible options for move 15, for which `Rxe5` can be followed by black capturing the rook with no pin.
Answers.UserDisplayName: user21820
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T11:40:45.840Z
Answers.Text: @Annatar: Okay I change my mind; the question could have been asking about move 16. And so I now understand what this answer is getting at.
Answers.UserDisplayName: user21820
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-30T11:48:39.153Z
Answers.Text: @user21820 The answer clearly reads 16. Rxe5, not 15. Rxe5. ;)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Annatar
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-08-28T14:07:57.547Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-28T14:07:57.547Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: konsolas
Body: <p><a href="https://lichess.org/qG9bE6ch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">In this Lichess game,</a> </p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  
  1.c4 e5 2.e4 d6 3.Nc3 Be6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5. d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 c5 8.Qd3 g6 9. Be2 Bg7 10.O-O Nh6 11.Re1 Ng4 12.Bxg4 Bxg4 13.e5 Bxe5 14.Nd5 Qh4 15. Nc7+ Kd7 16. Nxa8 Qh2+ 17. Kf1 Qh1#
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>After move 14 White is facing a serious mate threat from the Queen on h4, Bishop on g4, and Bishop on e5. White goes with 15. Nc7+ , forking the King and Rook, but ignoring the mate threat. After the rook capture, Mate in 2 was assured. </p>
  
  <p>Could white have avoided this mate? By playing, say, Qg3 or h3? Or do both of these positions lead to wins for black, hence, white's strategy with 15 Nc7+ was to prolong mate and perhaps prod black into an unforced error?  </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-08-28T14:10:01.037Z
Comments.Text: `15. Nc7+` is completely fine, and might even be the best move.
Comments.UserDisplayName: konsolas
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T03:30:23.150Z
Comments.Text: Pawn to h3? What do you all think
Comments.UserDisplayName: David
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-08-29T22:25:48.007Z
Comments.Text: Next time you have a question like this, you can just ask Lichess's built-in Stockfish.  It gives the same recommendation as the highest-voted answer here.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Brilliand
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-09-10T08:00:18.107Z
Comments.Text: @Brilliand's advice is probably the worst you will ever encounter. Next time you have an opening question, go to a database. Next time you have an endgame question, go to a Nalimov chart... Why not just close the site altogether? Chess engines are a great tool when put in the right hands, but there are only so many of those out there
Comments.UserDisplayName: David
Tags: <strategy><checkmate><forced-move>
Title: Is this position a forced win for Black after move 14?
ThreadText: # Is this position a forced win for Black after move 14?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-28)
  
  [In this Lichess game,](https://lichess.org/qG9bE6ch)
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  
  1.c4 e5 2.e4 d6 3.Nc3 Be6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5. d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 c5 8.Qd3 g6 9. Be2 Bg7 10.O-O Nh6 11.Re1 Ng4 12.Bxg4 Bxg4 13.e5 Bxe5 14.Nd5 Qh4 15. Nc7+ Kd7 16. Nxa8 Qh2+ 17. Kf1 Qh1#
  
  ```
  
  After move 14 White is facing a serious mate threat from the Queen on h4, Bishop on g4, and Bishop on e5. White goes with 15. Nc7+ , forking the King and Rook, but ignoring the mate threat. After the rook capture, Mate in 2 was assured.
  
  Could white have avoided this mate? By playing, say, Qg3 or h3? Or do both of these positions lead to wins for black, hence, white's strategy with 15 Nc7+ was to prolong mate and perhaps prod black into an unforced error?
  
  **Tags:** strategy, checkmate, forced-move
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: `15. Nc7+` is completely fine, and might even be the best move.  
  > **username_2**: Pawn to h3? What do you all think  
  > **username_3**: Next time you have a question like this, you can just ask Lichess's built-in Stockfish.  It gives the same recommendation as the highest-voted answer here.  
  > **username_2**: @username_3's advice is probably the worst you will ever encounter. Next time you have an opening question, go to a database. Next time you have an endgame question, go to a Nalimov chart... Why not just close the site altogether? Chess engines are a great tool when put in the right hands, but there are only so many of those out there  
  
  ---
  
  ## 5 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-28. Score: 18 | Accepted answer
  
  The best move would have been `16. Rxe5`, which entirely eliminates the mate threat, leaving white with a winning advantage.
  
  ```
  r6r/ppNk1p1p/3p2p1/2p1R3/2P3bq/3Q4/PP3PPP/R1B3K1 b - - 0 16
  
  ```
  
  Here, if black takes the white knight (`16. ... Kxc7`), `17. Bg5` wins the queen as `Qh5` is met with `Bd8+`.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_9**: Is `16. ... Kxc7 17. Bg5 Qh5 18. Bd8+ Raxd8 19. Rxh5 gxh5` that bad for Black? The queen has been traded for a knight, a bishop, and a rook. (Although Black was already a piece down after `Rxe5`.)  
  > **username_10**: @username_9 Yeah, trading a lot of pieces just for the queen is not a good idea for White when he can go for the throat instead by 18. Re7+, 18. Rd1 or even 18. Rxc5+. White's domination on the dark squares and the central open files plus the fact that there's no safe haven for Black's king on the queenside or center are absolutely devastating.  
  > **username_1**: Agreed; `Re7` or even something like `Rxc5` does look a lot better than Bd8.  
  > **username_11**: I don't understand your posted position or your comment. Why after `Rxe5` is it bad for black to capture the rook? And why should black move the king to `d7`?  
  > **username_10**: @username_11 Black can't take the rook as the d-pawn is pinned. Because of this you are right with your second assertion, 15...Kd7 (with the intent to threaten Kxc7) is not a helpful move. But what is? Both ...Kf8 and ...Ke7 have their own cans of worms.  
  > **username_11**: @username_10: I said "after `Rxe5`". See the original post, which is asking about the possible options for move 15, for which `Rxe5` can be followed by black capturing the rook with no pin.  
  > **username_11**: @username_10: Okay I change my mind; the question could have been asking about move 16. And so I now understand what this answer is getting at.  
  > **username_10**: @username_11 The answer clearly reads 16. Rxe5, not 15. Rxe5. ;)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2019-08-28. Score: 5
  
  15.g3 looks winning!
  
  16.f4 is coming to win the Bishop on e5.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: Did you mean "15. g3"?  that was my first thought, also.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2019-08-28. Score: 4
  
  White could play 15. Bf4, covering h2 and attacking the Bishop on e5 which can't move due the pin in the e-file.
  But the probably stronger continuation is 15. g3 followed by 16. f4, winning the bishop on e5 and winning the game...
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2019-09-02. Score: 1
  
  15.g3 followed by 16.f4 wins for White since the e5-bishop is pinned.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2019-08-30. Score: -1
  
  It is indeed a forced win for Black, partly due to White's choice to ignore the mate threat. White could respond better with 16.g3, thereby buying time and throwing Black off-guard.
  
  
  ---
  
  