Some nice etudes.

Originally posted by kbaumen
I suggest you to take a look at some of these etudes.

1)White to move and win
[fen]7k/1Q3K2/8/1B4b1/8/8/8/3q4[/fen]

1.Bd3! with the threat of mating on the 8th rank

a) 1. ... Qxd3? 2.Qb2+ wins

b) 1. ... Qh5+ the only check 2.Bg6 Qh4 (to try to blockade at d8 if white checks on the 8th rank) 3.Qb2+ Bf6 4.Qb5! now the mate is unstoppable

Originally posted by kbaumen
I suggest you to take a look at some of these etudes.

1)White to move and win
[fen]7k/1Q3K2/8/1B4b1/8/8/8/3q4[/fen]

What a beautiful move 1.Be2!! - utterly destroys the coordination between the black pieces. Black has no checks available and must leave either the first or the eighth rank unprotected. 1...Qd2 /the lesser of the two evils/ (1...Qxe2? 2.Qc8+ Bd8 3.Qxd8+ Kh7 4.Qg8+ Kh6 5.Qg6 🙄.
2.Qh1+! (displacing the bishop from its guard of "d8" )2...Bh6 3.Qa8+ and wins.
EDIT: Just spotted the strongest defense 1...Qd6! 2.Qh1+! Bh6 (or 2...Qh6 3.Qa8+ and wins). 3.Qa1+ Kh7 and now the famous ladder maneuver 4.Qb1+! Kh8 5. Qb2+ Kh7 6.Qc2+ Kh8 7.Qc3+ Kh7 And now the queen has control over "d3" and 8.Bd3+ wins the black queen and the game.
EDIT2: Doh! Mephisto is right...A shame...1...Qd8! preserves the draw. I should think more before posting.

Originally posted by kbaumen
2)White to move and win
[fen]1q6/8/B7/3k4/8/8/K3Q3/8[/fen]

This one is much tougher. I haven't analysed 1.Qc4+ because I didn't see any breaking idea. But with 1.Bb7 (Qxb7?? then 2.Qg2+ wins)there is a clear plan: making the b-file available for the white queen, and eventually with a discovered check by the bishop, win the black queen.

After 1.Bb7, only 2 moves are an option (since Kd6 fails on Qh2+):

a) 1. ... Kc5 2.Qc2+ and now

if Kb4 3.Qb2+ Kc5
[3. ... Ka5 4.Qc3+ Kb5 5.Qc6+ Kb4 (Ka5 runs into mate) 6.Qb6+ Kc3 (needs a black square) 7.Qb2+ and black has no black square, hence will lose the queen]
4.Qc3+ Kb6 5.Qc6+ and wins as above between the brackets


if Kd4 Black avoids going towards the b-file 3.Qe4+ driving the king towards the queenside Kc3 (Kc5 is similar) 4.Qe3+ Kc4 (avoiding the b-file) 5.Qb3+ Kc5 6.Qc3+ and now only b-file squares are available (Kd6? Qg3+) Kb5 and 7.Qc6+ wins as above


b) 1. ... Kd4 2.Qe4+ and now

if Kc5 then 3.Qd5+ Kb4 (Kb6? then Qc6+ wins as above) 4.Qb3+ followed by 5.Qc3+ and 6.Qc6+ winning as above

if Kc3 then 3.Qe3+ Kc4 (avoiding the b-file) 4.Qb3+ and now

- Kd4 5.Qb6+ followed by discovered check if black choses a white
square, or Qb2+ taking away all blacksquares

- Kc5 5.Qc3+ and black has to go to the b-file (Kd6?? Qg3+), losing as above

edit. I hope I didn't confuse the issue too much

Originally posted by kbaumen
3)White to move and win
[fen]8/4B2p/8/3p3P/8/3Pk1K1/p7/6N1[/fen]

I believe we have seen this puzzle here before. I'll send you the solution by pm in order not to spoil it for the others