Is Bxh6 as good as it looks?

[Terry McCracken]

Yes, there is no question at all. Firstly white gets 2 important pawn for a bishop, and gets a ruinous attack. White has a pawn on e5 to hamper defence.

It shouldn't take many seconds for a human to give up the bishop and be confident of winning.

Not so obvious. At first glance white needs one more piece for an attack and if you don't find that rook out of the way Be6 stuff fails to Nh7 Nf6+ it doesn't look too promising ie. I would not play it in a blitz game.

Bxh6 is forcing. I'd play it at any time control.

[acase]

And finally here is the latest development version of Stockfish with a +2.86 eval for white:

Code: Select all

47/82	1:31:43	175,049,893k	31,808k	+2.79	14.Bd2xh6 g7xh6 15.Qh5xh6 f5-f4 16.Ra1-e1 Qa5-d8 17.Qh6xf4 Nc6-e7 18.Qf4-g3+ Ne7-g6 19.h2-h4 Kg8-h8 20.h4-h5 Ng6-e7 21.e5-e6 Ne7-c6 22.e6-e7 Nc6xe7 23.Qg3-e5+ f7-f6 24.Qe5xe7 Bc8-g4 25.Nf3-h4 Qd8xe7 26.Re1xe7 Bg4xh5 27.Re7xb7 Ra8-b8 28.Rb7xa7 Rb8-a8 29.Ra7-d7 Rf8-d8 30.Rd7xd8+ Ra8xd8 31.Nh4-f5 Rd8-a8 32.Rf1-a1 Kh8-h7 33.Nf5-e3 Ra8-a5 34.Kg1-f1 Kh7-g7 35.Kf1-e1 Bh5-f7 36.f2-f4 Bf7-e6 37.g2-g4 Kg7-f7 38.Ke1-f2 Be6-c8 39.Kf2-e2 Bc8-e6 40.Ke2-d2 Kf7-e7 41.f4-f5 Be6-f7 42.Kd2-e2 Bf7-e8 43.Ke2-f3 Be8-c6 44.Kf3-f4 Ra5-a8 45.Ra1-h1 Ra8xa3

 48/83	1:49:54	209,600,555k	31,782k	+2.86	14.Bd2xh6 g7xh6 15.Qh5xh6 f5-f4 16.Ra1-e1 Qa5-d8 17.Qh6xf4 Nc6-e7 18.Qf4-g3+ Ne7-g6 19.h2-h4 Kg8-h8 20.h4-h5 Ng6-e7 21.e5-e6 Ne7-c6 22.e6-e7 Nc6xe7 23.Qg3-e5+ f7-f6 24.Qe5xe7 Bc8-g4 25.Nf3-h4 Qd8xe7 26.Re1xe7 Bg4xh5 27.Re7xb7 Ra8-b8 28.Rb7xa7 Rb8-a8 29.Ra7-d7 Rf8-d8 30.Rd7xd8+ Ra8xd8 31.Nh4-f5 Rd8-a8 32.Rf1-a1 Kh8-h7 33.Nf5-e3 Ra8-a5 34.Kg1-f1 Kh7-g7 35.Kf1-e1 Bh5-f7 36.f2-f4 Bf7-e6 37.g2-g4 Kg7-f7 38.Ke1-f2 Be6-c8 39.Kf2-e2 Bc8-e6 40.Ke2-d2 Kf7-e7 41.f4-f5 Be6-f7 42.Kd2-e1 Ke7-d6 43.Ke1-f2 Ra5-a4 44.Kf2-f3 Bf7-e8 45.Kf3-f4 Be8-c6 46.g4-g5 f6xg5+ 47.Kf4xg5 Ra4-a7 48.Ra1-e1