I agree with Real Soiedade, so I wonder why that idea got posted so quickly.
White would like to play c5 and force the black king onto g6 where white can then play f5 with check and Rh2 with mate, but the black queen needs to be diverted from covering the d5 square, so Ra7 suggests itself as a move either first or subsequent to playing c5:
1. c5+ d5 2. Ra7 Mxa7 Even black playin 2. … Rb8 it just n0thing coz the bishop on b4 will take the pawn on d5 .. It just another way to mate black in 5 steps 3. Bxd5 Kg6 4. f5+ Kh6 or maybe 4. … Kxh7 but it just the same coz , 5. Rh2+ mate !
1.c5+, d5
2.B x d5+, Q x d5
3.R-a7+, K-g6
4.f5+, K x h7
5.R-h2#
1. c5+ d5
2. Ra7! Qxa7
3. Bxd5+ Kg6
4. f5+ Kxh7
5. Rh2#
Hello
1. c5+ , d5
2. Ra7 , Qxa7
3. Bxd5+, Kg6
4. f5+ , Kxh7
5. Rh2#
Greetings from Spain
1.Ra7!!
I agree with Real Soiedade, so I wonder why that idea got posted so quickly.
White would like to play c5 and force the black king onto g6 where white can then play f5 with check and Rh2 with mate, but the black queen needs to be diverted from covering the d5 square, so Ra7 suggests itself as a move either first or subsequent to playing c5:
1. Ra7 Qa7 (alternatives below)
2. c5 d5
3. Bd5 Kg6
4. f5 Kh6/h7
5. Rh2#
Or, at move 1:
1. …..Rd8 (to support d5)
2. Rb7 Rd7 (Kg6 3.f5)
3. Rd7 Kg6 with the same mate to follow as above.
Or:
1. …..Rb8
2. c5 d5
3. Bd5 with the same mate as above since the knight covers the square f8 vacated by the rook at move 1.
Or:
1. …..Rh8
2. c5 still mates like before.
I can’t see any other significant lines to consider since black can’t play a move like g6 since white just covers the entire 7th rank with Rxb7.
A very very old problem in a new version:
Stamma, Essai sur le jeu des Échecs, 1745, #97, with pawns b4, d4, d6.
Cortex, not in his GHQ!
1. c5+ d5
2. Ra7 Mxa7
Even black playin 2. … Rb8 it just n0thing coz the bishop on b4 will take the pawn on d5 .. It just another way to mate black in 5 steps
3. Bxd5 Kg6
4. f5+ Kh6
or maybe 4. … Kxh7 but it just the same coz ,
5. Rh2+ mate !
Yes, probably Ra7:
1.Ra7,Q:a7
2.c5+,d5
3.B:d5+,Kg6
4.f5+,K:h7
5.Rh2++
The Lion King
1.c5+, d5
2.B x d5+, Q x d5
3.Ra7+ Qb7 and not mates in 5
Haridan and José Maria
1. c5+ d5
2. Ra7 Rd8 and not mates in 5 as well
So only Ra7 mates in five!