White to move and mate in 5. (No computer lines please)
r1bq2n1/2p3Rr/3p2np/7k/1p1Bp1p1/p1N3P1/B1P3K1/3Q4 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Checkmate in 5
About Author
first i thought 1 Qh1+ is correct but after 1. .. Qh4 there is no threat and for queen there are too many pieces are their.
1. Bf7 good move. (Now Qh4 not possible coz g6 knight is pinned)
1. .. Rg7 then
2. Qh1+ Kg5 ( if 2. .. Qh4 then Qh4# the knight on g6 is pinned)
3. Ne4+ Kf5
4. Qf1+ Kxe4
5. Qd3#
Bf7
1.Bf7!
That leaves us many many variations to calculate:
Let’s look at the irrelevants moves first:
I) R b8 or a7-a4 or Rxg7/h8 or a2 or b3 or c6/c5 or Bd7 or e3 or Qf6/f8/d7
2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Nxe4+ Kf5 4.Qf1+ Kxe4 5.Qd3 mate !
That leaves us:
II) The moves by the queen except Qg5 (2.Qh1+ Qh4 3.Qxh4 mate)
a)1….Qe8 2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Qh4+ Kf5 4.Qh5 mate!
b)1….Qe7 2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Qh4+ Kf5 4.Bxg6+ Ke6 5.Qxg4 mate!
c)1….Qh4 2.Bxg6+ Kg5 3.Nxe4 mate!
III)The moves by light-squared bishop
a)1….Bb7 2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Qh4+ Kf5 4.Bxg6+ Ke6 5.Qxg4 mate!
b)1….Ba6 idem
c)1….Be6 2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Qh4+ Kf5 4.Bxg6 mate
d)1….Bf5 2.Qh1+ Kg5 2.Qh4 mate !
IV) The moves by the Ng8
e)1….Ne7 2.Qh1+ Kg5 3.Qh4+ (here we go again !) Kf5 4.Qf6 mate !
f)1….Nf6 2.Bxg6+ Kg5 3.Qd2 e3 4.Qxe3 mate !
V)1….d5 2.Bxg6+ Kg5 3.Qd2+ e3 4.Qxe3 mate !
VI)1…Kg5 2.Nxe4+! which gives the main theme winning one move since 2…Kh5 3.Qh1+ Qh4 4.Qxh4 mate!
VIII)1…..bxc3 2.Bxg6+ Kg5 3.Qc1 e3 4.Qxe3 mate !
Very interesting position, played it out on a board and got this
1. Qh1+ Qh4
2. Qxh4+ Nxh4
3. Baf7+ Nhg6
4. Bxg6+ Kg5
5. Nxe4#
Now after 1. Qh1+, Black has two other moves:
a)… Kg5 leads to 2. Nxe4+ Kf5, 3. Qf1+ Kxe4 4.Qd3#
b)… Nh4 leads to 2. Baf7#
I don’t see any other options for black here.
got it totally wrong the first time,
1. Baf7 Now black’s best move is Rxg7
2. Qh1+ Kg5
3. Nxe4+ Kf5
4. Qf1+ Now either Kxe4 or Nf4 by black leads to mate in 1 by the white queen.
Mystifen,
1. Qh1 Qh4
2. Qh4? Nh4 with check!
Don’t feel bad, I often miss the implications of knight moves myself! This line might continue:
3. gh4 Rg7
4. Bg7 Kg6
5. Bd4 bc3
6. Bc3 Ne7 with black up more than a rook.
Best for white after 1. ….Qh4 (black’s only move, I agree) is
2. gh4 Rg7 (what else?)
3. Ne2
Threatening Ng3. Continuing
3. …..Nh4 (mate otherwise)
4. Kg3 Kg6 (only move)
5. Qh4 and I think white wins this, but it isn’t a mate in 5 as the problem calls for. So, I think we can eliminate 1.Qh1 as the first move.
Mystifen, though, had the right idea, and I got the idea from his comment directly:
1. Bf7!!
The move 1.Qh1 didn’t mate, though it wins for white, because the queen block at h4 has the knight as a protector- by pinning the knight, white now threatens a mating net starting with Qh1.
1. …..Rg7 (alternatives below)
2. Qh1 Kg5 (Qh4 3.Qh4# of course)
3. Ne4 Kf5
4. Qf1
Here, I wasted time with 4.Qh5, and though white wins black’s queen, black gains enough material to have a close material balance, and maybe even winning chances with the passed a-pawn. In any case, 4.Qh5 doesn’t lead to mate:
4. …..Ke4 (Nf4 5.Qf4#)
5. Qd3#
The alternatives all come at black’s first move, but they are all mates in five moves or less:
1. …..Kg5
2. Rg6 Kh5 (Kf5 3.Qg4#)
3. Rg7#
Any queen moves at move 1 for black are still mates starting with Qh1+, any move of the black bishop shouldn’t change the mate starting with Qh1+, nor any move of the other black rook. This leaves Nf6, Ne7, and bc3, but they are all mate, too:
1. …..Nf6
2. Bg6 Kg5
3. Bh7 Kh5
4. Qh1#
1. …..Ne7
2. Qh1 Kg5
3. Qh4 Kf5
4. Qf6#
And, finally:
1. …..bc3
2. Bg6 Kg5
3. Bh7 Kh5
4. Qh1 Qh4
5. Qh4#
Black Wins
1 Qh1+ Qh4, 2 Qxh4+ Nxh4+ foils White’s plan.
White circumvents this by pinning the Knight first:
1 Bf7!
White creates two threats here: Bxg6+ and Qh1+, the latter now viable since the Knight on g6 is pinned. Black can’t guard against both threats.
Against a non-productive move (i.e. Ra7), White continues with 2 Bxg6+ Kg5, 3 Nxe4#.
Black has various ways of preventing this line:
PREVENTING 3 Nxe4# :
Each slows mate down by one move and is met by the same sequence of moves:
1 … Bb7, 1… d4, or 1… Qe7
2 Bxg6+ Kg5
3 Bf5+ any
4 Qxg4#
1… Nf6
This guards against 3 Nxe4# and also 3 Qxg4# in the previous line. Unfortunately, it also blocks Black’s exit via f6.
2 Bg6+ Kg5
3 Be3#
GUARDING AGAINST Bxg6+
1… Qe8
2 Rg6+ Kf5
3 Qf1#
1… Ne7
Protecting the Knight but blocking the Queen’s access to h4.
2 Ne4 Nd5
On all other moves, 3 Qh1#
3 Qh1#
1…. Qg5
2 Qh1+ Qh5
3 Qxh5#
1… Qf6 or 1… Rxg7
Both of these are met with the same sequence of moves. White goes to Plan B:
2 Qh1+ Kg5
2… Qh4, 2 Qxh4# (the point of 1 Bf7: , Black’s Knight is now pinned and can’t recapture)
3 Ne4+ Kf5
4 Qf1+ Nf4+
4… Kxe4, 5 Qd3#
5 Qxf4#
Qh1+ is the obvious first try.
Qh1+ Kg5 Nxe4+ Kf5 Qf1+ Kxe4 Qd3#
so walking away doesn’t work
Qh1+ Nh4+ gxh4 or trading the queens seems to stop an attack and black is ahead in material
What if I play Bf7 first pinning the knight. Now there’s no defense to the mate in 4 up above and with the extra move it’s a mate in 5 🙂