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I can guess almost immediately that the mate will occur by forcing black to play g2 at some point that allows white to play Bxg2#- this means white will be forcing the black pawn at c7 to make a series of captures ending at f3, at which point white will then retake the pawn with gxf3 opening the g2 square. So, the white bishop will need to be on h3 at that time.
With all that in mind, white needs to account for black’s two possible moves when white leaves the king where he is at at move 1- black can play either c6 or c5, so white needs to take the second of those away immediately if the goal is mate in 6, thus….
1. Bc5 c6 (only legal move now)
Now, it takes some thought how to proceed. Remember, white needs to have the bishop on h3 at some point, so can we put it there now? I can’t think of any objection to doing it now since white is just waiting anyway:
2. Bh3 cd5 (only legal move)
3. Bd4
Again, preventing the pawn from pushing forward on the d-file:
3. ……de4
4. Be3 ef3
5. gf3 g2
6. Bg2#
Excellent puzzle!
1st and 2nd moves are interchangeable.
1.Bb7 c6
2.Bc5 cxd5
3.Bd4 dxe4
4.be3 exf3
5.Bf2 fxg2+
6.Bxg2#
The beauty of the problem is not difficulty but repeat of the theme.
1)Bc5 c6 2) Bh3 cxd5 3) Bd4 dxe4 4) Be3 dxf3 5) gxf3 g2 6) Bxg2#
1. Bc5 (1. Bh3 c5)
1. …c6
2. Bh3 cxd5
3. Bd4 dxe4
4. Be3 exf3
5. gxf3 g2+
6. Bxg2#
1 Bc5 c6
2 Bh3 cxd
3 Bd4 dxe
4 Be3 exf
5 gxf g2+
6 Bxg2 #
By Tsekmate
1. d6! (cxd6)
2. e5! (dxe5)
3. f4! (exf4)
4. Bc5! (f3)
5. Bb7! (if followed by fxg2+)
6. Bxg2++
Now: if 5. Bb7! is answered by f2 then White will sacrifice the colored bishop by making 6. Bxf2! (gxf2) and it’s a mate in 7 moves by 7. g3!++
by: Mark Anthony Aquino
1. d6! (cxd6)
2. e5! (dxe5)
3. f4! (exf4)
4. Bc5! (f3)
5. Bb7! (if followed by fxg2+)
6. Bxg2++
Now: if 5. Bb7! is answered by f2 then White will sacrifice the colored bishop by making 6. Bxf2! (gxf2) and it’s a mate in 7 moves by 7. g3!++
“Mark Aquino”
1. Bc5! c6
2. Bh3! cxd5
3. Bd4! dxe4
4. Be3! exf3
5. gxf3! g2+
6. Bxg2+!
1 – 0
Similar theme as the last one.
1.Bc5! c6 (1.Bb7 c5!)
2.Bb7 cxd5
3.Bd4 dxe4
4.Be3 exf3
5.Bf2 gxf2
6.Bxf3#
1. Bd6 cxd6
2. e5 dxe5
3. f4 exf4
4. Bh3 f3
5. gxf3 g2+
6. Bxg2 mate
OR
1. Bd6 c5
2. Bxg3 c4
3. Be1 c3
4. Bh3 c2
5. g3 c1(Q)
6. Bg2 mate
Nice puzzle. Solved it in about 15mins.
Initially I tried to promote a pawn to a Knight and win by 6.Nxg3 mate but it just didn’t work.
Here’s the winning sequence.
1.Bh3!! c6
2.Bd6! cxd5 (if 2…c5 3.Bxg3 c4 4.Bf2 c3 5.g3 c2 6.Bg2 mates)
3.Bxg3 dxe4
4.Be1 exf3
5.g3 f2
6.Bg2 mates.
Kanayo – Abuja
1.Bc5!.c6.
2.Bb7.cxd5.
3.Bd4.dxe4.
4.Be3.exf3.
5.Bf2!.
5……..fxg2+.6.Bxg2#!
5……..gxf2.6.Bxf3#!
Correction to my solution posted in a hurry!
1.Bc5!.c6.
2.Bb7.cxd5.
3.Bd4!.dxe4.
4.Be3!.exf3.
5.Bd4!.
5……..fxg2.6.Bxg2#!
5……..f2.6.Bxg2#!
1 Bc5 c6
2 Bh3 cxd5
3 Bd4 dxe4
4 Be3 exf3
5 gxf3 g2+
6 Bxg2#
Oops! My first solution was incorrect. I took things for granted.5.Bf2 would invite 5…. gxf2.For that 1.Bb7 does not fit.
Corrected solution
1.Bh3 c6 2.Bc5 cxd5 3.Bd4 dxe4 4.Be3 exf3 5.gxf3 g2+ 6.Bxg2#
PROF.S.G.BHAT
This is a real oldie. I remember seeing it when I was a kid, and that was long ago. I tihnk it was in a book by Horowitz, which I got for a birthday when I was in grade school.
1. Bc5! c6
2. Bb7 cd
3. Bd4 de
4. Be3 ef
5. Bf2!!
A. 5…fg 6. B:g2#
B. 5…gf 6. B:f3#
Excellent practice for improving calculation skills. Thank you for posting! Michael Ciamarra
My first posted solution (1. Bd6) wouldn’t work because of 3…e4 instead of …exf4. It appears there is only one solution already posted by some here:
1. Bc5 c6
2. Bh3 cxd5
3. Bd4 dxe4
4. Be3 exf3
5. gxf3 g2+
6. Bxg2 mate
Thanks,Yancey.
1st and 2nd moves are not interchangeable. That gives more weight to the puzzle.
PROF.S.G.BHAT
Prof Bhat alludes to it in the still incorrect formulation of 1.Bh3, but let’s make it explicit- 2.Bb7 is wrong- it must be 2.Bh3:
1. Bc5!
Again, this prevents 1. …c5 bypassing the forced capture at d5. Continuing:
1. ……c6
2. Bb7 cd5
3. Bd4 de4
4. Be3 ef3
And now the for the move that fouls up the mate in 6 requirement:
5. Bf2 gf2 (fg2 6.Bg2#)
And, now, white can’t mate on the next move- only on move 7 can he mate.
Yancey,
My analysis was too casual and careless.Of course did not expect 1…. d5 at all.I looked at the diagram formulated the pattern of light squared B blocking black P and immediately went to comment.When I wrote 5.Bf2 no diagram was present before me.Otherwise I would have noted 5…. gxf2 and would have reverted to the analysis.Somehow after a long time may be 8 to 9 hours the move Bh3 also came to my mind that too while walking on the road.Then I felt the puzzle can not be so loose and at home set up the position and realized my mistake. However in actual play had I committed 2.Bb7 I would be left with no choice but to play 5.Bf2 at least to mate in 7 rather than draw.
PROF.S.G.BHAT