White to move and checkmate in 9. No computer please.
rq6/1b2Q2p/3P2k1/r4p2/3n2pP/1P6/1PP5/1KR2R2 w – – 0 1
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Susan,
I found mate in five. Am I missing something?
Best,
Miguel
1. h5+, Kxh5 (If 2. … , Kh6 then 3. Qg6+, Kxh5; 4. Rh1+, Bxh1 and 5. Rxh1#)
2. Qxh7, Kg5
3. Qg7+, Kh5
4. Rh1+, Bxh1
5. Rxh1#
All moves are under check as otherwise White will lose to Ra1#
1.h5+ Kxh5
(1…Kh6 2.Qf6+ Kxh5 3.Rh1+ Bxh1 4.Rxh1#)
2.Qxh7+ Kg5 3.Qg7+ Kh4 4.Qh6+ Kg3 5.Qf4+ Kh3
(5…Kh4 6.Rh1+ Bxh1 7.Rxh1#)
(5…Kg2 6.Rf2+ Kh3 7.Qh2#)
6.Rh1+ Bxh1
(6…Kg2 7.Rcg1#)
7.Rxh1+ Kg2 8.Rh2+ Kg1 9.Qf2#
9. Rxh2#
A serioes of moves look pretty obvious here:
1. h5+ Kxh5 (Kh6 Qf6+ Kxh5 Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8#)
2. Qxh7+ Kg5
3. Qg7+ Kh4 (Kh5? Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8#)
4. Qh6+ Kg3
5. Qf4+? Kh3 (Kh4 Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8#)
but this is where it seems to stop, white must re-think.
What about:
5. Qe3+!
5. … Kh2 (Kh4 Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8#)
6. Qf2+ Bg2 (Kh3 Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8#)
7. Rh1#
or
5. … Bf3
6. Rg1+ Kh2
7. Qf2+ Kh3 (Bg2 Rh1#)
8. Rh1+ Bxh1
9. Rxh1#
or (critical looking)
5. … Nf3
6. Rg1+ Kh3 (Kh2 Qf2+ Kh3 Rh1#)
7. Rh1+ Kg2 (Kg3 Rcg1#)
8. Rcg1+ Nxg1
9. Rxg1+ Kh2
10. Qg3#
Should have been 1 move faster, so I have missed something…
h5ch, chase the king to g3, queen ch at f4, king trapped.
1.h5+ Kxh5
2.Qxh7+ Kg5
3.Qg7+ Kh4
4.Qh6+ Kg3
5.Qf4+ Kh3
6.Rh1+ Bxh1
7.Rxh1+ Kg2
8.Rh2+ Kg1
9.Qf2#
The protection of f5 by the knight and rook make the try of 1.Qg5 less interesting right from the start, and white does seem to need to do everything with check due to the mate threat he faces himself at a1. So, h5 it is, and let’s follow the bread crumbs:
1. h5 Kh5 (Kh6 2.Qf6 Kh5 3.Rh1+-)
2. Qh7
The first major intersection. I can’t make Rh1 work here: [2.Rh1 Bh1 3.Rh1 Kg6 4.Qh7 Kf6! 5.Qe7 Kg6 6.Qh7 can only draw for white; no better at move 5 are the checks from h6 or h4 with the queen and/or rook (those actually seem completely lost). Continuing:
2. …..Kg5
3. Qg7
The only other check is 3.Qe7, but the black king again reaches g6, only this time white won’t have a check from h7 with which to draw the game. Continuing:
3. …..Kh4 (Kh5 4.Rh1 Bh1 5.Rh1#)
4. Qh6
The second major intersection. There are checks with the queen from h6, h7, and e7, and the rook check from h1. If white checks with the queen from h7, the queen won’t find a quick path to get to the black king if he goes to g3: [4.Qh7 Kg3! 5.Rg1 Bg2 6.Rg2 Kg2 7.Qh1 Kg3 8.Rg1 Kf4! 9.Qh6 Ke4 10.Re1 Kd5 11.c4 Kc6 12.d7 and I doubt there is even a mate in here for white, though I can’t see it deep enough to be sure. In any case, it is beyond the 9 move mate called for in the problem]; on checking with the queen from e7, I find somewhat similar problems of black extending beyond 9 moves: [4.Qe7 Kh5 5.Qh7 (5.Rh1 only draws, remember) 5. …Kg5 6.Qg7 Kh4 simply repeats the position reached at move 3]; finally, the check from h1 leads nowhere: [4.Rh1 Bh1 5.Rh1 (5.Qe7 no better) 5. …Kg3 6.Rg1 Kf3 7.Rf1 Ke2 and white is going to lose the rook]. Continuing from 4.Qh6 above:
4. …..Kg3
5. Qf4
I think 5.Qe3 mates, too, but I think it is going to be longer than 9 moves since black has some blocks available in that line. Continuing:
5. …..Kh3
On Kh4, white mates with 6.Rh1 Bh1 7.Rh1#; and on Kg2 6.Rg1 Kh3 7.Qg3#. The rest is a piece of cake; continuing:
6. Rh1 Bh1 (Kg2 7.Rcg1#)
7. Rh1 Kg2
8. Rh2!
I am not 100% sure, but Qf1 and Qh2 both look losing for white, but 8.Rh2 is clearly mate in 1 more:
8. …..Kg1
9. Qf2#
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,even if Black plays with at most potential – White can mate the Black in “8” moves – Why then the puzzle emphasizes “9” moves ?
Anyway let me wait to see others moves,if required,I will post my moves later on .
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
My second post at this title.
Not even “8” moves required for White to mate the game – Just “5” moves are enough for White to win – Why then the “9” moves ?
Let me wait to see others response to this chess puzzle.
Note: I never use any software to solve the puzzle.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Well, as I said I must have missed something (could only find mate in 10 moves).
What I had missed was the simple
8. Rh2!
Thought of 8. Qf1? and king would escape.
I thought this puzzle had to be difficult!
There had to be a trick, I thought,
and 5. Qe3 allowing a block on f3 seemed like a reasonable difficulty:-)
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,sorry guys I was over ambitious : 5 moves mate doesn’t happen – “9” moves many others had given.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]