White to move and checkmate in 7. Can you find it?
This was a game of Aronian’s second in Bilbao.
1qrk2r1/R5p1/1pPppb1p/1Q6/4PBn1/8/1PP3PP/R6K w – – 0 0
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Checkmate tactic! Can you spot the mate?
1. Rd7+ Ke8
2. Qh5+ g6 (2. … Kf8 3. Qf7#)
3. Qxg4 Be7 (3. … Rg7 see below)
4. Qxe6 Rg7
5. Rxe7+ Kf8 (5. … Rxe7 6. Qg8#)
6. Qf6+ and 7. Qf8# or 7. Qxg7#
3. … Rg7
4. Qxe6+ Kf8 (4. … Be7 transposes; 4. … Re7 5. Qg8#)
5. Qxf6+ Ke8
6. Qxg7 and 7. Qe7#
I don’t have time to do this thoroughly, but I imagine it starts with 1.Rd7 followed by 2.Qh5 and 3.Qxg4. It leaves white with an attack on the e6 square, and I don’t see a ready defense for black.
No clue.
Here’s a clue: the queen can move right across the board.
I don’t think it leads to mate, but 1. Rd7+ Ke8 2. c7 wins a colossal amount of material.
Bishop to D4 Game over.