1. Qf8, threatening 2. Qa8++ By putting the queen on f8, White prevents Black from moving his queen to f7 or f4 to give check to the white king, and thus preventing the mate. I don’t see any effective move to stop the mate: 1. …Ka7 is just met with 2. Qb8+ Ka6 3. Qa8++
After Qf8, black can try to trip up white by Qd4 to try to force a queen exchange: 1. Qf8 Qd4 2. Qa8+ Qa7+ 3. Qxa7+ Kxa7 4. Kxc6 Ka6 {Black has a decisive advantage.}
But white has a better answer Qd4 with 2… Qc8! 1. Qf8 Qd4 2. Qc8+ Ka7 3. Qb7#
The 1. b3 move for white has a bad outcome if black moves to Qf7+ because then black can force a queen exchange: 1. b3 Qf7+ 2. Kxc6 Qb7+ 3. Kc5+ Ka7 4. Qxd3 Qc7+ 5. Kb5 Qb6+ 6. Kc4 Qa6+ {White’s queen is doomed.} 7. Kd4 Qxd3+ 8. Kxd3 {Black has a decisive advantage.}
The remainder of the game could play out like this: 8… Kb6 9. Ke2 Kc5 10. Kd1 Kd4 11. Kd2 h5 12. Ke2 Kc3 13. Kf3 Kxb3 14. Kg3 Kc3 15. Kh4 b3 16. Kg5 b2 17. Kxg6 b1=Q+ 18. Kxh5 Qf5+ 19. Kh4 Kd3 20. Kg3 Ke3 21. Kh2 Kf2 22. Kh1 Qh5#
1. Qf8, threatening 2. Qa8++
By putting the queen on f8, White prevents Black from moving his queen to f7 or f4 to give check to the white king, and thus preventing the mate.
I don’t see any effective move to stop the mate:
1. …Ka7 is just met with
2. Qb8+ Ka6
3. Qa8++
b3
If queen takes, then Qxc6 and then mate afterwards
If …Qe4, then Qc5 with mate to follow
1. Qf8
An obvious move is:
1. Qf8!!
Why obvious?
Well, it protects the two possible black checks Qf7+ and Qf4+, and it threats Qa8#, and not having good checks black can’t prevent it!
So it is mate in 4:
1. … Qf7+/Qf4+ (only delays)
2. Qxf7/Qxf4 d2
3. Qf8 d1=Q
4. Qa8#
the first move covers all possible counterchecks and threatens Qa8#.
1. Qf8 Qd4
2. Qc8+ Ka7
3. Qb8+ Ka6
4. Qb7#
greets, jan
Blacks threat is Queen-check from f4 or f7.
1. Qf8 (eyeing on f4 and f7) with checkmate on a8 next move (via b8 if 1. …Ka7).
After Qf8, black can try to trip up white by Qd4 to try to force a queen exchange:
1. Qf8 Qd4
2. Qa8+ Qa7+
3. Qxa7+ Kxa7
4. Kxc6 Ka6 {Black has a decisive advantage.}
But white has a better answer Qd4 with 2… Qc8!
1. Qf8 Qd4
2. Qc8+ Ka7
3. Qb7#
The 1. b3 move for white has a bad outcome if black moves to Qf7+ because then black can force a queen exchange:
1. b3 Qf7+
2. Kxc6 Qb7+
3. Kc5+ Ka7
4. Qxd3 Qc7+
5. Kb5 Qb6+
6. Kc4 Qa6+ {White’s queen is doomed.}
7. Kd4 Qxd3+
8. Kxd3 {Black has a decisive advantage.}
The remainder of the game could play out like this:
8… Kb6
9. Ke2 Kc5
10. Kd1 Kd4
11. Kd2 h5
12. Ke2 Kc3
13. Kf3 Kxb3
14. Kg3 Kc3
15. Kh4 b3
16. Kg5 b2
17. Kxg6 b1=Q+
18. Kxh5 Qf5+
19. Kh4 Kd3
20. Kg3 Ke3
21. Kh2 Kf2
22. Kh1 Qh5#
pass
I like qf8, this leaves black with almost no good proceeding moves?
In addition, I my first though was qd8?