White to move. Can you find the correct continuation for White?
2r1r1k1/q2bp1bR/3p2p1/3P4/1pBN2P1/1P3P2/1pPQ4/1K5R w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Closing out chess tactic
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Rxg7 Kxg7
Qh6+ Kf7
Qh7+ Kf6
e5+. Kxe5
Qh4#
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men have deserted him.Even then every move by white must be check else …. Qa1#
1.Rxg7+ Kxg7
(1…Kf8 2.Rh8+ Kxg7 3.Qh6+ Kf6 4.g5+ Ke5 5.Qh2+ Kxd4 6.Qf2+ Ke5 7.Qg3+ Kd4 8.Rh4+ Ke3 9.Re4+ Kd2 10.Qe1#)
2.Qh6+ Kf7 3.Qh7+ Kf6
(3…Kf8 4.Qh8+ Kf7 5.Rh7#)
4.g5+ Ke5
(4…Kxg5 5.Qh4#)
5.Qh2+ Kxd4 6.Rd1+ Kc5
(6…Kc3 7.Qd2#)
7.Qg1#
Must be check on every move because of the threat Qa1#.
This actually makes it easier to find!
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 (A, see B below)
2. Qh6+ Kf6 (A1, see A2 below)
3. g5+! Ke5
Here we can instantly close out Qg7?? protecting knight but loosing to Kf4. A forced knight sack is needed:
4. Qh2+! Kxd4 (only legal move)
5. Qf4#
A2)
2. … Kf7 (Kg8?? Qh8+ Kf7 Rh7#)
3. Qh7+ Kf6
4. g5+! Kf6 (Kxg5 Qh4# was the alternative in this line)
5. Qh2+
is the same as A1, just 1 move longer.
B)
1. … Kf8
2. Rh8+! Kxf7
3. Qh6+ Kf7
4. Rh7+ Kf6 (Kg8 Qg7#)
5. Qg7#
So we may conclude it’s mate in 6 moves.
All natural moves by white narrowing in black’s options.
Among the things we had to close out were Q checks in f file, met by Bf5, and any N sack on f6 or f5, would never have worked.
Ush, I mistreated my line B:
1. Rxg7+ Kf8(!)
2. Rh8+ Kxg7
3. Qh6+ Kf7
4. Rh7+ Kf6
Of course here is no mate with Qg7+??
Q must stay in h file:
5. g5+! (not possible to avoid) Ke5 (Kxg5 Qh4#)
6. Qh2+
is now the same as line A, but I hadn’t finished that one eiter:
6. … Kxd4 (only legal move)
7. Qf4+ Kc3
8. Qe3#
So it’s mate in 8 moves, and all possible lines end exactly the same from g5+ up to Qe3#.
And there is an answer to the question:
“What purpose does black b4 pawn have?”
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. Qh6+ Kf7 3. Qh7+ Kf6 (3. … Kf8 4. Qh8+ Kf7 4. Rh7#) 4. g5+ Ke5 (4. … Kxg5 5. Qh4#) 5. Qh2+ Kxd4 6. Qf2+ Kc3 7. Qxa7 1-0