Daily Chess Improvement: Zurich Mating Tactic!

6 comments

• Reply

  

  Alena says:

  March 22, 2017 at 11:31 pm

  1. Qh8+ Kg5
  2. Qg7+ Kxh5
  3. Bf7+ Qxf7
  4. g4#

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  Lenny says:

  March 22, 2017 at 11:38 pm

  1) Qh8+, forces Kg5
  2) Qg7+, IF: Qg6, 3) Qxg6#
  —, Kxh5
  3) Bf7+, and either … Qxf7, 4) g4# OR … Qg6, 4) Qxg6#

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  David Vanstone says:

  March 23, 2017 at 12:47 am

  Okay, think I got it

  Qh8+, Kg5, Qg7+ Kxh5, Bf7+ Qg6, Qxg6#
  Qh8+, Kg5, Qg7+ Kxh5, Bf7+ Qxg6 g4#

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  Yancey Ward says:

  March 23, 2017 at 12:37 pm

  Of interest is the line that begins with 1.Qf7+, which is a line a lot of players might choose over the board:

  1. Qf7?! Ke5

  Of course, Kg5 allows 2.Qg7 for a forced mate. However, now white only two palatable options- check from g7 or check from e8. The best of the two looks like….

  2. Qg7 Kd6
  3. Qh6 Kc7

  And the black king is pretty safe now, but white can get the queens off the board now…

  4. Qf4 Qf4
  5. gf4!?

  If white tries 5.Nf4, then 5. …Ne5 creates some counterplay for black on the queenside, and I can’t fully evaluate whether or not white retains a decisive edge. Continuing:

  5. ………….Nd8 (what better?)
  6. Bg8! Ne6
  7. h6 Nf8
  8. f5

  And I think black will lose a piece. However, the ending is still tough, though likely won for white.

  • Reply

    

    James Attewell says:

    March 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    Isn’t 1. Qf7+ Ke5 2. Qg7+ Qf6 better for Black?

    • Reply

      

      Yancey Ward says:

      March 24, 2017 at 1:21 am

      No, after 2. …Qf6, white takes at d7 and black’s position collapses;

      2. ………..Qf6?
      3. Qd7 Qd6 (what is better?)
      4. Qg7 Qf6 (forced)
      5. Qb7 and this is hopeless for black.