White to move. How should white proceed?
8/1Pk1P3/5p2/2pB1p2/2P3b1/8/pn1p3P/7K w – – 0 1
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Given that black is going to queen with check himself, there are only two reasonable starts- e8(N)+ and b8(Q)+. However, after the first of these, black plays Kb8 and white is all out of checks, so we are left with b8(Q) which will allow white to queen the e-pawn with check:
1. b8(Q) Kb8 (Kd7 2.eQ#)
2. e8(Q)
With check once again. Now, the problem has been reduced to mating the black king with the queen and bishop. This isn’t a technically difficult mate to enforce, but white cannot allow black to queen his own pawns with check, so every white move needs to be a check is my guess. Continuing from move 2 above:
2. …..Kc7
Here, Ka7 is a short instructive mate: [2. …Ka7 3.Qa8 Kb6 4.Qb7 Ka5 5.Qb5#]. So, ideally, we want to force the black king towards this death trap. Continuing:
3. Qe7
White should be able to force a mate with 3.Qc6, too, but the black king reaches d8 and is going to be harder to corral after that. With Qe7, white is forcing black towards the a-file for checks from b7/a8 with the queen and a similar mate to that above when black played 2. …Ka7. Continuing:
3. …..Kc8 (Kb6 4.Qb7 Ka5 5.Qb5#)
4. Be6!
Again, forcing the king towards the corner and the a-file. Continuing:
4. …..Kb8
5. Qd8! Kb7 (Ka7 6.Qc7 # next move)
6. Bd5
And now the black king is where we want him. Continuing:
6. …..Ka7 (Ka6 7.Qa8 Kb6 8.Qb7+-)
7. Qa8 Kb6
8. Qb7 Ka5
9. Qb5#
1.b8=Q+ Kxb8
2.e8=Q+ Kc7
3.Qe7+ Kc8
4.Be6+ Kb8
5.Qd8+ Kb7
6.Qd7+ Kb6
7.Qb5+ Kc7
8.Qxc5+ Kb7
9.Bd5+ Ka6
10.Qb5+ Ka7
11.Qb7#
A pretty obvious approach is:
1. b8=Q+ Kxb8 (Kd7 Qd8#)
2. e8=Q+ Kc7 (Ka7 Qd7+, Qb7+, Qb5#)
3. Qe7+ Kc8
4. Be6+ Kb8
5. Qd8+ Kb7 (Ka7 Qc7+ Ka6 Bc8#)
6. Bd5+
Sidewise checks from queen forces king towards a-file, preferrably q checks from black field, otherwise bishop checks instead.
6. … Ka7
7. Qc7+ Ka6
8. Qb7+ Ka5
9. Qb5#
or
6. … Ka6
7. Qa8+ Kb6
8. Qb7+ same as above
c-pawns are essential, white shall avoid errors like Qxc5+.
This is a very good blog with very good problem.
1.b8=Q+,Kxb8
2.e8=Q+,Kc7
(2….,Ka7 3.Qa8+,Kb6 4.Qb7+,Ka5 5.Qb5#)
3.Qe7+,Kc8
(3….,Kb6 4.Qb7+,Ka5 5.Qb5#)
(3….,Kb8 4.Qb7#)
4.Be6+,Kb8
5.Qd8+,Kb7
(5….,Ka7 6.Qc7+,Ka6 (6….,Ka8 7.Bd5#)7.Bc8#)
6.Bd5+,Ka6
(6….,Ka7 7.Qa8+,Kb6 8.Qb7+,Ka5 9.Qb5#)
7.Qa8+,Kb6
8.Qb7+,Ka5
9.Qb5#
Luiz Claudio Guimaraes says: 1.b8=Q+ Kxb8 2.e8=Q+ Kc7 3.Qe7+ Kc8 4.Be6+ Kb8 5.Qd8+ Ka7 6.Qc7+ Ka8 7.Bd5++ (6…Ka6 7.Bc8++)
I’m not seeing anything wrong with b8/Q+…
1.b8=Q+ Kxb8
2.e8=Q+ Kc7
3.Qe7+ Kc8
4.Be6+ Kb8
5.Qd8+ Kb7
6.Bd5+ Ka6
7.Qa8+ Kb6
8.Qb7+ Ka5
9.Qb5#