1.Qd7 prepares for 2.Qc8+ Ka7 3.Qb7 checkmate, so black must force a draw. 1.Qd7 Qf4+ 2.Kc1 Qf8+ 3. Kc7 Qf4+, soon it will be a repeating draw (game saved). From Michael,
Dear Lucidmarie, Knowing your penchant for shortest solution I revisited May 13 Late Night chess Teaser thinking I had posted shorter mate in 7 moves without taking a2 pawn on June 2,but I found I had goofed again in counting moves and it turned out to be on 8th move.
Qf8 wins for white… no checks an if Qc5, white mate with Qc8 – b7
Df8 is a good move? If so, it’s easy!!
A very nice chess challenge
1. Qe8 and black can’t avoid mate even if it gives up its queen on f4.
qd8+han
White wants to play the queen to the 8th rank so that he can threaten Qa8#. There are two moves to do this- Qd8 and Qf8- but only one is good:
1. Qf8
Covers the squares f7 and f4 from which the black queen can check the white king. There are nothing but delays to the mate.
1. Qf8. Black has no decent checks, and no defence to mate.
1Qf8 guards against checks from f7 and f4 and threatens mate.
1. Qf8 and wins
1.Qf6 Any move will not escape mate
1.Qd7 prepares for 2.Qc8+ Ka7 3.Qb7 checkmate, so black must force a draw.
1.Qd7 Qf4+ 2.Kc1 Qf8+ 3. Kc7 Qf4+, soon it will be a repeating draw (game saved).
From Michael,
1. Qd8 with Qc8# or Qa8# next move.
1. Qe8, Qd4 2. Qc1+, Ka7 3. Qb7#
hmmmm kb8 han
Qf8
maybe you mean Qf8….
This looks quite easy:
1. Qf8
Deprives black of both checks in f file, and threats Qa8#.
1. … Qd4
Only move, defends Qa8 threat by going between on a7, but
2. Qc8+ Ka7
3. Qb7#
A queen sack on f4/f7 could delay by 2 moves only:
1. … Qf4+
2. Qxf4 Ka7 (d2 Qd4! d1=Q Qb6#)
3. Qf8 d2
4. Qb8+ Ka6
5. Qb6#
or
1. … Qf7+
2. Qxf7 d2
3. Qc4+ Ka7
4. Qb5 d1=Q
5. Qb7#
So enforced mate in 5 it is.
White plays Qf8 (threatening Qa8# next move) and Black is doomed.
Qf8 to prevent check from black Q then deliver check on c8 and mate on c7
1. Qf8 cages the black king to mate.
Qf8 is the winning move
Threat is Queen to a8 mate, and if Ka7 Qb8+ etc. If 1.Qf8! black must has no real defence.
After 1. Qf8 ! and black will be mated.
Dear Lucidmarie,
Knowing your penchant for shortest solution I revisited May 13 Late Night chess Teaser thinking I had posted shorter mate in 7 moves without taking a2 pawn on June 2,but I found I had goofed again in counting moves and it turned out to be on 8th move.
I appreciate pht’s vision of seeing 1…. Qd4 as an attempt to defend which most of us had missed.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Easy puzzle.
Well,no doubt “Qf8” is the best move but just a show of manoeuvrings of the chess piece,down below,given one variation.[ Just for fun ]
Example
=======
1.Qe7 d2
2.Kb8 Qb5+
3.a*Qb5+ K*b5
4.Qe2+ Ka4
5.Q*d2 Kb5
6.Kb7 Kc5
7.Kc7 g5
8.b3 h6
9.Qd6+ Kb5
10.Q*c6++ Mate
White wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Oh Venky, You are incurable.