White to move. How should white proceed?
r4b1r/2nn2k1/2p1p2p/1q1pP1pQ/8/1p1PN3/5PPP/B1R2R1K w – – 0 1
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the first move that I see is Nf5+ if exf5 follows e6+ with check from bishop… and white won
1.Nf5 Kh7
2.Qf7
OR
1…. Kg8
2.Qg6
OR
1…. ef
2.e6 Nf6(e5, OR Ra1)
3.Qf7
OR
2…. Kh7(g8) same as above
eee:)
1 Nf5+ exf5
2e6+ Nf6( or e5,d4 or b2)
3Qf7#
If 1…. Kg8
2Qg6+ Bg7
3 Qxg7#
If 1… Kh7
2 Qf7+ Bg7
3Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ Kg8
2.Qg6+ Bg7
3.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ Kh7
2.Qf7+ Bg7
3.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Kg8
3.Qf7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Kh7
3.Qf7+ Bg7
4.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Nf6(e5)
3.Qf7# (N @ e5 pinned)
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ d4 or b2
3.Qf7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Rxa1
3.Qf7#
1. Nf5+ should work. Make that discovered check with the bishop come alive!
Well I got Nf5+ for the wrong reason. I thought I was just picking up the exchange on h8, but Houdini says there’s more to it than that…
A nice mate in 5:
1. Nf5+ exf5 (the sacrifice can’t be declined because of the mate threat on g7: 1. – Kg8/Kh7 2. Qg6+/Qf7+ Bg7 3. Qxg7#)
2. e6+ and mate can’t be avoided.
Moving the king leads to similar lines to declining the sacrifice on move 1:
2. – Kh7 (2. – Kg8 3. Qf7#)
3. Qf7+ Bg7
4. Qxg7#
Capturing the bishop with 2. – Rxa1 or blocking the check with 2. – b2/d4 fail to 3. Qf7#
The last attempt is 2. – Ne5 protecting f7 and blocking the bishop, but of course this fails to the simple
3. Bxe5+ Kh7 (3. – Kg8 4. Qf7#)
4. Qf7+ Bg7
5. Qxg7#
Nf5+ exf5 e5+ b2 and Qf7++
One would want to open lines on the black king, especially with the pressure of the b-pawn coming. I can see two ways of doing this on the first move- either Nf5 (if black takes with the e-pawn, white can play e6), or play f4. The main problem I see here for white is that these might be too slow in light of the threat of Rxa1, b2- note, black is already up a piece and a pawn, so he can afford to give up exchanges and pieces to break white’s attack. Let’s look at Nf5 first:
1. Nf5 ef5
Forced since either Kg8 or Kh7 is mate after the combos of Qg6 followed by Qg7, or Qf7 followed by Qg7. Continuing:
2. e6
The point of Nf5 right from the start for me- opens a line for the white bishop. Of course, now that I am looking at this position, I can already see what I missed right from the start- not only is black’s king checked, but white is also threatening Qf7# if black takes the bishop with the rook, or blocks the check with either the knight or one of the two pawns. Also, a king move is still going to be mate after Qf7:
2. …..Kh7(Ra1 3.Qf7#; Kg8 3.Qf7#)
3. Qf7 Bg7
4. Qg7#
1. Nf5+ exf5 or [1. … Kg8 2. Qg6+ Bg7 3. Qxg7#]
or [1. … Kh7 2. Qf7+ Bg7 3. Qxg7#]
2. e6+ Kh7 or [2. … Kg8 3. Qf7#]
or [2. … Nf6 3. Qf7#]
or [2. … Ne5 3. Qf7#]
or [2. … d4 3. Qf7#]
3. Qf7+ Bg7
4. Qxg7#
If I had not spotted 1. Nf5+ right away, I would have felt I had no right to try imitating Irina Krush’s swagger.
1) Nf5 +
1.Nf5+! exf5 (1…Kg8 2.Qg6+) 2.e6+ Rxa1 3.Qxf7#
1. f4 and black is dead after the f file opens up.
No. 1 comment is wrong, should be f5!
Nf5
Nf5+,pxN,e6! – black is dead!!!
Nf5+,PxN,e6+!,Nf6,Qf7+ now black is dead!!!
My blindspot. I did not even think about
1…. Rxa1