White to move. How should White proceed?
8/2p2pr1/2b5/4Q2p/p3P3/1r3qPP/R4P1K/2k5 w – – 0 1
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Queen to A1+
Rook on B3 interposes at B1
Queen to C3+
King forced to D1
Queen to D2++
Qa1+ Rb1
QxRg7 Bxe4
Qg5+ Kd1
Qd2++
Initially, I was very interested in Qa5 with the threat of Qe1/d2:
1. Qa5 Kb1
2. Qd2
But then I saw
2. …..Be4 and could find no mate for white, or even a draw by repetition.
Of course, the threat of Be4/Qe4 and the impending mate with Qg2 means other moves like Qg7, Qd4, or Qc7 are dead losses, too.
I also looked at Ra1, but black seems to win convincingly with Kc2:
1. Ra1 Kc2 (Rb1 looks ok, too)
2. Ra2
Here, everything loses- Qc5+ loses to Qc3 and the queens must come off because of the attack on the rook at a1, or Qd4 (threatening Qd1 if the black queen quits covering d1) loses to Rc3 (protecting the bishop). I leave these to the reader. Continuing:
2. …..Kd3 (Kc1?? see below:~)
3. Qa1 Ke4 and the black king will easily hide from the white pieces.
Of course, in working through this line above, I accidentally stumbled onto the right solution in analyzing 2. ….Kc1 above. Obvious to me now is that white should play
1. Qa1! Rb1
2. Qd4
Here, white is threatening Qd2#. Somehow, when I first looked at Qa1, even though I had seen Qd4, I had gotten into my thick head that the black queen can guard this by playing to d1- I completely overlooked the mate that follows with Qc3. Odd the mental lapses we suffer from. As far as I can tell, the mate can only be delayed by uselessly sacrificing material with moves like Qg2/h1, Qf2 etc.
1.Qa1+ Rb1 2.Qd4 (threatening 2.Qd2#; not 2.Qc3+??, as Anonymous recommended, allowing 2…Qxc3) with the crushing threat of 3.Qd2#. On 2…Qd1, 3.Qc3+ Qc2 4.Qxc2#)
1. QA1 check..RB1 2.Qd4!
Both wrong
Qa1+ Rb1
Qd4 threatening mate in 1 move – there is no reasonable defence.
After 1. Qa1+ Rb1, White can play 2. Qd4, after which Black is curiously helpless against the threat of Qd2#.
Qa1+ Rb1
Qd4
Ra1, Rb1
Qc5, Kd2
Ra2,
1). Qa1+ Rb1
2). Qd4 leaves black without defence.
Qa1+ Rb1
Qc3+ Kd1
Qd2++
Could we at least not leave comments that hang white’s Queen for nothing on the second move? 🙂
1. Qa1+ Rb1
2. Qd5+! and black has no way to defend d2 and will be mated after he gives away his all his material to delay it.
I’m pretty sure I remember this position from a very recent world chess championship match. 😉
Qa1+ Rb1
Qd4 and its impossible to stop mate in d2 or Qc4…Qf1++
Without time to analyze, I see an interesting series of Queen moves from a1 to g7, h6, c6, and back to h6 forcing Black to give up a lot of material in trying to stave off mate. Phil
The folks quick off the mark are correct:
Q- A1+ R-A2
Q- B2+ K- D1
Q- D2++
Beautiful tactic!!!
I missed the intermediary check and went immediately for the 1. Qd4 threatening mate.
I think I saw this motif before if I am not mistaken in one of Vasil Ivanchuk’s games.
Best wishes
“Could we at least not leave comments that hang white’s Queen for nothing on the second move? 🙂
1. Qa1+ Rb1
2. Qd5+!”
Could we at least not leave comments that have White playing an illegal second move? 🙂