White to move. How should White proceed? This is a fun puzzle. No computer lines please.
1n2r3/3r1N2/1Kn4p/1b2b2B/1pk1Pp2/1Np2P2/2P5/3R4 w – – 0 1
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nd6
With a quick glance I see this. Doesn’t mean it’s right.
Kn x BE5+ Kn x Kn
B x RE8 R x R D1
B X B B5 ++
1.Nxe5+ Rxe5 forced 2.Bf7+
I)2…Re/d e5 3.Rd4+ Nxd4 4.Na5 mate
II)2…Rxf7 3.Rd4+ Nxd4 4.Na5 mate
Na5# wins
I think somethnig allowing the bishop to check on f7 should win:
1. Rd7 anything
2. Nd6 Bd6
3. Bf7
White mates with
1.Nxe5+
A)
1…Nxe5
2.Na5 mate.
B)
1…Rxe5
2.Bf7+
B1)
2…Rxf7
3.Rd4+ Nxd4
4.Na5 mate.
B2)
2…Re5-d5
3.Rd4+ Nxd4
4.Na5 mate.
B3)
2…Rd7-d5
3.Rd4+ Nxd4
4.Na5 mate.
1. Nxe5!
if 1 ..Nxe5 then 2. Na5#
if 1 ..Rxe5 then 2. Bf7 follows mate in 1
1.Nxe5 ch! Rxe5 (1…Nxe5?? 2.Na5# 1-0) 2.Bf7 ch! and now A) 2…Rxf7 3.Rd4 ch Nxd4 (only move) 4.Na5# 1-0… B) 2…Rdd5 3.Rd4 ch Nxd4 (Black can’t capture with the Rook on d5 because of the Bishop pin on f7) 4.Na5# 1-0…C) 2…Red5 3.Rd4 ch Nxd4 (Again, there’s the Bishop pin on f7) 4.Na5# 1-0…D) 2…Re6 3.Bxe6 ch Rd5 4.Rd4 ch Nxd4 (Same Bishop pin on f7) 5.Na5# 1-0 (RIGF)
Every square around the black king is under attack- if you could just play a move like Bf7, Na5, Rd4, or Ne5/d6, you would have him mated. However, black has guards on all those moves at the moment. The first thing I would ask- is any piece in the black army trying to guard two or more of these moves at the same time? Ne5 is guarded by the e8 rook and the c6 knight- Na5 is guarded by the c6 knight only-Rd4 is guarded by the e5 bishop, the c6 knight, and the d7 rook- and Nd6 is covered by the bishop and the d7 rook. So, the answer, so far, is that no piece is overtaxed immediately, but one of the mate threats is guarded by only the c6 knight (Na5), and that knight is part of the guard on two of the other mate threats. Could that knight be forced to take somewhere else? I hope so, but I have to use trial and error to find the right sequence. My first thought is to eliminate the e5 bishop. I choose this because I want to be able to threaten Bf7 as soon as possible (white must clear the f7 knight out of the way at some point to do so):
1. Ne5 Re5 (Ne5 2.Na5#)
2. Bf7
Here, black has Re6, Red5, Rf7, Rdd5 as answers. I can see immediately that they all are mates:
2. …..Rf7
3. Rd4 Nd4 (only move)
4. Na5# Or
2. …..Re6
3. Be6 Rd5 (only move)
4. Bd5# Or
2. …..Red5
3. Rd4 Nd4 (only move)
4. Na5# Or
2. …..Rdd5
3. Rd4 Nd4 (only move)
4. Na5#.
That was easy, and the key was to figure out the most overworked piece.
1)Ne5+ Ned 2)Na5#
Or,
1)Ne5+ Re5 2)Bf7+ Rf7 3)Rd4+ Nd4 4)Na5#
-Sayan
From Spain…
Checkmate in 4
1)Nd5+,Rd5
2)Bf7+,Rf7
3)Rd4+,Nd4
4)Na5++
————————————-
1)Nd5+,Nd5
2)Na5++
Greetings from Spain
nd6 – if rd6 then bf7# and if bd6 then Rc4#
Hello
1. Nxe5+ , Rxe5 ( if Nxe5 2. Nh5# )
2. Bf7+ , Rdd5 or Red5 (if Rxf7 3. Rd4+ , Nxd4 4. Nh5# )
3. Rd4+ , Nxd4
4. Nh5#
Greetings from Spain
1. Nxd6+ – rook captures
2. Bf7+ – rook captures
3. Rd4+ – knight captures
4. Na5++
fun indeed
If that pesky Nc6 wasn’t there, 1. Na5 would be mate. Also, 1. Rd4 would be mate except for the triple guard on d4. But one of those guards is the Nc6…
Remove the guard!
1. Nxe5+ (guard #1) Rxe5 (1. … Nxe5 2. Na5#)
2. Bf7+ Rxf7 (guard #2) (2. … Rd5 3. Bxd5#; 2. … Re6 3. Bxe6+ Rd5 4. Bxd5#)
And now the Nc6 is overloaded…
3. Rd4+ Nxd4 (guard #3)
4. Na5#
Looked at it really quickly so not 100% sure this is right but:
1. Nxe5+ Rxe5 (1… Nxe4 2. Na5#)
2. Bf7+ Rxf7 (2… Rdd5 3. Re4+ Nxe4 4. Na5#)
3. Re4+ Nxe4
4. Na5#
rd4+
followed by n#, or n+ and b#
This seems rather easy. Since Na5 would be mate if not for the Black knight at c6, all we have to do is find a way to distract it. Rd4+ would do so (and have the added advantage of blocking the d4 square that will no longer be under the knight’s watch when White plays Na5). So, just eliminate the other pieces that guard the d4 square, as follows:
1. Nxe5+ Rxe5+
2. Bf7+ Rxf7
3. Rd4+ Nxd4
4. Na5 mate
Of course, Black can play 1. … Nxe5 or 2. … Re6 or 2. … Rd5, but those just lead to quicker mates.
I thought this was too obvious, but since you haven’t posted solutions yet:
Nxe5+ Rxe5 (if Nxe5 Na5 mate)
Bf7+ Rxf7
Rd4+ Nxd4
Na5 mate
I yhink the rigt move is 1.Nxe5. If black plays:
1…Nxe5 2.Na5 checkmate
1…Rxe5 2.Bf7+ Rxf7 (2…R5d5 or R7d5 3.Bxd5+ Rxd5 4.exd5 followed by 5.Rd4 checkmated) 3. Na5+ Nxa5 4. Rd4 checkmate
Tommy K. says:
The black King has no escape
squares to move to so any check
will have to be answered by
capturing the checking piece or
by an interposition. I believe
the mating sequence begins with:
1.Nxe5+ Nxe5?
2.Na5#
No blocking a Knight check, so
the only other move is:
1. … Rxe5
2.Bf7+ Rxf7
3.Rd4+ Nxd4(only move)
4.Na5#
Taking the bishop at move 2 doesn’t
work so blocking the check is the
only other option. If the rook blocks
at e6 the bishop will take at e6 with
check and the other rook will have to
block at d5. It doesn’t matter which
rook blocks at d5 on move 2 as the
white rook will check on d4 forcing
the knight to take it(the rook is
pinned). Then the knight will mate
on a5:
2.Bf7+ Rd5(either rook)
3.Rd4+ Nxd4
4.Na5#