White to move. How should White proceed?
1kn4r/p1R5/2Pn4/2N5/bN1p4/6p1/5p1r/5K2 w – – 0 1
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Cute, although relatively obvious since White can’t afford to stop checking.
1. Rb7 Nxb7
2. Nba6+ Ka8
3. cxb7 mate
or
1. Rb7 Ka8
2. Rb8+! Kxb8
3. Nba6+ Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Nca6 mate
Of course, 3. Nca6+ Ka8 4. Nc7+ Kb8 5. Nba6 mate works as well.
Oh, this is a fun one, and I got it in 5 seconds, and then spent a minute double-checking all the variations.
I noticed that if we could just make the white rook vanish, there is a cute mate with the knights: Nb4-a6+, Ka8; Nc7+, Kb8; Nc5-a6++.
So the trick is to get rid of the rook with tempo (all checks) without changing the position. And the simple Rb7+! does the trick. If …Nxb7, then mate with the knight moves above. If instead …Ka8, then Rb8+! forcing KxB8 and now you have the original position without the rook, and white mates with the knights as explained above.
how is this:
1. Rb7+
if 1. … Nxb7, 2. N(b)a6+ Ka8 [forced], 3. cb#.
else if 1. … Ka8, 2. Rb8+ Kxb8 [forced], 3. N(b)a6+ Ka8 [forced], 4. Nc7+ Kb8 [forced], 5. N(4)a6#.
[note: 3. N(b)a6+ could also be N(c)a6+. if so, then 5. N(b)a6#.]
did i cover all the bases?
william
I love these beautiful mates:
1.Rb7+ Ka8
2.Rb8+! Kxb8
3.Nba6+ Ka8
4.Nc7+ Kb8
5.N5a6#
or
1.Rb7+ Nxb7
2.Nba6+ Ka8
3.Nc7+ Kb8
4.N5a6#
Fairly straightforward:
1. Rb7+ Ka8 (1. … Nxb7 2. Nba6# Na8 3. cxb7#)
2. Rb8+! Kxb8
3. Nca6+ Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Nba6#
the tricky bit is on the second move:
1. Rb7+ Ka8
2. Rb8+!! Kxb8
3. Nba6+ Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. N5a6#
But this cannot be a real game, but perhaps a very ancien problem given that it’s first move is a check.
Tommy K. says:
White will have to force mate with
a series of checks, otherwise Black
will turn the tide by Rh1+ followed
by f1=Q+ and mate soon after. So:
1.Rb7+ Nxb7
2.Nba6+ Ka8
3.cxb7#
1…Ka8
2.Rb8+ Kxb8
3.Nba6+ Ka8
4.Nc7+ Kb8
5.N5a6#
1. Rb7# Ka8 (1. … Nxb7 2. N(5)a6+ Ka8 3. Nc7+ Kb8 4. N(4)a6#)
2. Rb8+ Kxb8
3. N(5)a6+ Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. N(4)a6#
Rb7+, Rb8+, knights on c7 and a6.
1 Rb7 + Ka8! 2 Rb8+! Kxb8
3 Nca6+ Ka8 4 Nc7+ Kb8 5 Nba6X
Olimat
Well, if one of the knights is at a6 and the other one at c7 then is a checkmate… how to get to this position?
I see
Rb7+ Ka8 (if Nxb7 then Nba6+ Ka8 and cxb7#)
Rb8+ Kxb8
Nba6+ Ka8
Nc7+ Kb8
Nca6#
The attack starting with Rh1 means that white must check the king with his first moves. Nd7 doesn’t seem useful since the king just takes the rook, nor does Rc8 since black again just takes the rook and I don’t see any compensation at all. Of the two possible Na6 moves, one should favor Nba6 since you might want to retain the possibility of Nd7, but what does white do after Ka8? Nothing that I can see. This leaves only
1. Rb7 Ka8 (Nb7 2.Nba6 Ka8 3.cb7#)
And this is the part that took me a few minutes of trial and error to see worked:
2. Rb8! Kb8
3. Nba6 Ka8
4. Nc7 Kb8
5. N5a6#
Very pretty final position.
Rb7+ Ka8
Rb8+ KxR
Na6+ Ka8
Nc7+ Kb8
N not on c7 to a6 mate
i think the solution is 1. Rg7+ Kh8 (1. – Nxg7 2. Ngh6+ Kh8 3. fxg7#) 2. Rg8+ Kxg8 3. Ngh6+ Kh8 4. Nf7+ Kg8 5. N5h6#
1.Rb7+…Ka8 (if…Nxb7 then 2.N4a6+…Ka8 3.cxb7 mate)
2.Rb8+…Kxb8
3.N4a6+…Ka8
4.Nc7+…Kb8
5.N5a6 mate
there are two possible continuations to force mate
1.Rb7+Nxb7 2.Nba6+Ka8 3.cxb7#
the second is a little longer
1.Rb7+Ka8 2.Rb8+Kxb8 3.Nba6+Ka8
4.Nc7+Kb8 5.Na5#
1. Rb7+ NxR
2. Na6+ Ka8
3. cxb#
Mark
Another game where the pattern is; each move must lead to another check or all is lost, but at least when another check cannot be found we know to back up and try again, and usually there is a major sacrifice involved. In this case,
1. Rb7, Ka8
2, Rb8, Kxb8
3. Nca6, Ka8
4. Nc7, Kb8
5. Nba6 for the mate.
This simple puzzle took a lot of time to solve but the learning experience, from working the Knights that way, was very rewarding! Thank you Susan!
Hello
1. Rb7+ , Ka8 ( if Nxb7 2. Nba6+ , Ka8 3. cxb7# )
2. Rb8+ , Kxb8
3. Nba6+, Ka8
4. Nc7+ , Kb8
5. Nca6#
Greetings from Spain
Rb7 ka8
Rb8 Kb8
Na6 (any) Ka8
Nc7 Kb8
Na6#(other)
I will try …
1. Rb7+ Nxb7
2. Nba6+ Ka8
3. Nc7+ Kb8
4. Nca6#
William
Rb7+ 1-0
or …
1. Rb7+ Ka8
2. Rb8+ Kxb8
3. Nba6+ Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Nca6#
William