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1. Ng6+ hg6
2. Rh3+ Kg7
3. Qg6++
1. Ng6+ hg6
2. Rh3+ Kg7
3. Qg6++
1. Ng6+ hg6
2. Rh3+ Kg7
3. Qg6++
First move is obvious:
1. Nxg6+ hxg6? (better alternative below)
2. Rh3+ Qh7 (Kg7 Qxg6#)
3. Rxh7+ Kxh7
4. Qxg6+ Kh8
5. Qh7#
1. … Kg7 (best move)
Now whites plan to capture queen is obvious, but I find the outcome of this stupid line unclear:
2. Ne7+?? Kh8
3. Nxg8 (what else?) cxd3!
4. h3 (otherwise Rb1#) Rb1+
5. Kh2 Rxg8! (Rxf3? Nf6!! Rxf6 (enforced) exf6 white wins)
6. Qf4
To me black looks better here.
The correct solution of course has to be:
1. Nxg6+ Kg7
2. Nxf8+!! Kh8
3. Ng6+ hxg6 (Kg7 Ne7+ (“mill”) Kh8 (Kh6 Rh3#) Qxg8# was the point here)
4. Rh3+ Qh7
5. Rxh7+ Kxh7
6. Qxg6+ Kh8
7. Qh7#
I think it is enforced mate in 7.
Nice puzzle!
With an obvious first move, the actual solution was to find 2. Nxf8 with the mill theme.
1. Ng6+ hg6
2. Rh3+ Kg7
3. Qg6++
Nxg6+
1. Ng6+ hg6
2. Rh3+ Kg7
3. Qg6++
Reader pht has a good 2nd move idea in reply to the defense 1…Kg7 with 2)Nxf8+ instead of Ne7. But no one is considering the attempt at a defense with 1…Qxg6!?
I can’t give a reasonably thorough response right now but the potential mate with the R at b2 coupled with the passed pawns make this line less clear to me even with Black giving up his queen. An example:
1)Ng6+ Qxg6
2)Rxf8 Kg7
3)Bxg6 … the interpolation 3.Rg8+ might be important here
3)… hxg6 White has to give back the Rook at least because of the mate threat …Rb1
– Craigaroo
What is this?
Where are you all?
The anonymous commenter (Craigaroo) is correct as far as I can tell- 1. …Qg6 is the best defense, but I disagree with 2. Rxf8 even though I think white’s edge is decisive there, too:
1. Ng6 Qg6 (mates otherwise?)
2. Bg6 Rf3
3. Qf3 hg6
And all of this has been pretty much forced to this point, but now white has to deal with Rb1, so…
4. h4!
And black is in a kind of zugzwang sort of position- the rook can’t leave the back rank without losing the bishop or the e6 pawn. Let’s consider what might happen if black moves a pawn:
4. …..d4
5. Qf8 Kh7
6. Qe7 Kh6 (Kg8/h8 7.Qd8)
7. Qd8!
Attacking both the d4 pawn and threatening Qh8#. The king can’t move to h5 because of Qg5#, and can’t move to g7/h7 because of Qc7+ followed by Qxb8. Continuing:
7. …..g5 (Rb1 8.Kh2 Kg7 9.Qc8)
8. Qh8 Kg6
9. Qg8 Kf5 (Kh6 10.h5)
10.Qf7 and black will lose his rook to a skewer or get mated.
I took a look at the defenses after 4. …Ba6, but realized after a few minutes that being thorough would require more time than I have at the moment. Not really sure how white should proceed in that line. I think it is decisive, but there are some pitfalls if black is able to advance that c-pawn far enough.
Yancey, Isn’t 4 Qh5 more precise?
You are going to have to outline exactly what you have in mind. The line I see has a black pawn at g6 covering h5 when white makes the 4th move.