Checkmate in 5

7 comments

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  Oleg Mezjuev says:

  January 15, 2015 at 4:11 am

  1. … Ng4 2. fxg4 Ne3 3. Rxf8+ Rxf8 4. Nxe3 (4. Rf2 Rxf2 5. Nxe3 [5.Bxf2 Qxg2#] Qxh2#) Rf1+ 5. Nxf1 Qxf1#

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  CraigB says:

  January 15, 2015 at 5:50 am

  1…. Ng4 threatens Q:h2#, and 2. Bg3 is not an option due to …N:g3+ and mate next. Whiten is therefore forced to play

  2. fg Ne3 threatens Q:g2# (among other things)

  3. R:f8+ R:f8 white buys time

  4. N:e3 Rf1+

  5. N:f1 Q:f1#

  It just sort of plays itself once you see 1….Ng4.

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  Anonymous says:

  January 15, 2015 at 7:10 am

  It all starts with Ng4! Threatening mate on h2. So, forced: fxg4, now Ne3, threatening mate on g2. The open f-line could give white an extra move, but since black recaptures with a rook and the white Bishop is blocking the white second rook, it only makes things worse. No matter what white does, with the f-file open it will only take 3 more moves to mate.

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  Anonymous says:

  January 15, 2015 at 7:22 am

  Cute Key line

  Ng4 g4
  Ne3 Rg1
  Nf1 Bg3
  Ng3

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  pht says:

  January 15, 2015 at 10:56 am

  Marvellous puzzle!
  Opening f file seems to be a theme:

  1. Ng4! fxg4 (only against Qxh2#)
  2. Ne3!

  Double threat Qxg2# and Rxf1# (Nxc2 is of less interest here).

  Decisive is that white never gets tempo to move his Be1 to get help from Rc1!
  Or play e pawn to get help from Q.

  A)
  2. … Rxf8+ (Nxe3 Rxf1+ is 1 move shorter)
  3. Rxf8 (double threat remains) Nxe3 (only against both)
  4. Rf1+ Nxf1
  5. Qxf1#

  B)
  2. … Rg1
  3. Ng4! any
  4. Qxh2#

  C)
  2. … Rf2
  3. Rxf2! Nxe3 (Bxf2 Qxg2#)
  4. Qxh2#

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  Anonymous says:

  January 15, 2015 at 11:07 am

  Ng4 followed by Ne3

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  likely says:

  January 15, 2015 at 11:30 am

  we might want to clear the f-file to bring in our rooks against the disconnected white ones. Nf6-g4 as well as Nf5-e3 and Nf5-h4 could help clear the file with tempo threatening mate on h7/g7. Nf5-h4 can be dismissed, because Be1xh4 would solve all white’s problems stopping mate and connecting rooks. Nf6-g4 only forces fxg4 if the remaining knight is still on f5 hitting g3. So the clearance would follow the move order 1… Nf6-g4 2.fxg4 Nf5-e3 double mate threat, 3.Rxf8 Rxf8 still double mate threat 4.Nxe3 Rf1+ 5.Nxf1 Qxf1#