White to move and checkmate in 5.
2k1q3/p2r1p2/P7/Q6B/8/Kp2r3/8/6R1 w – – 0 1
Duras, 1903
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Checkmate in 5
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White to move and checkmate in 5.
2k1q3/p2r1p2/P7/Q6B/8/Kp2r3/8/6R1 w – – 0 1
Duras, 1903
This is what I think should be the line.
1 Rc1+ Rc3
2 Rxc3+ Kb8 (.. Rc7 3. Qxc7#)
3 Qb4+ Rb7
4 Qxb7#
Unless I missed something completely.
The best I could find was mate in 6.
1.Rc1+ Kb8 2.Qb4+ Ka8 3.Bf3+ Rxf3 4.Qe4+ Kb8 5.Qxe8+ Rd8 6.Qxd8#
I have a mate in 6!
1.Rc1+..Kb8
2.Qb4+..Ka8
3.Bf3+..Rxf3
4.Qe4+..Kb8
5.Qxe8+.Rd8
6.Qxd8#
This is a difficult puzzle!
1. Rc1+ Kb8 (Rc3 Rxc3+ should make it easier for white, nothing against a later Bf3+ then)
2. Qb4+
Here I first tried Qb5+ but came nowhere.
2. … Ka1
3. Bf3+ Rxf3
4. Qe4+ Qxe4 (Rb7 Qxb7#)
5. Rc8#
This is the best line I found, with the basic idea of deflecting black queen when king is in the corner. But it doesn’t look like mate in 5 though, if black instead of defending himself wants to sack as much material as possible. E.g.:
4. … Kb8
5. Qxe8+ Rd8
6. Qxd8#
Or several other lines like this.
It looks like I have missed something.
It is a mistake- the shortest mate is in 6 moves. An old puzzle that has been posted on this site at least twice before. In my notes, I mentioned that Yet Another Chess Problem Database’s offered solution shows mate in 5, but only if Black cooperates.
The sting in the tail is that this composition is a study and not a problem. Therefore, in the main line, Black tries to avoid to be in material deficit.
To be more specific, 4.Qe4+ is answered here by 4…Qxe4 and neither by 4…Kb8 nor by 4…Rd5 which allow both a delayed checkmate but with no aesthetic value at all.
Source : Duras, Bohemia, 1903, White plays and wins.