White to move. Can you find the best continuation for White?
r1br1n1k/p1q3pp/1p2Qn1N/8/3P4/B1P5/P4PPP/R3R1K1 w – – 0 19
This was a recent game by IM Irina Krush.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Practical chess tactic
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Very nice — a good reminder that it is possible to be too fixated on one pattern (a smothered mate that isn’t there) and miss something else effective (though less spectacular) that really is there.
I
1.Qf7! Qf4!? (what else? 1…QxQ 2.NXQ+ Kg8 3.NxR wins; 1….Nf8d7 2.Re7 Rg8 3.QxR+ NxQ 4.Nf7#)
2.Bc1! wins.
Really good “concept” puzzle.
After 1. Qf7 Rd7 I don’t see anything all that great for white.
White is down material and can take a draw with 1. Nf7+ Kg8 2. Nh6+ etc. but that can’t be the answer.
After 1. Qf7 Rd7 I don’t see anything all that great for white.
2.Qxf8+ looks pretty promising.
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For those like me who didn’t see at first why
1. Qf7 Qf4
2. Bc1 wins, the black queen is has to stay on the f file or the 7th rank because if it moves elsewhere,
3. Qg8+ NxQ
4. Nf7#
Thus Bc1 leaves the black queen no good square, and black is forced to lose material with either
2. … Qxh6
3. Bxh6
or if
2. … Be6
3. BxQ BxQ
4. NxB+ Kg8
5. NxR
2. … Be6
3. RxB also looks good for white