This was one of the puzzles in the 2011 SPWO Puzzle Solving Championship. It is white to move. How should white proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Wednesday chess tactic
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1. Qc5+ Bb5 2.Qb6+!! Nxb6 3.Bc3 Nb4 4.Bxb4 Checkmat
You can stumble your way through this one without seeing the ending. I just tried the most obvious moves to start and finally saw it:
1. Qc5 Bb5 (an only move)
2. Qb6 Nb6 (an only move)
And then the rest is easy to spot:
3. Bc3 Nb4 (an only move)
4. Bb4#
1.Qc5+ Bb5 2.Qb6+ Nxb6 3.Bc3#
A smothered mate — fun!
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+ Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4+ mate
1. Qc5+ Bb5 2. Qb6+ Nxb6 3. Bc3+ Nb4 4. Bxb4#
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+ Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4++
Q c5-b6
B c3-b4
1. Qc5+, Bb5 (forced)
2. Qb6+, Nxb6 (forced)
3. Bc3+, Nb4 (forced)
4. Bxb4#
The King corners itself and gets mated by a bishop
1.Qc5 Bb5
2.Qb6
Proka
Db6 jaque y Ac3 con mate.
Saludos desde España
Dc5 y Db6 para luego rematar con Ac3.
Saludos desde Barcelona-Spain
Xavi
The basic idea is to block black king’s movement by its own pieces through a series of checks and
sacrifices.
Qc5+ Bb5
Qb6+ Nxb6
Bc3+ Nb4
Bxb4#
Mate in 4:
1. Qc5+ Bb5 2. Qb6+ Nxb6 3. Bc3 Nb4 4. Bxb4#
Mate in 4
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+ Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4#
1 Qc5+ Bb5
2 Qb6+ Nxb6
3 Bc3+ Nb4
4 Bxb4 mate
It took me a while to see
1. Qc5+ .. Bb5
2. Qb6+ .. Nxb6
3. Bc3#
while
1. Qe1+ even loses after 1 .. Ncb4
ok, this is a checkmate in 4:
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+ Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4#
greets, jan
It’s mate in four moves.
Happy!
Took me less than a minute.
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+!! Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4#
Hope its right.
1. Qc5+ – Bb5
2. Qa6+ – Nxa6
3. Bc3+ – Nb4
4. Bxb4++
This is a pretty cool puzzle. White wins because Black’s pieces get in the way.
1.Qc5+ Bb5
2.Qb6+ Nb6
3.Bc3+ Nb4
4.Bb4#
Nice problem.
1Qc5+ Bb5
2Qb6+ Nxb6
3Bc3+ Nb4
4Nxb4#
Qc5 …
Qb6 …
Bc3 …
Bxb4 …
Mate in 4, all black moves are forced:
1. Qc5+ Bb5
2. Qb6+ Nxb6
3. Bc3+ Nb4
4. Bxb4#
This is probably wery difficult?
The only goodlooking line I was able to see so far, was
1. Qc2 Nb6(?) to prevent Qa4#
2. Bc3+ Kb5
3. Qb3+ Kc5
4. Qxe6 Rc7
5. Qxe3+
but some black move here may be whites wish.
I am uncertain about this line:
1. Qc2 Nxd4
2. Qxc8 Nb5+
3. Kb2
1. Qe1+ Kb5 2. Qxe2+ Ka5 3. Bxe3 Nxe3 4. Qxe3 Kb5 5. Qxe6
Then white should be easy to manage a win.
There is just something viscerally satisfying about this puzzle. The step-by-step elimination of escape squares, the slow smothering of the enemy monarch, and the final coup-de-grace.
First we check with the queen on the c5 square. The king can’t movwe away so the only move is to interpose the bishop at b5. Now the b5 square is eliminated as a possible flight square.
The next step is to sacrifice our regal beauty by checking on b6. She is supported by the bishop on d4 so the king can’t capture her or move away, so the only move is to capture with the knight on d5. This accomplishes two things; first, the Knight no longer covers the c3 square, and second, the knight sitting on b6 eliminates that square as an escape.
Now the black king is being suffocated by his own pieces: the pawn on a6, the knight on b6, and the bishop on b5! As I said earlier, the c3 square is now available for the bishop on d4 to administer a check.
The only move is for the knight on c6 to block by jumping to b4, but alas, it is not enough. The bishop takes the knight on b4 to deliver checkmate.
Here is the sequence:
1.Qc5+ Bb5
2.Qb6+ Nxb6
3.Bc3+ Nb4
4.Bxb4#
Thank you, Susan, that was really fun!
I forgot the interposition – though useless – of the knight, it’s a mate in 4 not 3.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,others had precisely given the correct combination of moves “Qc5” – nothing to add further
But just for change/fun,mate in three moves [Cool – Only If Black isn’t bright player ]
Example
=======
1.Bc5 Rb8
2.Qc2 Nb4
3.Qa4++ Mate – lol
White wins the game.[ But precise combination begins with “Bc5” ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]