White to move. How should white proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Wednesday chess tactic review
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White to move. How should white proceed?
Nf5+. If Kg8, Nh6+; if g6xN, now white’s pawn can move with discovered check. Looks like mate all around.
Oops, I meant e6xN.
1. Nf5+ exf5 (otherwise mate)
2. e6+ and mate cannot be avoided
Nf5, then after exf5, e6+, Kg8, Qg6+, Bg7, Qxg7#. Or the king could do Kh7, then simply Qf7+, Bg7, Qxg7#.
1. Nf5+
If 1. … Kh7 or Kg8,
2. Qg6+ Bg7
3. Qxg7#
If 1. … exf5,
2. e6+
If 2. Ne5 or Nf6, 3. Qf7#
If 2. … Kh7 or Kg8,
3. Qg6+ Bg7
4. Qxg7#
obviously Nf5 !! and it’s over for Black.
Nf5+ exf
e5+ Nf6 or Rxa1
Qf7#
Nf5+ Kg8
Qg6+ and mate to follow
Nf5+ Kh7
Qf7+ and mate to follow
Nf5+
The f5-square is where Whitehorse performs the dance of sacrifice.
1. Nf5+
The f7- and g6-squares are protected only by the Black king, and White can take full advantage of this. In these variations, when the Black king goes to h7-square, then the White queen goes to f7. When the Black king goes to g8-square, the White queen goes to g6.
1. ..exf5
(1. .. Kg8 2. Qg6+ Bg7 3. Qxg7#)
(1. .. Kh7 2. Qf7+ Bg7 3. Qxg7#)
2. e6+ Rxa1
(2. .. Kg8 3. Qg6+ Bg7 4. Qxg7#)
(2. .. Kh7 3. Qf7+ Bg7 4. Qxg7#)
(2. .. Nf6 3. Qf7#)
(2. .. Ne5 3. Bxe5+ Kg8 (3. .. Kh7 4. Qf7+ Bg7 5. Qxg7#) 4. Qg6+ Bg7 5. Qxg7#)
3. Qf7#
Lucymarie Ruth
Nf5+
If pxf5 then pe6+
King either to g8 or h7 (Ne5 only delays the mate by one move),
followed by mate from Queen on g6 or f7 (Bishop moving to g7 leads directly to mate).
If King moves to either g8 or h7, then White has a similar mate to above, with the Queen moving to either g6 or f7, followed by mate.
1. Nf5+ exf5
2. e6+ Rxa1
3. Qf7#
2. … Kh7
3. Qf7+ Bg7
4. Qxg7#
1. … Kg8
2. Qg6+ Bg7
3. Qxg7#
1. … Kh7
2. Qf7+ Bg7
3. Qxg7#
The combination starts with the knight check on f5. If the king moves to the h-file, the queen will check on f6, then mate on g7 by taking the interposed bishop. Nearly the same if the king moves to g8. The queen checks on g6, then mates the same way. If black takes the knight, then e6 exposes the king to check by the bishop on a1 and supports the f7 square. The queen will now mate on f7 or g7 if black tries to extend his survival by one move.
1.Nf5+ Kh7
2.Qf7+ Bg7
3.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ Kg8
2.Qg6+ Bg7
3.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ any non-king move
3.Qf7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Kh7
3.Qf6+ Bg7
4.Qxg7#
1.Nf5+ exf5
2.e6+ Kh7
3.Qf7+ Bg7
4.Qxg7#
If 2…Kg8
3.Qg6+ Bg7
4.Qxg7#
Nf5 almost plays itself. Forces black to move the e6 pawn. The tricky part is seeing that white’s second move works because the queen still infiltrates at f7 to mate because the e-pawn protects her:
1. Nf5 ef5
If Kh7, white plays 2.Qf7 followed b by Qxg7#, and if black tries Kg8, white plays 2.Qg6 followed again by Qxg7#. Continuing:
2. e6! Kh7 (else, Qf7 mates)
3. Qf7 Bg7
4. Qg7#
1. Nf5+
if 1…Kg8 then 2. Qg6+ followed by mate on g7.
if 1…Kh7 then 2. Qf7+ followed by mate on g7.
if 1…exf5 then
2. e6 (discovered check) Nf6
3. Qf7#
Nf5
Nf5
There was a typo on the last variation of my previous post. It should say 3.Qf7+. 🙂
As I stated, after sacrificing the knight on f5 and moving the pawn to e6 with discovered check, black has four interpositions (d4, b2, Nf6, & Ne5) to block the check and the rook capture at a1. The answer to all of these moves is Qf7#. 2….Ne5 looks like it covers the mating square f7, but the knight is pinned by the a1 bishop so Qf7 is still mate