You are a clever bunch! It didn’t take long for the double-header from last week to be solved, despite the apparent “fiendishness” of the second one. Props to the following individuals:
Adam Cranston – puzzle 2
John White – puzzle 1
For the first puzzle, as Black is threatening mate in one, White has to keep giving check. The theme is smothered mate:
1. Be4+, Rb7
2. Qb8!+, Rxb8
3. Rxa7+ Bxa7,
4. Nc7#
The pin established with the first move means the Knight can’t be taken. This is a very old composition, by the Syrian Phillip Stamma, first published in his “Essai sur le jeu des echecs”, 1737! Later translated into English as “The Noble Game of Chess”.
Puzzle 2 – quite simple:
1. Qxh2+ Kxh2
2. Rh7+ Qh5
3. Rxh5#
A bit of drama with a Queen sacrifice, but mate is then unavoidable.
So to this week’s puzzle – quite a good one, if I say so myself.
White has just played Rh2-h3 with the plan Rg3 followed by Bxh6. Why was that a bad idea? Black to move and win!
Same as usual – solutions in the comments please! Good luck!
Like the idea of R x f3, white moves, Nb4 with threat of mate on c2. any pawn takes N, followed by Ba4 renewing the threat. Just first thought not checked through though
Very nice John, with the knight of course being the only piece that could have defended the c2 square. I think the only way white can stop black landing the mating net is Rg3 which costs him a piece.
1…Rxf3 2.gxf(Adam is right 2.Rg3 or 2.Qh5 stop mate but white is piece down) 2…Nb4 3.axb4 (cxb4 is the same) Ba4 4.Kb1 Qxc2+ 5.Ka1 Bb3 with Qa2# to follow
a small detail i discovered… instead of 4.Kb1 the move 4.Qe4 stops mate but then 5.dxe and Black has a Queen for rook. Now lets go back a few steps if white took 2.Rxf3 instead of 2.gxf3 there is no way to block the h7-b1 diagonal and mate cant be stoped. Its irrelevant to the outcome of the game but its there :)))