Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #17

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Black to play and win

Mayet v Zuckertort, Berlin 1868

Solution

The first move I thought of wins prosaically enough: 1… Ne2+, winning the LPDO Nc3, since if 2 Ne2 Re1+ mates.

But just as instantaneously, I knew ‘the move’ had to be 1…Qd6, and sure enough, this was the move Black played, met by 2 Ba3.

Then 2…Qd3 enters decisively, and in the game, led to a ptetty mate after 3 Nd5 Qf1+! and smothered mate follows with Ne2 mate.