Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #124

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

White to play and mate Black

Burzlaff v Hiller, Leipzig 1934

Solution

1 Qh8+ Kf7[] is obvious, but then 2 Qh7+? permits 2…Kf6, and Black wins. So what next? I don’t know the name of the technique, but 2 Re7+! is the key:

Then when 2…Ne7[] happens, the N is no longer defending e7, but occupies it, so that it can be captured, with mate, after 3 Qh7+ Kf6 (or 3…Ke8) 4 Qe7 mate.

Nice.

FEN

2n2rk1/p4N2/1pN2Qp1/2pP1b1p/2P5/8/P2q1PPP/4R1K1 w – – 0 1