Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #131

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

Black to play and mate White

Kotov v Bondarevsky, Leningrad 136

Solution

I find such positions, where the pieces are all tangled and confused, difficult. Therefore, mainly by elimination, looking at all other moves (mainly captures and checks) I found the correct move 1…f4! when 2 Nf4 is forced, letting the Queen in, 2….Qf2+ when White again has a forced reply, 3 Kd3.

I then found the prosaic, and winning, 3…Ne5+ 4 Be5[] Be5[] , and also noted that 3…Ndc5+ 4 Bc5[] Bc5 is overwhelming, but the move I missed is 3…Qd4+! and mates: 4 Kd4[]

4…Bc5+ 5 Kd3 Ne5 mate.

FEN

r1b3k1/pp1n3p/2pbp3/3pNpP1/2PBn2q/1P1NKP2/P1Q1P1B1/R5R1 b – – 0 1