Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #183

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

Bonč-Osmolovski v Baranov, Moscow 1953

You immediately ‘know’ that the solution is 1 Qd8+!, but how to win after 1…Kd8? It isn’t too hard to dismiss 2 Nc6+, so 2 Ne6+ Ke7 and then what?

After some thought I found the solution: 3 Bg5+ f6[] 4 Nd8+! and mates; the Nd8+ move is unusual.   My engine tells me that 3 Nc7 also wins, though does not mate.

If Black plays instead 2…Ne8 then 3 Nc7+ Ke7[] 4 Bg5 mate.

My engine also tells me that 1 Ne6 wins easily, too, as is ‘obvious’ by inspection: but it is less forcing (though mate in 13, apparently).

4kb1r/pp3ppp/q3b3/6Q1/1n1N4/4B3/PPP2PPP/2KRR3 w k – 0 1