Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #264

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

White to play and mate Black

Kholmov v Bannik, Minsk 1962

Solution

A gruesome finish, and one which it is just about possible to see as a puzzle, but I am not sure if I would have had the guts to play the line in a game, since there are lots of lines.

1 Be6! (my engine says 1 Bh6, 1Bg5 and 1 Qf2 are also winning- 1 Bg5 being the flashiest- 1…Bg5 2 Be6) 1…Kg7 2 Bh6+ (engine says 2 Nf5+ is +- too); 3 Nf5+ 4 Qd2+ or 4 Rh3+.

FEN

r1q1r1k1/3npp2/bp1p1bp1/p2P4/P1PN2B1/2R1B3/1PQ3PP/5R1K w – – 0 24