Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #270

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

White to play and mate Black

Mosionzhik v Listengarten, Moscow 1963

Solution

My engine gives 1 Rf1 as mate in 9, and you can see why “bringing more pieces to the party” is sensible, but some of the engine’s lines are hard to see: 1…Nd4 2 Ng7+! Bg7[] 3 Rf8+!! and 4 Qh5+).

The move I found, and the fame contination, was 1 Ng7+ Bg7[] and here I played 2 Rg7, threatening 3 Qh5+, and Komodo says my line is mate in 16, whilst the game continuation, 2 Qh5, is merely +14. I don’t think it matters: White’s position is overwhelming.

FEN

r1b1k2r/3p1R2/p1nq3p/1p1pb2N/4P2B/5Q2/PPP3P1/R6K w – – 0 21