Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #283

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

White to play and mate Black (cooked: try to see the defence)

Sergijevski v Krimer, Riga 1964

Solution

The first cooked position in the book, if I recall correctly.

1 Qg4 is given as the solution, but 1..Qc2 defends- and wins: 2 Qg5 Qf5 is check, and so Black is safe.

I tried 1 h6, met with by 1..g6, 2 Qh5, and also couldn’t break 2…Qc2: eventually I gave up, and checked with Komodo.

FEN

3r1b1k/2q2pp1/pp2pN2/4P2P/P2r1P1P/1p2RQ1K/2P5/6R1 w – – 0 1