Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #404(2)

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

In yesterday’s puzzle, what did both players miss?

Sveshnikov v Sushchikh, USSR 1975

Solution

The moves given yesterday were

1 Qc4 Nc4

2 Rff7+ Ke8

3 Re7+ Kd8

4 Rd7+ Ke8

5 Nc4 Be5

6 Ne5 de 7 Rb7 Qd6 8 a6 etc 1-0

A really astute reader (such as my friend Komodo, in my case) will note that 5 Nc4?? threw all the advantage away: the engine switches from +3 to 0.0 instantly. 5…Qc8!

The point is that Black’s queen gets to either a6 or e6 next move, after which either mate on e2 or entry on e4 is threatened. White has to suffice with perpetual check.

Instead, 5 Nd5!! is Komodo’s only winning move.

As soon as you see it (as soon as the engine pings) you see why: Nf6+ and Rf7 mate follows): but so unnatural not to take the N.

Chess is a hard game.

FEN

1q5r/4kpR1/1N1p4/P3nR1p/2b1P3/1QP2p2/1P3P1b/4K3 w – – 0 35   (original diagram)

2q1k2r/3R2R1/3p4/P6p/2N1P3/2P2p2/1P3P1b/4K3 w – – 0 40 (after 5…Qc8)