another position

Here another position showing that grandmasters, yes
worldchampions can oversee easy moves:

Lundin - Smyslov. Groningen 1946

FEN: 7k/4p2p/2p2p2/8/5P2/1P2Pq1n/P2r2RP/2R2Q1K 0 1

black to play. Smyslov did not make the right move and the game
was drawn. Which is the simple, right move?

Years before, the same position with reversed colors appeared in a
game Tchigorin - Rubinstein. Ostende 1906. Rubinstein found the
right move.

Gil.

Does the right move lead to a quick checkmate? The best I can find is
one where black ends up ahead (Q+N vs R+R) and would go on to win,
but not immediately...only after quite a few more moves.

Mark
The Squirrel Lover

no quick checkmate, Mark, but immediate win at that level. See
Michaels answer.

The Tjigorin - Rubinstein game went as follows:

FEN: 2r2q1k/3R2rp/p3pQ1N/1p3p2/8/2P2P2/4P2P/7K 0 1

Tsjigorin played Rf7. Rubinstein immediately resigned for exactly the
same reasons as the other game.

Gil.

I'm guessing
....Rf2
white seems stuck with trading queen for rook at that point.
Whatever white does, it doesn't bode well.

Cool position!

correct! Rf2 and white has nothing better than QxRf2, NxQf2+ and
the game goes on, but with a queen against a rook.

if Qg1 then Nxg1 of course , even worse

other moves lead to forced checkmate Rxf1+ etc. .

Smyslof didn't see this (quite simple) move and played for draw by
perpetual check: 1. ... Ng2+ 2. Kg1 Nh3+ etc...


Gil.