nice combination

White to move.

(From Bogdan Sliwa vs Gosta Stoltz, Bucharest, 1953)

QxB and the pawn gets home

And what happens next? 🙂

edit: Oh, what happens next isn't forced... But it's nice nevertheless... 🙂

edit: OK, the point is what happens after QxB PxQ and then b7 and Qd8. Sorry, I thought it was a good puzzle, but it apparently isn't.

It is good. A lot better than people may think.


Black is threatening 1...Rd1+ and 2...Qxg2 mate.

Playing 1.Qxc6 and b7 is easy to see but how easy was it to see till the end
There is a Yo Ho McNasty in there for Black and you have to spot that too.

Exactly! 🙂 But Black doesn't have to play Qd8... Does he?

Originally posted by WanderingKing
Exactly! 🙂 But Black doesn't have to play Qd8... Does he?

I think he does because he needs to be able to capture the b7 pawn after it queens. Moving the rook just ensures white of a quick checkmate. Black's only other option is to make an escape square for his king to move after the coming check. On second thought that might be his best option for prolonging the game.

Black could give his king a flight square by moving a pawn.

Originally posted by WanderingKing
Black could give his king a flight square by moving a pawn.

Wes, you are right. That is the best chance he has.

I can't spell "yes" tonight. Wes is probably short for Westley. I didn't guess your name did I?

Originally posted by greenpawn34
It is good. A lot better than people may think.

[fen]6k1/1p3ppp/1PbNp3/3rP1q1/2Q5/8/5PPP/1R4K1 w - - 2 33 [/fen]
Black is threatening 1...Rd1+ and 2...Qxg2 mate.

Playing 1.Qxc6 and b7 is easy to see but how easy was it to see till the end
There is a Yo Ho McNasty in there for Black and you have to spot that too.

[pgn]
[FEN "6k1/1p3ppp/1PbNp3/ he Black Queen or mates. If 5...c5 6.Rd8+ Qxd8 7.Nxd8 c4 the Knight does halt the pawn.}[/pgn]

Still seems avoidable:

Still, it is indeed a nice combination.

It was hard to imagine that back-rank mate was a part of the puzzle.

Originally posted by vivify
Still seems avoidable:

[pgn][Date "????.??.??"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "6k1/1p3ppp/1PbNp3/3rP1q1/2Q5/8/5PPP/1R4K1 w K - 0 1"]

1.Qxc6 bxc6 2.b7 Qd8 3.b8=Q Qf8 {Black is still down in material, yes; but still a ways to go before the game's over.}
*[/pgn]

Mind you I'm not very good, but after Queen takes Queen, King takes Queen, doesn't white moving f4 make his position winning?

Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Mind you I'm not very good, but after Queen takes Queen, King takes Queen, doesn't white moving f4 make his position winning?

Yes, that looks good to me.