Stop the a-pawn.

Hi

Composed for your enjoyment by Leonid Kubbel in 1922
White to play and win.


Though two pieces down Black has a runner is the shape of the a-pawn
which is just two moves from it's coronation.
Your task is stop the a-pawn or.....(I'll let you figure out what the alternative is.)
In the very next post I'll post the solution.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
[pgn]
[FEN "1N6/8/K7/3k4/3p3B/p7/2PP4/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Nc6 {That stops the a-pawn. 1...a2 2.Nb4+} 1... Kxc6 2. Bf6 {This also prevents the a-pawn from advancing. 2...a2 3.Bxd4.} 2... Kd5 {Now what?} 3. d3 {This encourages the a-pwn to advance. 3...Kc5 then 4.Be7+ and Bxa3.} 3... a2 4. c4+ {Of course if now 4....dxc3 ep then 5.Bxc3 stopping the a-pawn ...[text shortened]... ing. The King moves so it does not promote with a check.} 5... a1=Q 6. Be7# {Checkmate!}[/pgn]

That rocks my world. A thing of beauty.

I was trying to make that mate work without the knight sacrifice. The sac gives you the needed tempo. Cool!

Awesome. Thats a smile for weeks