How good is your calculation?

Logic Level 3

White to move. Assuming optimal play, what is the strongest move for white for a mate in two moves.

Rxd7+ \text{Rxd7+} Qxd7+ \text{Qxd7+} Bg8+ \text{Bg8+} Qa4 \text{Qa4} Qa2 \text{Qa2}

A Former Brilliant Member by A Former Brilliant Member

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

1 solution

Francis Kong
Nov 8, 2017

Best is 1. Qa4 , threatening 2. Qxc4#. Black can try to avoid that by:

  • Moving the King to e4 but it runs into 2. Rxe5# (Bishop on B2 protects the rook from capture)
  • Moving the King to c5 but it runs into 2. Qa5# (Knight is pinned by the Rook on c1)
  • Moving the Knight on c4 to d6 but it runs into 2. Nc7#
  • Moving the Knight on c4 to other squares but it runs into 2. Bg8#
  • Moving the pawn on c6 forward to give escape square for the King, but that runs into 2. Qa8#
  • All other moves leads to Qxc4#.

To show that other moves don't work...

Move Black's response to avoid mate next move One of the variation for optimal continuation Mate in number of moves
1. Bg8+ Ke4 2. Qd4+ Kf5 3. Qg4# 3
1. Rxd7+ Ke6 2. Bxg6 d2 3. Rxd2 Nxd2 4. Qf7# 4
1. Qa2 Ke4 2. Qxc4+ Ke3 3. Qc5+ Ke2 4. Qf2# 4
1. Qxd7+ Kc5 2. Qa7+ Kd5 3. Qa4 (continuing as 1. Qa4 as seen in solution above) 4
0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...