A beauty in chess

An interesting example of chess beauty

I like problem 536 of CT-art

Black has a mate in one threat. A torpedo aimed at f1. In game term terminolgy one would ask himself? How to break this attack.

As white you have many options: good ones, less good ones and bad ones.

1. directly defend the f1 square with an extra piece without loosing material.
2. alleviate the mate threat by freeing the king position.
3. Capturing or trading down a piece of the torpedo without loosing material .
4. Counterattack
5. Disrupting the torpedo along the f-file by disconnecting temporarly the opponent pieces.

Option number 1: white has Qe2 or Qe1 which highly likely will lead to a trade down of the queens.

Option number 2: there is no good solution. Playing h3 or h4 lead to the loss of the rook

Option number 3: capturing a rook with a queen does not lead to a viable solution

Option number 4: Counterattack.

The counter-attack must be forcing enough to break black's mate in one on his next move meaning you have a mate threat in one yourself or you have a sequences of checks against the king leading to mate (aiming at the king) or eyeing the torpeado. If you eye the torpedo you want to keep the material balance at least at level. other possibility inducing a perputual check.

Option number 5: Rf3 will lead also to the loss of the bishop.

So there is only option 4, and option 1 left.

Option 1 is a very natural response.

Option 4 is not that easy to find under OTB conditions. One is puffing smoke in your face, zipping his beer and burbing just to show how satisfied he is with his position.

1.Rc8+

[1.Rf3 Rxf3 2.gxf3 Qxf3+ –+; 1.h3; 1.Rxg7+ Kxg7 2.Qg5+ Kf8!; 1.Bh7+ Kh8 2.Rc8+ Bxc8 3.Qe8+ (-+); 1.Bh7+ Kxh7 2.Qh5+ Rh6]

1...Rf8

[1...Rf8 2.Qxg7#; 1...Bxc8 2.Qe8+ Rf8 3.Rxg7+ Kxg7 (3...Kh8 4.Rh7+ Kg8 5.Qg6#) 4.Qg6+ Kh8 5.Qh7#; 1...Kf7 2.Qc7+ Bd7 3.Qxd7#]

In red you have CT-art's solution, In blue the correct answer to 1...Rf8 But what happens if you have chosen to feast on the bishop first.

2.Qxe6+!? R4f7 [2...Kh8 3.Rxf8+ (3.Rh3+ Qh4 4.Rxf8+ Rxf8 5.Rxh4#; 3.Rh3+ Rh4 (diagram) 4.Rxf8+ Qxf8 5.Rxh4#; 3...Rxf8 4.Rh3+ Qh4 5.Rxh4#] 3.Rxg7+ Kxg7 4.Qg6+ Kh8 5.Rxf8+ [5.Qh6+ Kg8 6.Rxf8+ Rxf8 7.Qh7#] 5...Rxf8 6.Qh7# 1–0

I have chosen this variation as it is a pure material variation which leads also to mate. I like the pins involved and how they are exploited to induce mate

(diagram)