Fred Reinfeld’s classic 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate has been re-issued in algebraic notation. Edited by Bruce Alberston, it has some dandy tactical challenges. Today’s offering seems to give you all sorts of ways to mate White as the White king is so exposed. It’s a forced mate!

There is a dazzling start to this mating attack. Can you imagine figuring this out over the board? 1...Rxa2+!! 2.Kg3 [ Very quick mate would come from taking the rook: 2.Rxa2 Qe3+ 3.Kf1 Qe1#] 2...Qe3+ 3.Kh4 Re4+ 4.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 5.Kh3 Qxg2+ 6.Kh4 Qe4+ 7.Kh3 Qf3+ 8.Kh4 Rxh2+ 9.Kg5 Rh5# As we have often suggested, try, just looking at the diagram, doing the solution in your head after going through it a couple of times.

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