For a change, we have a challenging middle-of-the-week practical problem sandwiched between two composed problems. The winning strategy will be valuable for you to learn if you have never seen it before. Dr. Ossip Bernstein demonstrated this back at Ostend, 1907, against Metger.

Solution:

1.Neg5 fxg5 2.Rxd7 Qxd7 [A torturous way to lose would be 2...Bf6 3.Qd5 h5 4.Rc1 h4 5.Qf7 hxg3 6.hxg3 Nb3 7.Rcc7 Nd4 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Rxb7] 3.Nxe5 Black Resigned because no matter where the queen moves, he loses the queen or gets mated...the mate being that 500 year old Lucena mate. 3...Qh3 [3...Qc8 4.Nf7+ Kg8 5.Nd6+ Kh8 (5...Kf8 6.Qf7#) 6.Nxc8; 3...Qf5 4.Nf7+ Kg8 5.Nh6+ Kh8 (5...Kf8 6.Qg8#) 6.Nxf5] Every chess player should know this mating pattern from here: 4.Nf7+ Kg8 5.Nh6+ Kh8 [5...Kf8 6.Qf7#] 6.Qg8+ Rxg8 7.Nf7# Anytime you can get a queen and a knight lined up on that f7 square, look to see if you can take advantage of that mating pattern.

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