White to Play
Pete Tamburro
on
Published in Chess Puzzles
Solution:
1.d7 Be8! 2.d8=B!! [Yes, indeed! White must underpromote to a bishop because a rook or a queen would stalemate Black and a knight just wouldn't work.]2...Bf7 [2...Bh5 3.Be7+ Ke8 4.Bb5#; 2...Bb5 3.Be7+ Ke8 4.Bxb5#; 2...Bc6 3.Bf7 Be8 4.Be7#] 3.Be7+ Kg8 4.Bxf7+ Kh8 5.Bf8 Kh7 [At this point, please not, that as with K+Q vs K and K+R v R, you have to leave the cornered king with just two squares to move back and forth in. This also gives us here a lesson on mating with the two B's!] 6.Bd5 Kh8 7.Kf7 Kh7 8.Be4+ Kh8 9.Bg7#
Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.