I thought that this was the solution and failed the puzzle because of it. I can't figure out how black could do anything differently except for 3. ...Kf8 , which just results in a checkmate on move 4: Qf7#

Very nice....

That looks good to me - even better than the "solution" in that white doesn't sacrifice his queen and in fact takes black's queen.

I didn't even see it, probably because the knight at h6, smothered mate is such a familiar classic play.

nice

too easy

Don't worry, sir. Yeewassup's mate is actually the superior mate: no queen sacrifice, and either white captures black's queen for free OR checkmate actually occurs on move 4 of the sequence--faster than the smother mate.

that's what I thought too. Besides, losing a queen doesn't feel good :P

Don't know... The title just gives it away. It is just forced (for white) to check right away. Qd6+ is the only safe way to do so (any other white move is loosing for him/her), and the rest is easy. I didn't bother to see the combination, just checked.

Black can do Kf8 instead of Kh8 in you version ^^

It´s a double in solution, but i think the expected theme is the phillidor mate.

i saw the same Mate that yeewassup saw! actually, is better, but this one still good!

And then Qf7 mate in four. Superior checkmate.

after Kf8 5 Qf7#

I see the same exact one.

yes.

easy

easy..

@ yeewassup, thats a nice one too

clever