Can you find the best defense?

White's position is almost done for, but i guess its your turn to prove why the game is not over just yet.

First try! I finally got one of these crazy puzzles right!

I got the first move! Yippee! 

sweet!

What i find extremely unexpected is that after 41.f7 Qf8?? 42.Rf2, black is lost! White marches his a and b pawns down, and will pretty much win, likely into a winning K+P endgame since her majesty will have to leave the f8 square for one of these pawns.

No, even after 41.f7 Qf8?? 42.Rf2 white will still find a perpetual with his queen to 42... a8 and draw.

no, the king will hide on f1 or g1, black can not stop the promotion.

Thanks! :)

im too tired now but can white not also play f6 and then queen to d6 to just defend, and depending on blacks move defend the rook or push the pawn?

After Qd6 black plays Qxh2#. :)

After 1. f6, Kh6 2. Qd6 black will mate Qe4 3. Rf3, Qxf3 and Qg2 mate

After Qd6 Qxh2 isn't mate because white can play Qxh2.

thank you, how could i possibly miss that

The point of this puzzle is basically mind games, keeping you honest (like baseball pitchers, throwing a curveball, when its been all fastballs), some solutions are simple as this one is, but its difficult to play this continuation when it appears that white has many perpetual check opportunities.

I learned a loong time ago to never take lightly a pawn on the 6th rank..  its one step and queen!