Mate in 5.

Unfortunately a lot of variations (and the puzzle gadget insists on only 1 'right' answer), but the idea is the same in each so if you find the idea, the answer shown shouldn't take too long.

BTW is there a way to get the puzzle gadget to accept that there can be more than 1 right answer and allow several variations? 

Really?

I guess you mean Qc8 for a start - Qd8 seems impossible.

And after Rxc8 what's going to happen? I can't see how it improves things - indeed mate comes even quicker!

Show me a line to prove your variation is better!

1. Qf4 Qc8 2. Rxc8 Be6 (or anything else you care to think of) 3. Qh6+ Kxh6 4. Rh8#

To my mind, that makes Qc8 a worse move than what I suggest - mate comes 1 move quicker. So your move Qc8 is a blunder if anything (though I wouldn't really call it that given mate happens whatever). Unless you care to show me a better line.

My opponent in the game moved differently - I actually got mate in 2 from Qf4 - but as a puzzle I had to make my opponent's move stronger for this puzzle.

Thanks for the reply - you're really not convinced by the puzzle are you .

I've shown why your new moves don't work on the diagram below. Qxg3 is still the best move for black - and is until you can either escape the mate or find a way to delay mate to 6 moves or after.

The original idea is sound. 1...Qxg3+ is the best defense.

The puzzle is flawed, though, as 1.Qe3, 3.Qe3, and 3.Qg5 also force mate in five. 2...Bb1 would be an improved version as then only 3.Qg5 would force mate in five, but there would still be the problem of 1.Qe3.

~TO 

TonightOnly - I know there's a lot of variations (see my original post, which includes all those you correctly say are also mate in 5s).

They're all in the move list on the diagram - it would be good to be able to include them all in the main puzzle - probably difficult to put the functionality in though.

I thought the puzzle was a good example of a queen sacrifice - I know it's better to just have one winning line.

my posts in this thread seem a little silly now - there was someone posting "flaws" in my puzzle who's now deleted those posts. Honest

He suggested Qd8 and then g5 or Qxh4 as possible refutations to the puzzle. My lines that I show demonstrate why they are not.