Daily Puzzle Analysis for Friday 4.3.26

It’s Time for a Friday puzzle! 

Legend: (Color Version)

• Observations in Yellow

• Strategies in Purple

• Responses (Unforced, Anticipated or Actual) in Orange

• Fails (Potential or Actual) in Red

• Successes (Potential or Actual) in Green

On setting up the board, we observe:

* We are equal on Rooks.

* We are equal on Bishops, both being light squared.

* We are equal on kNights.

* We both have Queens.

* We are equal on Pawns.

* We have an immediate checking opportunity with Nf3+, a Royal Fork, but it’s a kNight sac.

* We have an interrupted Queen Rook battery on the e file, blocked by our own kNight.

* With one escape square, there appears to be a King Trap.

* It is our turn to move.

* The puzzle’s title is “Flashy Blitz Tactic”

* It is Friday.

The above observations inform potential strategies:

Strangely I think I see the brute force mate here from the beginning today. Let’s play it out and see if it works.

Opening with Nf3+, the Royal Fork, almost certainly prompts Bxf3, else White lose their Queen.
-----If Bxf3, we’ve now cleared the e file for our Queen Rook battery, and can next Qe1, forcing either Rxe1 or Kg2. I find the lesser most likely, else White lose their Rook.
----------If Rxe1, we can then follow with Rxe1+, forcing Kg2.
---------------We can next Bf1+, defending our attacking Bishop with our Rook, and forcing either Kg1 or Kh1, as our Bishop covers h3.
--------------------In either scenario, we can now Bh3#, Golden.

Ok, it’s a plan – but how could it fail?

Well there are a few response options we’ve given our opponent today, let’s explore them.

We open with Nf3+, which requires a response, but it does not require the anticipated response of Bxf3. White could instead Kh1.
-----If Kh1, we Nxd4, winning White’s Queen, and a decisive material advantage. That’s a valid material gain solution, but could we do better?
-----If Kh1, we could alternately Qe1+, forcing either Rxe1 or Bf1.
----------If Rxe1, we can Rxe1+, forcing Bf1.
---------------We could then Rxf1+, but this allows for Kg2, and with our kNight on f3 White’s King has an escape square. So instead the better capture is Bxf1, which is not a forcing move, but which cuts off g2 as an escape square. So how could Black respond?
-------------------The only play that can stop us mating on our next move at this point would be check, and since Qd5+ fails to cxd5, and Qc4+ fails to Bxc4+ (which would allow White’s King to escape to g2, but wins us White’s Queen and does not deter us from pursuing mate further), we should expect Qd8+.
------------------------If Qd8+, we can Kg7. White could then either Ne6+ or check us with their Queen from the 7th Row. I would assume by keeping her on the dark diagonals, so with either Qe7+ or Qc7+.
-----------------------------If Ne6+ we can Kh6, and since Qg5+ and Qh4+ would both fail to our kNight, I would then expect Qf8+.
----------------------------------We can now Kh5, escaping, and leaving White with only g4+, which is easily defeated by either fxg4 or Kxg4. Now White is out of checking options, so no matter what they play we can Bh3#. Excellent!

-----------------------------If Qe7+, we can Rxe7, and we’ve won White’s Queen and lost none of our winning position that a simple return to Re1 won’t fix. Stellar.

-----------------------------If Qc7+, we can Kh6. This leaves White with only Qf4+, which we can block with g5, which also prevents Qh4+. Now White is out of checking options. They can Qxf3, winning our kNight, but we can then Bh3# with impunity. Amazing!

So assuming the Bxf3 response to our opening play, let’s move on to the other response options we’ve left open in our proposed line. We then play Qe1, and we’ve anticipated a response of Rxe1. White could instead however play Kg2, as they have opened this escape square when capturing our forking kNight.
-----If Kg2, we Qxc1, winning White’s Rook. As we’ve lost a kNight, and gained a Rook, and started with equal material, this puts us up two material points, and is a valid material gain solution, but could we do better?
-----If Kg2, we could alternately Bf1+, forcing either Kg1 or Kh1, as our Bishop covers h3.
----------In either scenario, we can next Bh3+, forcing Rxe1.
---------------We can then finish with Rxe1#. Fantastic.

And those (I believe) are the only options we’ve allowed our opponent in our proposed attack line.

Ok, but is there a BETTER PLAN?

There is no better plan than checkmate, and I believe this plan will get us there (even if it takes a while) regardless of our opponent’s responses.

Confident in my plan, I set the board aside and engage with the puzzle online.

Nf3+ is correct, and Black chooses to Bxf3.

Qe1+ is correct, and Black chooses to Rxe1.

Rxe1+ is correct, and Black is forced to Kg2.

Bf1+ is correct, and Black chooses to Kg1.

Bh3# is correct, and the PUZZLE IS SOLVED!

A Fantastic Friday puzzle from a a game between @Bikfoot and @Lengockhanh28012006!

Have a great day everyone.