2024/01/17 DPA: "Deflected Heavies and Missing X-Rays"

White to move.

White would like to play either Qg7# or Qh8# but the Rook guards both.

But White has an LQM [Lateral Queen Maneuver <hat tip to @bryancfb for coming up with that one>] also:  Qh4#.  But the Queen guards that square.

White wants to deflect either the Rook from guarding g7 or the Queen from guarding h4.

1. Re8 looks promising:  if the Rook captures, it allows 2. Qg7# [yellow arrows].  And if the Queen captures, it allows 2. Qh4# [red arrows].

The puzzle opted for Queen captures ---> 2. Qh4#.

.

There was a more elegant variation, IMO:  1. ... Qg5, which continues to prevent 2. Qh4.  Now White delivers the second tactic, an X-Ray attack starting with 2. Qh8+  Rxh8  3. Rxh8#.  The Rook is guarded by the Bishop, which also cuts off g7.

X-Rays can be tough to see because you have to envision the attacking piece [the White Rook] going through the defending piece [the Black Rook].