can someone explain this.

This position is in a book I bought.  Supposedly white can win black's queen in a few moves.  I don't understand how unless black makes some obvious mistakes.  The book says it has something to do with the king and queen being on the same file and cornering?  Does someone know how it would work?  It is white's move.

Thanks for any ideas.

The only way I see to win black's Queen is if white moves King from b1-a2...black couldn't move the knight because that would put his King in check from the white Queen...if black chose to move only the bishop on their first move , white would simply move their Queen from b2-a3 forking the black King & Queen. Not likely that black would fall for something so obvious. Surely the book you bought has the solution?

I analyzed some positions.

None of those positions seemed to win the black queen.

i am sorry----i forgot a very important piece--i can't believe i did that.

i forgot the knight---the book i am refering to is lasker's manual of chess on page 116 and there is no solution because i guess he thought it was obvious--and maybe now that i put it correctly someone will be able to solve it ---thanks

and sorry again about the mistake

here is the correct picture

1.Qa3+

-wouldn't the black king simply kill the queen then?

Nimzovich is correct.

1. Qa3+!

If black captures 1... Kxa3 then 2. Nc2#. Any other king move allows 2. Qxf8, and white wins.

EDIT: I see I was beaten to it.

oh i think i see it----if 1.Qa3+ then ifthe black king kills the queen you can get a check mate with the knight

oh i was beaten also

thanks everyone who answered -especially those who looked at my post with the mistake

As has already been pointed out -- and without being a jerk in the process.