Can you find the forced mate... ?

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someone_british

While this was one of my stronger games, I actually think Black resigned too early here, because while my position appeared quite strong, I don't think I had a forced mate here. Please tell me what do you think of my overall play? And more so, see if you can find the forced mate here! I know I went through every variation I could think of, and in all of them, despite threatening mate several times, black always had an escape...

 


Ranigad
Never mind o.o just realized it was black's move =P
someone_british
Ranigad wrote:

Is Bxa6 force mate?

 

 Edit: Yeah i think it is. Edit: Personally I wouldn't of resigned cause theres always a chance my opponent's don't see the mate XD.


 No it's not, because it's black's turn to move. Like I wrote in the game annotation, After 21. ... Re8 22. Bxa6+ Kd8 23. Bb5 exd5! Black has defended against the mate threat, and can eventually maneuver his king to safety on the King-Side! No mate there...


ShepMaster

well, theres a way to get a free rook with mate to come soon

 

say... 21 re8. 22 bxa6, Kd8. 23 Qb8, Ke7. 24 pawn d6, Kf7. Qd7 takes rook

this gets into a cramped position for black while white can continue attacking with queen/bishop 


leo8160
i believe better than 22 Bxa6+  white plays 22 Qxc5+ in case the king goes to d8 then white plays d6 in this case he cant escape if the king goes to b7 or b8 it will be in white area were the white rooks can get into play together with the queen and bishop in this case white can mate in few .....i think so but it worth to be continued anyway
ShepMaster
never mind, disregard my post and moves, it doesn't work
someone_british
ShepMaster wrote: never mind, disregard my post and moves, it doesn't work

 Yeah, tough one isn't it? :)


someone_british

leo8160 wrote: i believe better than 22 Bxa6+  white plays 22 Qxc5+ in case the king goes to d8 then white plays d6 in this case he cant escape if the king goes to b7 or b8 it will be in white area were the white rooks can get into play together with the queen and bishop in this case white can mate in few .....i think so but it worth to be continued anyway


I dunno... I still can't find a mate after Qxa6+... :\

 

Any example variations? 


Ranigad

On the ideas of shepmaster and leo8160, you could possibly gain a rook from Re8, Qxc5+ Kd8, then Bxa6 could bring a possible Qc8 or a Rc1. I was looking at another thread but I leaves you with an attack on your queen and no check in sight  >.<. I don't think there's a forced mate.


Ranigad
someone_british wrote:

leo8160 wrote: i believe better than 22 Bxa6+  white plays 22 Qxc5+ in case the king goes to d8 then white plays d6 in this case he cant escape if the king goes to b7 or b8 it will be in white area were the white rooks can get into play together with the queen and bishop in this case white can mate in few .....i think so but it worth to be continued anyway


I dunno... I still can't find a mate after Qxa6+... :\

 

Any example variations? 


 He's saying Qxc5+ Kd8, d6 which threatens mate next move. Black could get out of it with Rf8 or Ne7(?) because the queen on the c5 square doesn't give a diagonal access to the 8th rank which gives black a chance to escape.


someone_british

After 21. ... Re8 22. Qxa5+ Kb8, there's no mate in sight...


Ranigad
Qb6+ Ka8 (Kc8 then Rc1#), Qxd8+ and you're up a rook.
GreenLaser

I see two different questions posed here.

  1. Is there a forced mate?
  2. Did Black resign too early?

If 21...Re8 as suggested, 22.Qb6 threatens Bxa6#. 22...d6 seems necessary and after 23.Qc6+ if 23...Kd8 24.Qxd6+ Kc8 25.Bxa6# and if 23...Kb8 24.Qxe8+ leads to the conclusion that Black did not resign very early and if one needs to seek mate, it can be pursued without Black's rook.


Maradonna

I don't see a forced mate, but I do see total devastation. I'll give you a few lines that I saw, although it's 4 in the morning here and I'm knackered, therefore, these could be full of massive oversights :)

 

1......Re8

2.Qxa6+...Kd8

3.d5...Ne7 (I can't really see anything better for black, I thought this move would try to sacrifice the knight to get rid of the mating net)

4.Qa8# (still would be checkmate even if the knight was not there.

 

Then I tried this:

 

1....Re8

2.Qxa6+...Kb8

3.Qb6+...Kc8

4.Qxc5+...Kb8

5.Qa6+...Kc8 (avoiding d8 because of what I said in the line above.)

6.Rc1#

 

and finally this.

 

1....Re8

2.Qxa6+...Kb8

3.Qb6+...Ka8

4.Qxc8+...Ka7 or Kb7

5.Qxd7+...Kb8 (as good as any)

6.Ba6...threating mate on the next move, which I don't think can be refuted, however, at this point it's time to resign. Instead of 5Kb8, the king could work it's way down the board looking for an escape, but surely this leads to mate, I ain't checked (no pun intended).

 

As I say there is probably mistakes here, but maybe something can be made from the bones of it.


rook_mate
22. Qb6 is the strongest move here after Black rook moves to e8. Now White's threat is 23. Ba6#. So Black defends with 23... d6 (only move that stops mate that doesn't loss a piece). Then comes 23. Qc6+. Now Black has a choice between giving up his rook on e8 and prolong the game (but mate is still within a few moves) or to defend it with 23... Kd8. White concludes with 24. Qd6+ Kc8 25. Ba6 checkmate!!
Maradonna
rook_mate wrote: 22. Qb6 is the strongest move here after Black rook moves to e8. Now White's threat is 23. Ba6#. So Black defends with 23... d6 (only move that stops mate that doesn't loss a piece). Then comes 23. Qc6+. Now Black has a choice between giving up his rook on e8 and prolong the game (but mate is still within a few moves) or to defend it with 23... Kd8. White concludes with 24. Qd6+ Kc8 25. Ba6 checkmate!!

22.Qb6...d6

instead of 23.Qc6+

23.Bxa6+...Ke7

then white checkmates with the pawn.

 Is this right?

 

I'm not sure about d6 as a defence.


GreenLaser
tonydal wrote,"Black is forced to drop his rook after 22... Kb8 23 Qb6+ Ka8." It looks like 24.d6 threatens 25.Bf3# and only 24...Qg4 or Qf5 can prevent that at the cost of the queen.
diomed1
     Rook_mate is right, Qb6 forces the mate. Nice puzzle and nice find Rook_mate!
Maradonna
diomed1 wrote:      Rook_mate is right, Qb6 forces the mate. Nice puzzle and nice find Rook_mate!

Oh, yeah, I see now. Looks like that does force the mate. Cracking move, good find Rook_mate.


Maradonna
I see that NM Green Lasker also went along the same lines. Ah well, I did all that looking and found the wrongs moves. They were difficult wrong moves to find though :)