Re7 was a bad error on black's part. bxR wins easily
Best Possible Checkmate? Can you solve it?
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You have a point, but this is not what a human would do. A computer or a really high rated player would indeed think of this and do that. However, other players might focus on the fact that there is two pieces too close to his king on the right side and they need to be stopped.
I admit though, I didn't think of the pawn taking rook, I expect in a blitz game, a lot of other people might as well.
1. ... Qxf7 is by no means forced. If white wants to force the fork, he can play 1. Qxe8+ Qxe8 2. Nxd6+
A puzzle is not about what a poor (or even decent!) player might do in a blitz game. A puzzle is about finding a winning move against even the best play. Otherwise it's just a guessing game.
I think my first move as white would be 1. Nxd6+
This just shows how hard it is to make decent puzzles, I know you where probably pretty proud over it when you where done, but as Loomis said, a chess puzzle based on the opponent screwing up is just as good as randomly selecting whatever piece and moving it wherever, In hope of the opponent screwing up.
1. a4 e5 2. Ra3 d5. 3. Re3
4... Nxe5 seems to stop the attack
I Agree with Loomis, Qxf7 is a blunder for black. (and going back one, Qf7 is a blunder for white). The puzzle is trying to force a royal fork, and Qxe8+ would be a MUCH better way of doing that.
its a good try and i would not suggest quiting working on new puzzels, but this one has much more natural moves that have greater pay off imo.
By my calculation, your opponent is not 2 "major pieces" ahead. Black has 2 knight and two bishops (worth 3pts ea.) a rook (5pts) Queen (9pts) and 6 pawns (6pts)for a total of 32 pts. White has a knight and a bishop (6pts) two rooks (10pts) Queen and 7 pawns for a total of 32 points
nxd6+, Qxd6, Qxe8+
is what i would do, after that no quick moves i can see
1. Rxc6+! bxc6 2. Qxe8+ Qxe7 3. Nxd6+ Kd(7/8) Nxe8
If 1. Qxe8+? you'll lose the rook after 3...bxc4
Apparently, some of you want the perfect puzzle, but that doesn't happen in real situations. This is a realistic game (except for maybe the pawn on b5, which was a mistake of mine), the black player expected Qxe8+, which is why black was surprised by Qf7, thought "Hey, he must have misplaced his queen, what a blunder" and he forgets about the other possible forks.
And the idea of a puzzle is to make you think. Does NOT have to be perfectly natural. This game was mostly pretty natural, but maybe not so for an 1800 player. Look at what this puzzle has accomplished... You have thought of two different variations, one that would stop the onslaught, another that would weaken it, and also a new attack phase. There were multiple possibilities.
Perhaps if there was a way to make "alternate" moves it would be cool. Regardless, I'm sure in a real blitz game, many of you (who have now seen all the problems and can spot it instantly now) would not have spotted it. It's the same with chess traps, sometimes you don't expect something.
And as for "how not natural" this puzzle is, well look at some of the other puzzles on this forum, they're not that perfect either.
Here's a puzzle I came up with, and I tried to make it natural, as in, I played it through, so it's not some random impossible situation, it requires some foresight so play carefully. By the end of the move sequence you should have demolished his iron defense and checkmated him.
Tell me if you find "errors" or "alternatives". I find this game interesting because your opponent is TWO major pieces ahead of you.