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Material for my Tactical School

The Smothered Mate

"A chess problem," White to move in the position given above.

Now check out the above position. I will confess, it is a composition, as far as I know this exact position has never actually occurred in any game. However, I went through great pains to make it resemble a real or actual game of chess as much as I possibly could. I also took the effort to point out key squares and lines by highlighting them for you. (White to move here, you may want to study the position for a few moments and try to solve it in your head - before you look at the answer below.)

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1.Qa2+, ('!')
The correct first move, no points for any other tries. (Note how the Queen immediately occupies the key a2-g8 diagonal and gives check to the BK.)

     [ Less effective is: 1.b4 Qc7; 2.Rc1, "+/=" ]

1...Kh8;
This is completely forced.

     [ Of course not: 1...Kf8??; 2.Qf7#. ]

Now comes a couple of fairly obvious moves ... where Black's responses are completely forced.

2.Nf7+ Kg8; 3.Nh6+! Kh8;
Once more this is forced, Black cannot move his King to the f8-square, due to the constant threat of Qf7 mate.

Black - if he is very inexperienced - might even believe that his position is quite safe, and that White has no way to make any real progress from this particular position.

Will White be forced to take a draw by repeating the position? (Nf7+, Kg8; Nh6+, Kh8; etc.)

4.Qg8+!!,
Apparently not! Black Resigns, (1-0); as either capture is answered by the wondrous move, and simple move of Nf7#!

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Please note that this is a true smothered mate. (Kopec's position # "R" of the basic mates.)

To explore this subject further, please see WCA lesson for March, 2005.
(This is where this material was culled from.)

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