From The Art of the Checkmate
by Renaud and Kahn.
See the solution after the fold:
1. Qxc6+ bxc6 2. Ba6# 1-0
The idea here is similar to the tactical motif of removing the guard in that you must visualize the possibility of delivering mate with the bishop at a6, and then calculate the removal of the pawn which guards this square with the forcing Qxc6+.
This mating pattern with crossing bishops is named for Samuel Boden who played it in 1853 (though perhaps not the first to do so).
3 comments:
B-a6.............bxa6
Qc6
That's a good try that's very close to the idea. In this specific diagram, Black can reply to 1.Ba6 with 1...Rh8+. Or if the king were in another position out of checking range, then a move such as 1...c5 would delay the inevitable. White will certainly win here with any reasonable play, but the shortest mate begins with the forcing move 1.Qxc6+!
Mine was a help mate solution (as opposed to forced).
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