2024/05/15 DPA: "'Shower of Gold' Redux"

Black to move.

1. ... Qf4+ jumps out at me.

• If 2. Rxf4 fxg5#
• If 2. gxf4 Bf2#
• If 2. g4 Bf2#
  • Or 2. ... Qf2+  3. Rxf2 Bxf2#

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The key was noticing that the White King has nowhere to go:  if Black can deliver check, it will be checkmate.

The issue then becomes how to break through the defense without opening any holes in the mating net or giving White the chance to counterattack.

For example, Black's Queen is hanging so he has no time for 1. ... Bd6, threatening 2. ... Qxg3#.

1. ... fxg5 would be checkmate were it not for the Rook [2. Rxg5+].  So maybe an idea would be to remove the defender with 1. ... Qxf5 but that does not come with check and allows White to recapture with check, thus dashing Black's plan.

1. ... Qf4+ is elegant because it allows White the choice of how he's going to be checkmated.

Firstly, it's a check so it must be dealt with.

- Capturing with the pawn opens up the h4-e1 diagonal for the Bishop

- Capturing with the Rook cedes control of g5, making the pawn checkmate possible

- Blocking with the pawn also opens up the diagonal

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There was also a cheeky line 2. g4 Qf2+  3. Rxf2 Bxf2#

This is Queen sac is reminiscent of Levitsky v Marshall [Breslau, 1912] where Marshall moved ... Qg3 and Levitsky had 3 different ways of accepting the sac but 2 led to checkmate and the 3rd led to Marshall remaining a piece up.  He resigned and it is said that the spectators were so impressed, they tossed gold coins on to the board [the "Shower of Gold" game].