F5

Alena, here is the main line of the puzzle, and the probably the last key decision point before the end:
1.Qh2 Ka8
2.Qg2 Kb8
3.Qg3 Ka8
4.Qf3 Kb8
5.Qf4 Ka8
6.Be4 Ne4
7.Qe4 Kb8
8.Qf4 Ka8
9.Qf3 Kb8
10.Qg3 Ka8
11.Qg2 Kb8
12.Qh2 Ka8
13.Qh1 Kb8
14.Qb1 c1(Q)
15.fe7 Qg5
16.Qb2 a1(Q)
17.Qh2 Ka8
18.Qg2 Kb8
19.Qg3 Ka8
20.Qf3 Kb8
21.Qf4 Ka8
22.Qe4 Kb8
23.Qe5 Ka8
24.Qd5 Kb8
25.Qd6 Ka8
26.Kc7 Qaa5
27.Kc8 Qgb5
28.ed8(N) c3
29.d5 c2
30.Qc6 Qc6
31.Nc6 Qd5
32.d8(N) c1(Q)
33.Nd7 Qcc6
34.Nc6 Qe6 (FEN after 34. ....Qe6 is k1K5/3N1Ppp/p1N1q3/7p/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1) How should white proceed after 34. ....Qe6? This is the last major part of the puzzle.

Oops, I am cutting from my notes, but using your numbering- I forgot to change the 28 to 15.

That is pretty good, Alena. 13. ...Qaa5 14.Kc8 Qgb5 28.ed8(N) c3 is the main line, and most resistant line for black. You should look it over from that point, but you do find the two underpromotions in both lines.

Yancey, I tried to solve your puzzle again. I had to use all your hints.I think it's the hardest puzzle of all you gave me.

13.Kc7 Qga5+
14.Kc8 Qb1
15.exd8=N Qbb6
16.Qc6+ Ka7
17.Qb7+ Qxb7+
18.Nxb7 Qd5
19.d8=N c3
20.Na5 c2
21.Nac6+ Ka8
22.Nd7 Qb5
23.f8=Q c1=Q
24.Qc5 Qcxc5
25.dxc5 Qb7+
26.Nxb7 g6
27.Nb6#

To make progress after Qd6+ Ka8, white must move the king here. It takes a great leap of imagination to envision how this is won from here, but once you find the thread, some of white's moves are a bit easier to find after that because they are forced by black's own threats.

That is correct.

Yancey, Here is the critical position where I must find the right move. Am I on the right way?

1. Qb1 c1=Q
2. fxe7 Qg5
3. Qxb2 a1=Q
4. Qh2+ Ka8
5. Qg2+ Kb8
6. Qg3+ Ka8
7. Qf3+ Kb8
8. Qf4+ Ka8
9. Qe4+ Kb8
10. Qe5+ Ka8
11. Qd5+ Kb8
12. Qd6+ Ka8

And when I wrote "he must find a way to guard the e7 pawn, I didn't mean he the king, but he white.

You have to let black keep the queen on g5. The queen goes to d6 to protect the e7 pawn- then find the right square for the white king- it isn't c5 or d6.

Yancey, I can't understand how to win this position

1. Qg3+ Ka8
2. Qf3+ Kb8
3. Qf4+ Ka8
4. Qxg5 Qb2+
5. Kc5 Qb5+
6. Kd6 Qb8+
7. Kd5 Qb5+
8. Ke4 Qb1+

I hope my meaning is clear- in your line, you continue with 16.Qb1!!- black must defend in exactly the manner you outline, but white can now take at b2, allow black to queen the a-pawn, and then go back to h2 to check and move the queen back up the diagonal.

So far so good, Alena- you see now why the knight had to be removed- when it is on f2, the move Qh2+ can't be played from b2. And you recognize why black's queen on g5 can't leave to capture the white queen anywhere since you clearly see white has repetition draw. To win, white must get the king off the b-file, and he must find a way to guard the e7 pawn before stopping the checks with the queen. The queen needs move back up that same diagonal checking along the way until she reaches the appropriate square so that the king can have the time to move without dropping the e7 pawn.

1. Qb1 c1=Q
2. fxe7 Qg5
3. Qxb2 a1=Q
4. Qh2+ Ka8
5. Qg2+ Kb8
   I'm stuck here. After this I see only a draw.

Oop, I meant 8.Qe5/9.Qe4 is superfluous.

When the commenter "Cortex" gave me this problem 3 years ago, I thought I had solved it almost instantly with 1.Qb1, but quickly found my error (or, at least, the first one that line showed). If it makes you feel any better, it took me over a week of trial and error to finish the solution, and I had the first 20 moves in the first hour since he had also given me a clue it was "geometrical" (i.e.- the queen's maneuver up and back down the diagonal with checks which I had also immediately noticed was drawing for white at the very least).

That much is correct, but for the superfluous 8.Ke5/9.Ke4 which is not needed since you go back to f4 anyway at move 10. I basically gave you the next move after 15.Qh1 Kb8- did you look at the lines that might arise after the erroneous 1.Qb1? With the knight gone from f2, white can now play this move, though, as I wrote a few days ago- the rest of the solution is quite long and the really hard part is deep within that line. If you keep updating, I will tell you whether or not you are on the right path.

Yancey, I tried to solve your problem again.Am I on the right way?

1. Qh2+ Ka8
2. Qg2+ Kb8
3. Qg3+ Ka8
4. Qf3+ Kb8
5. Qf4+ Ka8
6. Be4+ Nxe4
7. Qxe4+ Kb8
8. Qe5+ Ka8
9. Qe4+ Kb8
10. Qf4+ Ka8
11. Qf3+ Kb8
12. Qg3+ Ka8
13. Qg2+ Kb8
14. Qh2+ Ka8
15. Qh1+ Kb8

To be more specific, the first 5 moves are correct- it is the 6th move where it goes offline.

You have the right start- the march up the diagonal with the queen plays a part twice in the solution. The early key to the solution is getting rid of the knight on f2. Even though it is wrong, at least investigate the line that starts with 1.Qb1 and ask yourself how black defends against that- when you see that, then you will understand the reason for getting rid of black's f2 knight.

Yancey, I tried to solve your problem.

1. Qh2+ Ka8
2. Qg2+ Kb8
3. Qg3+ Ka8
4. Qf3+ Kb8
5. Qf4+ Ka8
6. Qf3+ Kb8
7. Qg3+ Ka8
8. Qf3+
   It's a draw.
   It seems to me that the move 5.Bxc2 is also an interesting move, but I can't win in all variations.

1. f5+!
   a) 1...Rxf5, 2. Qxf5+ Ke7, 3. Qf7+ Kd8, 4. Qe8+ Kc7, 5. Qc8#
   b) 1...Kxe5, 2. Qe7+ Kd4, 3. Qe3# 1-0

Arein22 - Not a mate - 2. Qe8+ Rxe8 (Black wins)

Alena, how are you doing with that puzzle?

test

If 1.f5 Kxe5, then 2.Qe7 Kd4 3.Qe3#

what is continuation for F5+ Kxe5?

Hi. After f5 what if kxe5?

1. f5+ Rxf5
2. Qxf5+ Ke7
3. Qf7+ Kd8
4. Qe8+ Kc7
5. Qc8#
   It took me 1 minute to solve though.

1. Qg6+ Ke7 2. Qe8#

Mate in 2.....