Short on Time

Roberto Cosulich – Daniele Della Lunga
36th Italian Chess Championship; Pesaro, June 1975
5r2/4RNbk/1p2Q1p1/8/3q4/6P1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1

“Short on time, White won after a long skirmish; he could, however, mate in three moves”, Grandmaster honoris Caïssa Enrico Paoli writes in his book L’arte della combinazione scacchistica, U. Mursia editore, Milano, 1986 p. 136. The proffered solution (Ibid., p. 143) is 1. Qh3+ Kg8 2. Qh8+!! Bxh8 3. Nh6#. However, it should be noted that after 1. ... Bh6 2. Qxh6+ Kg8 3. Qxg6+ Qg7 4. Nh6+ Kh8 5. Qxg7# it takes five moves for White to mate.