I was very sad last week to hear of the death of Uri Avner, the Israeli who was both
one of the World’s finest composers and also a leading administrator in the problem
world. By way of a very small tribute, here is one of his earliest prize-winners.
The flight-giving key 1.Sc5! sets up the threat of 2.Rd3+,
followed by 2...exd3 3.Qe3# or 2...Kxc5 3.Q,Rd5#.
Each of Black’s thematic defences fails to a queen sacrifice,
which frees the e6-square for a knight mate:
1...Rxa3 2.Qd5+ cxd5 3.Se6#; 1...Rh3 2.Qe5+ fxe5 3.Se6#;
1...Be2 2.Qxe4+ fxe4 3.Se6#; 1...Qg5 2.Qd6+ exd6 3.Se6#. There is
by-play (1...f4 2.Rxe4+ Kxc5 3.d4#) and a short variation 1...Kxc5
2.Qd5#.