The Coffee House

White is still able to castle. He shouldn't do it right away; however, he'll have to do it eventually....

(I took forever to spot that )

The immediate Qxh1 is tempting, but if played, the white pieces can force perpetual check.

1... Qe4+

2. Kd1 h6

3. Qf4 Qb1+

4. Ke2 Qxh1

Of course, 2. Kd1 isn't forced. There are other options: Kf1, Kf2 or Qe3.

I'm guessing that, if 2. Kf1 or Kf2, then 2...h6 3. Qf4 Qxg2+, followed by 4...Qxh1. Or, if 2. Qe3, then the immediate 2...Qxg2+ is possible, as this move kills the perpetual check threat?

3... Qxg2+ isn't available on Kf1 - rooks move sideways. So instead, just play Bd5, again threatening the same thing; the bishop blocks the rook's view of the back rank.

If the king runs to g1 after this, merely Rxc4 followed by Qb1+ (the rook sacrifice is so white can't block Qb1+ with the bishop, ensuring Qxh1).

If 2. Qe3, then 2... Qxg2+ 3. Qf2 blocks the check and maintains pressure on black's rook; you take his rook, he takes your rook. So instead of Qxh1 right away, trade queens and then play Bxh1.

1. Qa2

The arrangement of bishop on a8 and white king on h1 appears to make life hard for White, because it creates the possibility of a discovered check by Black if, for example, the queen moves and allows either ...Kc4+ or ...Ke6+. But this is precisely the sort of deception composers like to incorporate into their problems; the idea is that the solver will see the discovered checks and therefore reject a queen move....But it turns out that the key is with the queen after all.

Black is allowed his bit of fun, but the queen is ambushed behind the rook, and White can trump Black by meeting his discovered checks with discovered mates! The threat is 2 Re3 mate, and the queen move prepares to meet 1...Ke4 by 2 Qg2 mate. Black can stop the threat by 1...d3, but then 2 Rb4 is mate, while 1...e4 is answered by 2 Rb5 mate. The two star variations arise from the other moves of Black's king, 1...Kc4+ allows 2 Rf3 mate (the rook must guard d3), and 1...Ke6+ allows 2 Rb7 mate (the rook must guard d7 and e7). Altogether, White's rook delivers a total of five different mates.

It looks losing, but the white pieces can force a draw by taking advantage of the fact that diagonal movements cover more ground geometrically.

1. Kb4 saves the game.

If Black pushes the h pawn to promote, White goes 1... h4 2. Kc5 h3 3. Kd6 h2  4. c7 h8=Q 5. c8=Q+ and it's a draw.

So white narrowly has enough time to force a draw if Black mindlessly pushes his h pawn. Let's try something else

1... Kb6 2. Kc4!

If 2... Kxc6, then White can catch the h pawn and it's a draw. So:

2... h4 3. Kd5! h3 4. Kd6 and we have a similar draw after 4... h2 5. c7

Suppose instead of 3... h3 we have

3... Kc7 4. Ke4! and White will catch the h pawn, drawing.