Mate in 3

The queen lines up a deadly shot along b8–f4, the enemy king caught in the beam. White must therefore prepare the ground for the e5 pawn’s departure, suggesting that the rook on e6 is likely to make the key. Yet this alone won’t suffice: Black can obstruct the queen’s diagonal with a rook interposition or, once e6 is vacated, push the f7-pawn to unleash disruptive checks along c4–g8 — all of which calls for one or more Novotny sacrifices on d5, the Grimshaw intersection of BRb5 and BBc4.

The brilliant 1.Rg6!, setting up the threat 2.Nh3+ gxh3 3.Bg3#, weaves everything together. Black now has three ways to check the white king, each ushering in a thematic variation featuring a precise Novotny on the second move:

1...fxg6+ 2.Nd5+!

(2.d5? g3!)

2...Bxd5+ 3.e6#

2...Rxd5 3.Qf8#

1...f6+ 2.d5! ~ 3.Ne6#/3.e6#

(2.Nd5+? Rxd5!)

2...Bxd5+ 3.e6#

2...Rxd5 3.Ne6#

1...f5+ 2.Bd5! ~ 3.Ne6#/3.e6#

(2.d5? fxe4!; 2.Nd5+? Rxd5!)

2...Bxd5+ 3.e6#

2...Rxd5 3.Ne6#

And as for the non-thematic 1...Bf1, White neatly wraps things up with 2.Ne6+ fxe6 3.Qf8#. Flawless!