Roberto Grau vs. Edgar Colle
The confrontation between the Argentinian chess master, Roberto Grau and the Belgian chess master Edgar Colle ended in a victory for white after a 3 moves including an unexpected sacrifice.
Roll over to see the solution: 1. Na6+ Kxb7 2. Bd7+ Kxa6 3. Qb5#
FEN: 1k5r/pP3ppp/3p2b1/1BN1n3/1Q2P3/P1B5/KP3P1P/7q w - - 1 0
About the players
Edgar Colle (1897-1932) was a Belgian chess master with excellent results in the major international tournaments of his time.
Roberto Grau (1900-1944) was a well known Argentinian chess master.
Extremely beautiful! After 1. Na6+!, White forces the Black King to enter a territory (1…Kxb7 – forced), which is dominated (in squares) by the White Queen and the white light pieces; the Black King cannot escape to the side since the c6 and c7 squares are controlled by the white B and N respectively, while his only “escape square” (a7) is already occupied by the black pawn, hence blocked.
The discovery check afterward comes naturally: 2. Bd7+!! and the rest is a forced checkmate.
E. Colle is more known (to me, at least) for his “Colle System”, an impenetrable but stiff and not quite flexible opening “system”. It is regularly combined with (or aiming to) the “Greek Gift sac” (Bxh7+).
Na6+
Bd7+
Qb5+#
Blacks take the pawn but…1.Na6+ Kxb7 2.Bc4+ Ka8 3.Bd5+ Nc6 4.Bxc6#