As we have seen, it should be second nature to look at a check like 1. Qc4+ (or Qb3+), as it loses nothing and forces the king to move—and to retreat into the corner, which has the predictable consequence of making a back rank mate more plausible. Black still has his two rooks against one of White’s, but here as in the last position moving the queen to the penultimate rank changes the picture dramatically. White plays 2. Qf7 and now notice that he threatens mate a couple of different ways. If Black plays RxQ, then White has 3. RxRe8+ and mates with RxR after Black drops his rook back to f8 (the mirror image of the previous problem). It might seem safer for Black simply to sit tight, but then White mates on the seventh rank with Qxg7. So Black might try the final recourse Rg8. The technique doesn’t work this time, however, as White plays 3. RxRe8 and now threatens QxRg8#. If Black plays RxRe8, White has QxR#.