Cordingley puzzle 2

Albin-Steinitz, Nuremberg, 1896. White to play and win

Solution

I think this one is fairly straightforward, or at least the first move, and then there is some calculation. 1 Bf6 after which Steinitz lost after 1…Rd3, 2 Qg7+, exchanged, and took on b7 1-0.

Cordingley gives 1…f6 as a sideline, though it was the only move I bothered to calculate, and, again, the move I wanted to play 'by hand' 2 Qg6+ is best; 2… Qg6 3 hg Kg7! 4 Rh7+ Kg8 5 ef and the pawn queens. However, Cordingley gives (1…f6) 2 h6, but this is far weaker, not after his 2… Rf4?, but 2…Rd2! when the standard Qg7+ plan doesn't work, because black has Rh2+ after hg+. So instead something like 3 Qh3 and, to quote Jon Speelman, 'the game goes on', or to further quote him, 'with a mess'.

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