Cordingley puzzle 81

White to play and win

(in the game, white missed the key move, and lost)

Solution

This one made me struggle, and my approach to solving it, which I eventually did, was certainly not Kotovian.

So first, 1 Qg6, but no, 1… Rh1+ and mates. Nor 1 Qg3 (the move played) because, if nothing else, black exchanges, plays Rb2+, and it is curtains. I spent a lot of time looking at 1. Rf7+, 1 Rb8+, hoping that one of these would turn to something, but none did. Even moves like 1 e5 were examined, trying to create surprise mating nets, but no, nothing. And there are no 'sacrifice everything and stalemate' lines.

So, rather than a Kotovian tree of variations, analysed once, in turn, it was more a case of round and round the mulberry bush, try and try again. Then I hit on the winning line which was indeed 1 Qg6! and after 1…Rh1+ 2 Bf1!!, and the king escapes to say c4 or d5, when it is at least safe, and in some lines even takes part in white's revenge mating attack.

A nice puzzle.

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