Cordingley puzzle 87

White to play and win

Solution

I goofed this one. Badly. First move I thought of was 1 Bh6, with the idea 1…gh 2 Qd2; it didn't take much to see the follow up 2…Kh7 3 Bd3+ Ng6 4 h5, which I knew was good for white, and was the solution (though black played 1…Qa5+ in the game, requiring 3 Qc1! instead: however, I felt the position after 4h5 was 'just winning (in the long term) and so looked for something even better, and found something…much worse.

I chose 1 Rg7+, thereby committing at least mistake #8 (see my blog after puzzle 64 summarising my project so far)

#8 seeing an illusory brilliancy, and not checking it.

I think I also hurried too much, wanting to solve another puzzle. I should have been more disciplined, and either set the pieces out, or give the puzzle sufficient time, modelling a typical game approach. But I didn't, and chose the flashier option….a totally poor process. The fact that Houdini, who initially and for the first fee moves thinks 1 Rg7 loses, took several moves before its evaluation reversed – as Rg7-Kg7-Qd2-f5-Qh6+.. are played, the evaluation goes down from -1.9 to 0.0 and then jumps to +10- there was a big horizon effect here: it doesn't absolve me that my judgement was proved right ( Rg7 just wins) I handled the task very unprofessionally.

A screenshot showing how the appraisal changes deep into my 1 Rg7 line, after 22 0-0-0: before then, the assessment is white is losing to white is worse, then is switches to overwhelming advantage. Is it good luck, or good judgement?

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