Cordingley puzzle 90

White to play and win

Keres-Smyslov Leningrad 1939

Solution

I enjoyed this one. In my initial examination of the position, I noted that the Qe5 is in forking distance of the Ng5, so certain squares are mined: Kh6, Kh8: but at present the Nd6 guards f7. So 1 Rf7+ was my first try, which works except for 1…Nf7 2 Nh5+ Kf8- the only move, but a winning one.

So, instead, 1 Nh5+ first, and dependent on how black defends, white wins through. 1…Kh6 (1…gh?? 2 Qh7mate ) 2 Nf6 threatens to fork on g4: black's best is to take on e3 with check, and then play Qd4, getting some control over f6 (else Rf6 double attack g6) and also hitting h4.

Here, I ended my analysis with 4 Ne6, noting that even if black takes on h4, as he did in the game, there is no perpetual, since the Ne6 also controls d4. So, afterwards, white puts his queen on c1 from whence it can if necessary go to c7, aiming at both g7 and h7.

Very nice.

The attached analysis includes some light comments on the earlier moves in the game, including a pretty Houdini improvement on move 19. Black's last move before the puzzle position, Ne8d6, was the decisive blunder.

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