Cordingley puzzle 114 #chess

Black to play and win

More an Aagaardian exercise in deep calculation than a 0-1 puzzle

Solution

I enjoyed this one, partly because I had plenty of time to give it, during a lovely, sunny walk in the Langstrath valley, near our home in Borrowdale.

I had two other puzzles with me, but neither of them were a challenge, so my attention was devoted to this one.

Firstly, of course, I tried to make 1..Qa3 work, but couldn't: I thought black needed just a bit more. Alas, I found a way, 1….e4, which was the right idea, but my execution of the follow up was inaccurate: I thought getting the Rf8 to f2 would be the necessary extra, but it isn't, and its activity is counterbalanced by white's greater luft, including Qd3. Houdini showed me the way, after it had quite a considerable amount of time to think: start with 1…e4, but use it to gain a tempo with Rae8, smiting the Be4: very instructive. Houdini also favours black after 1…Rae8 and also (somewhat) 1…Qe7: the former in particular improves one piece, whilst threatening to push the e4 pawn.

My analysis is attached. I suspect another engine, or Houdini given more time, would find further details. What seems clear is that the move black actually played, 1…Ba3, only works because of a mistake by white.

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