Cordingley puzzle 146 #chess

White to play and win

Solution

This puzzle took me a little while, partly because the layout of the book is such that the very next puzzle, 147, is clearly from a later position in the same game: so at first, I thought maybe it was one of those positions where the answer is to significantly improve white's position, rather than win outright.

So at first I tried 1 Rc3, but soon realised it doesn't do anything, after 1…Qb8; though I did wonder if 2 Qf4 was the idea. Eventually, I decided to ignore puzzle 147 and concentrate on the game in hand: a bit like the desire to look the more interesting game between your neighbours than your own dull game in a match.

Then, I realised that Rubinstein must have missed something, and more or less immediately I decided 1Re6 must be the idea: 1…Ke6 2 Qd5+ and then 2…Ke7 3 Qf7 mate; 2…Kd7 3Qf5+ Ke7 4 Qf7 mate are easy, but at first I couldn't solve 3…Kc6, before kicking myself when I saw 4b5 mate.

A nice puzzle.

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