Cordingley puzzle 231 #chess

White to play and win

Cordingley, unusually, asks a further question: how does white meet the threat of Nf4+?

Solution

Fairly trivial this one, especially given it is puzzle; but even if it weren't, black's dire threats calls for desperate measures, and following Purdy's maxim to consider all biffs, 1 Qg7+! comes to mind, when 1…Ng7[] 2 Nf6+ leads either to overwhelming advantage after 2…Qf6, or mate after 2…Kf8 3 Ba3+ Bc5 4Bc5 mate, or 2…Kh8 3 Rc8+ Ne8[] 4 Re8+ Kg7[] 5 Rg8 mate.

After 2...Kf8

After 2...Kh8

Alas, the game score (Wolfgang Weil v Constantin Raina, Munich Olympiad 1936) is neither in Megabase 2012 nor could I find it at chessgames.com or elsewhere on the Internet.

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