Test your chess: Reitstein problem 8

Black to play and win

CC Pretorius v A Martin, Port Elizabeth 1968

Solution

A decent exercise. I intuitively saw the solution, of playing a bit like a rugby try, passing the ball to the winger: push b5-b4-b3, and when ab, cleverly swerve and play a3! rather than ab, perhaps using the d pawn as a diversionary player if needed.

Having 'felt' the solution, I did though skip round to the more prosaic plan of Ke6-d7-c6, aiming to capture on c5, but readily saw that Bh4-e1-b4 shores everything up; and there didn't seem any point of trying to hit the h2 pawn, which can always move forwarded if biffed by Nc4-e3-f1. So, back to calculation, and 1…b4! 2 Kc2 d3+! or 2 Kc4 b3! 3 ab a3! and a try is scored-sorry, the pawn promotes.

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