Test your chess: Reitstein problem 16

White to play and win

G de Villiers v A van Tets, Pretoria 1972

Solution

The motif is overload: the Qd7 is tied both to protecting the Ne7 and e6. So, 1 Rad1! is a natural attempt, and after a bit of calculation can be seen to succeed. 1…Qd1 2 Qe6+! Kf8 3 Qe7+ Kg8 4 Qe6+! Kf8 5 Bc5+ mates. The above is all Reitstein gives, but Black has a somewhat tougher defence, 1…Qb7.

After 1…Qb7, my solution was 2 Bc5, which wins easily enough, but Stockfish much prefers the evil move 2 Bb2 which piles on the pressure. It is quite instructive to try to get some understanding of why Bb2 is so good, and I think it is down to 'piling on the pressure'. The threat to g7 can't be met by 2…Rgh8, since that rook is tied to defending the Rd8; so e.g 2…Rdg8, when 3 Qe6+ Ke8[] (Kf8 4 Rd7) when 4 Bc3! with the idea of Ba5 and Rd8 are very cruel.

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