Test your chess: Reitstein problem 27

White to play and win

CAL Bull v PG van Breda 1899

Solution

This one took me a while, partly because the solution is a bit of an optical illusion. Many elements come together: the fact that the black queen is LPDO, and the fact that if white moves Qb3 then the queen is protected by the a2 pawn, mean that in a key line, a zwischenschach wins.

So, 1 Ng6! and if 1…Qg6 2 Nf6+ Qf6 3 Rf6 Bf6 wins; 2…Kf7 3 Nd7+ and Ne5+; 1…Qe4 2 Qe4 de 3 Ne7+; and finally 1…de 2 Qb3! Qb3 and now the zwischenschach 3 Ne7+ and wins.

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