Test your chess: Reitstein problem 34

Black to play and win

FN Barnett v A Hubner 1976

Solution

This might be an 'easy' problem, and some players might find the winning move immediately, but I made hard work of it.

After trying to solve it by normal means, I add to resort to system: to examine all biffs, all threats to biff, and eventually I settled on 1…Qc4! which threatens back rank mate. Firstly, it can be seen that black's king can get a way from the checks, taking a bit of care: 2 Qd7+ Kf8! 3 Qd6+ Kg7 and then tucking itself away at h6. Secondly, 2 b3 is met by 2…R3b3+! 3 ab Qb3+! and mating (this line took me a while: I tried to make something of 2…Rc1+? 3 Kb2[] Qc3+ 4 Ka3 Rb3+! 5 ab Ra1+ 6 Ra2[] Qc1+ which does indeed 'work' but after 7 Ka4 Ra2+ 8 Kb5 the game is still on.

The final line to compute is 2 Rc1 but then the typical 2…Rb2+! mates: 3 Kb2 Rc2+ etc.

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