Test your chess: Reitstein problem 35

Black to play and win

W Berson v AN Rubbinsztein 1982

Solution

In a game, I can well imagine a player (for which read me) resigning as black here, since 1…Ng7 seems at first blush to be heading for a dismal defeat: strong rook and queen, pawn on the sixth. But then maybe you would notice 2 Rf7 Qd6 threatening something on the h3-c8 diagonal; or 2 Qe4 Qb6 double attacks the Rc7 and Pf2.

Knowing it is a problem, you then see motifs like pawn promotion possibilities, especially with white's queen somewhat offside, and also that after 1…f3! white's king is in a net: so, apart from threatening 2..fe and queening, black is also threatening 2…Bd6+ and Qa1 mating. White's only way to struggle on is 2 Qa7, protecting a1, but it is still trivial with 2…fe , threatening Qf2+ and Ng3 mate.

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