Test your chess: Reitstein problem 75

Black to play and win

A Price v H Goldberg 1976

Solution

When writing this blog series, I have chosen not to give the text which Reitstein includes for each problem, partly because in some way they are hints. For this problem, the hint 'misled' me, at least in the sense of engine rating.

The text was:

How does Black take advantage of his opponent's exposed king? Goldberg solved this problem with his next move. What did he play?

This, to my mind at least, implied a startling move, and I quickly landed on 1…Ne1! which wins. In the game white played 2 Re1? which was met by the main point of Ne1, namely 2…Rg8! when Rh6 can't be avoided (it can be deferred by Bf4, but only deferred).

White has a better defence, 2 Rg4, when 2…Nf3+ 3 Kh3 Nd4 4 Rf4 Ne2 is gruesome, due to white's uncoordinated pieces as much as his pawn deficit.

So, satisfied, I checked the book's solution, and was happy, and then I entered the position into Stockfishin order to write this blog.

Shock: the engine's clear preference was 1…Rh6+!; whilst is assesses the position after 4…Ne2 as winning, its numerical assessment of 1…Rh6+! is far higher.

Of course, the engine is right (’as always'). After 2 Kg2[] Bf6 white is in a curious bind, and against sensible tries the B gets to d4, after which Rg8+ comes next with terrifying force.

Once the engine showed me the move, I understood why. In my line, white's response Rg4 hits f4, and gives more possibilities of defence. The check on move 1 forces the king to block the rook, giving white a more passive position, and his tangled pieces can't organise a defence.

Interesting and instructive.

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