Test your chess: Reitstein problem 85

White to play and win

CCA de Villiers v S Hamman 1980

Solution

A rest day, today. The immediate obvious plan is to set up a Q+B battery on the b1-h7 diagonal, then playing Qh7mate. So the only question is where to retreat the bishop to, so that the queen can come in front, to f5.

Since Be4 can be biffed (Re8 and exchange sac next move), as can Bd3, as can Bb1 (Rd8 Qf5 Rd1) the clearly best move is 1 Bc2, hiding the bishop away from the nasty rook. Black is then helpless against the battery.

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