Test your chess: Reitstein problem 93

White to play and win

Black has just played Ne1*Nd3

HE Price v G Lawrence 1975

Solution

A rest day today. White doesn't need to recapture, and instead after 1 Qg5!, mate on g7 can be deferred, but not avoided.

I found 1 Qg5 instantly: of course, it is a problem, so you know there is something to find. But if it were a game, or if for some reason 1 Qg5 wasn't 'obvious' then two of Purdy's techniques would have found it: consider all biffs and consider all threats to biff or is recommendation to disregard threats. The following I thought was very insightful:

Purdy on threats, In Search of Chess Perfection, pg 289

You must see all real threats. That means you must also see the unreality of real threats…. When in doubt, you can always save time by remembering it is really your move. Try then the following way of thinking:

Imagine the threat could not possibly be executed. Then what would be my best move? Try out each attractive move separately, considering each one as follows. Visualise the whole position as it would be after this move of yours, and then work out whether the opponent would gain by executing his 'threat'.

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