Another puzzle for an easy Reitstein day

White to play and win

N Mamedov v Manolache, Al-Ain 2012

Source Chess Today issue 4430

Solution

If it were possible for a chess trainer to see how I solved this puzzle, I would have flunked the test. My process was:

Try to make 1 Qe5 de 2 Rd7+ Kf8 work;

Try again to make it work;

Note that there is a Nd5+ forking motif, and then notice the e6 pawn is pinned, but notice that a knight can't get to f5;

Try to make 1 Qe5 de 2 Rd7+ Kf8 work;

Having failed, see if 2…Kf6 can be made to work;

Count the LPDOs: Qb6, Ra8, Rg8: note that there is a Qg8 jump biff, so the g5 pawn is pinned; try to get f4 or h4 to work;

Try to make 1 Qe5 de 2 Rd7+ Kf8 work;

Think: should I give up?; no;

Think Purdy again: examine all biffs, Qg5+, Rd6, Ba6 and all threats to biff: Rb4, Na4; realise 1 Rd6! is the solution.

Not very impressive, but at least I got there in the end.

The threat of the Nd5+ fork means that the Nd6 falls, and black's game collapses. Key is 2…f6 3 Nd5+ Ke8 4 Nf6+, and otherwise the white pieces swarm in,

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