Another puzzle for an easy Reitstein day

White to play and win

D Andreikin v S Sjugirov Moscow 2012

Solution

It is truly incredible how well the GMs can calculate. This puzzle was at the very limit of my abilities- too messy, too many things to juggle in my head.

Knowing it is a puzzle, and having first tried 1 Rg7+ and found if insufficient, 1 Bh6! is the natural next try; and after 1…Ne8 2 Bg7! Ng7 3 Rg7+ the following position is reached.

Black resigned here, and in my head I saw there was likely to be a 'staircase' or 'zigzag' mate, and once you can visualise the above position, it isn't too hard to find: after the Nf6 is captured, white checks Qh4+ Qg5+ and then captures, with check, the Nf6. Then he checks again and again bringing his Q to h6; and then he mates on h7.

Very nice.

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