Test your chess: Reitstein problem 185

White to play and draw

S Pearson v DA Walker 1981

Solution

This one took me a while. I knew the first move had to be B moves, but where? I tried first 1 Bh7+?, with 2 Qc2+, but it is nothing, and 1 Bf7+ and 1 Be8+, before eventually seeing 1 Bh5+!

The point is that the K must be kept on the g and h files, and after 1…Kh8[] 2 Ng6+!

If the N is captured, white wins by 3 Qh6+, so the king must move! when Ne5+ or Nf4+ is perpetual.

Reitstein's rubric says that white's position is desperate due to multiple threats such as Bc3 and Qf4, but in fact Stockfish is more sanguine about white's prospects, giving 1 Bc2 as only marginally worse for white. The engine's point is that 1…Kf7 is the only way to continue (1…Kh8 2 Ng6+ and repetition as above) and then 2 Kf1 avoids both threats, since the Kf7 blocks the Rf8: I played a few lines out, for instance with black swapping the rooks off, and it does seen true that white has a chance of holding it together: the N lands on e6, the queen probably on d3, where it double attacks a6 and h7.

I am not though saying I could hold it against Carlsen…

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