Test your chess: Reitstein problem 240: a classy problem

White to play and win

The last puzzle in the book, and a classy one.

M Levitt v B Levin 1991

Solution

This one took me a long while, a full dog walk, several cups of teas, part of a World Cup match (these blogs are written weeks in advance- they are not all written at 7 am, fortunately Blogsy has a delayed posting facility) before suddenly, I saw it- and it is a thing of beauty.

Firstly, I checked 1 Qg7+, and 1 Rh8+, which are insufficient and the spent a lot of time on Qg4, aiming for Qh3 perhaps, or Rh7: but black can defend with Rfb8 giving luft to his king, and Qf6 or Kf8; and I noted that Nb4-c2 can often be met by Nd1, using an otherwise idle piece. But none of these work.

Then examine all biffs and 1 Bh7+! Kh8 2 Bg6+! Kg8 (a line I had looked at initially, trying 3 Qh5, which does nothing after 3…Bg6) and now:

White to play and win

3 Rh8+!! (examine all biffs)

3….Bh8 (3…Kh8 is trivial: 4 Qh5+ and 5 Qh7 mate) and now?

White to play and win

4 Bh7+!! (examine all biffs)

and it is game over: 4…Kh7[] 5 Rh1+ Bh5[] 6 Rh5 mate.

A fitting end to a really good puzzle book.

Posted with Blogsy