Test your chess: daily chess puzzle #7

White to play and win

S Bhawoodien v S Pearson 1998

Solution

The motif clearly to prevent the king from running away, and so trying 1 Rf5 is natural, and after the forced 1…gf, 2 Rf1.

Then it is a question of what black does. His best is the attempt to block with 2…Nf3 but then 3 Rf3 Ra5 is met by 4 Qh5!

Black can't play 4…Rf8 because of mate on h7, so must permit Qf7+ pushing the king to the h file, which is met by the rook lift Rf4-h4.

1 Rf5 and 2 Rf1 are strongest, but Stockfish tells me that the king can run away but can't hide. 1 Qh7+ Kf8 2 Rf5+ gf 3 Rf1 is also ruinous: white gets the bishop, and depending on black's response, the Pe7. At various times there is Nb5 or Nd5 ideas. The diagram below is one likely position wirh suggested engine variation.

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