Test your chess: daily chess puzzle #8

White to play and win

(A good exercise today: I totally miffed it)

BP Donnelly v S Lewis 1965

Solution

Firstly, like me, did you think 1 Rb7 was the solution? Alas, it isn't.

If so, how does black defeat 1 Rb7?

Solution

My idea was 1 Rb7 Ke7 2 Bg3, but simply 2…Rd3+! 3 Ke2[] Rg3 wins the bishop.

Whilst the engine (Stockfish, on my iPad) gives the position as winning (-1.6) I don't particularly trust that assssment, though I would say that only black is playing for two results. Also, it is far nearer to a win than a draw.

To save making this posting too long, I will give the solution as a separate posting.

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