Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 11

White to play and win

M Keserovic v M Chersich 1995

Solution

The only thing wrong with this puzzle is Reitstein's hint to the reader, and also his solution. His rubric says the solution means the game will be over within a few moves, and his solution says black can't stop the c pawn's promotion. Because of the rubric, I spent more time on the puzzle than I needed to, looking for something better than the fairly obvious 1 Be6+! (or 1 Qe6+! is equivalent) Qe6[] 2 Qe6+ Be6[] 3 Re6

This is where the book's solution ends, saying the c pawn can't be stopped, but 3…Rh8 does that. All it means of course is that there is then a technical phase of exploiting a significant advantage, but it is not entirely trivial. (The definition of trivial is 'would you be entirely confident of winning this position with white against Magnus Carlsen). I would hope to beat Magnus, but would not be entirely confident.

I won't give more, except to say one helpful tactic is that if 4 Rbe1 (natural) Ne5, then 5 de! with the cute point that 5…Ke6 6 ef+ Kf6 7 Be5+ skewering, 1-0.

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