Test your chess: daily chess puzzle

White to play and win

V Ivanchuk v Lafuente, Gibraltar 2011

Solution

I was lucky enough to visit Gibraltar to watch some of the 2011 tournament, including this game. One of fond my memories was listening to Chucky in his post mortem analysis of this game. Incredible, humbling, to witness his speed of thought.

At times, the compère- if I recall correctly, Stuart Conquest- had to intervene, to ask Chucky to slow down and explain things to the audience, and this position was one: he saw the concluding combination several moves before, and it was all obvious to him.

Here, 1 Nc6! with the idea 1…Rc6 2 Ra5+ and mate next move, since Rc6-a6 is unprotected. Or, if 1…Ra7!, seeking to benefit from the self pin Nc6 creates, 2 Rb5! and 2…Rc6 3 Rb8 mate.

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