Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 38

Black to play and win

M Solomon v D Gluckman 1995

Solution

1…Rg1 begs to be played (I am not sure why, but it does, doesn't it?) the only question is how to follow up. But once you see that 2 Rg1 is met by 2…Bc5+!, the problem is solved.

In a way, I wonder why 1…Rg1 is 'obvious'? It might be because it assists in trying to promote the h pawn; or it just puts pressure on the Bf3 which is tied to defending h1, so that if 2 Rd1, the white rook isn't defended by the Bf3 and is instead a LPDO.

I should also mention that my second immediate thought, 1…Rf3+! (examine all biffs) also works: 2 Kf3 Ba3! (Stockfish tells me that 2…a4 is even stronger) and a pawn promotes. The bishop arrives at c1, and the white king can't contain both the d and the h pawns.

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