Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 51

White to play and win

AA Ponelis v H Joffe 1985

Solution

Reitstein's rubric says that white played the natural 1 Qg5+, missing a winning move. So it is fairly easy for the reader of his books to consider 1 Bh7+!

If the rook is taken, it drops off after 2 Qg6+ Kf8 3 Qh7, since 2…Kh8 is mated by 3 Qe8+ and 4 Qf8mate.

Since 1…Kh8 loses the rook and is mated next move, black's 'best' is 1..Kf8 when the bishop withdraws and the pawn advances.

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