Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 68

White to play: how to defend?

Which of the three ways to meet the check is best?

D Sprenkle v M Hentinnen 1982

Solution

This is fairly easily, being a process of elimination.

Taking the rook is easiest and most horrible: 1 Rd1 Qd1+ 2 Kh2 Qd6+ and the LPDOS Rc5 drops off. Next, and almost as bad, is to play 1 Kh2, when 1…Qd6+ followed by Ra1 at least wins the exchange – white can sacrifice it on c6: though maybe if 2 Kh3, Qc5 could well be a mating attack.

So, by reduction, 1 Ne1 is best, and hope that the game goes on, but black is better.

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