Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 72

White to play and win

D Isaacson v KR Claudius 1954

Solution

First of all, following Purdy's advice to firstly ignore threats, imagining what you would want to do if they could not possibly be implemented, you look to see if the Q didn't move. But if say 1 Kh1 (or any other pass move) 1..Nd3 2 Rd8+ there is no mate, and after 2…Qd8[] 3 Rd8+ Kd8 4 Rd3+ all there is an unbalanced ending. So, rather than a pass move, you look for something better, and on finding nothing, it is clear the Q has to move.

To me, 1 Qh7! was obvious, seen on initial inspection, but as a process, one should also examine all biffs and look at (and reject) each of Qb5+, Rc5, Bc8, Be5. But after 1 Qh7 it is all over. If say 1…Bg4 2 Qg8+ Qf8[] 3 Rd8+!, picks up the queen, then the Bg4; and if 1…Ne6, aiming to interpose Nf8, then 2 Rc8+: there was a jump check threatened in the initial position, so again it is game over.

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