Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 74

White to play and win

L Pierce v R Hutchins 1938

Solution

The first move is obvious, 1 Rh7+, after which 1….Rh7 is forced. Then it is a calculation exercise.

2 Qg6+? Kf8 (2…Kh8?? 3 Qg8 mate) 3 Qg8+ Ke7[] 4 Re6+ picks up the queen, and, at the end, the Ra8 is LPDO.

2 Rg6+ is similar, when 2…Kf8[] (2…Kh8?? 3 Rg8 mate) 3 Rg8+ Ke7[] 4 Re8+ has the same effect.

The above is fairly calculable, but when I entered the position into Stockfish to produce the diagram, the engine said 1 Ne6+ is 'even better' (in the sense that +8 is better than +7). However, the lines if gives are unnatural and, on this occasion, I will confine my notes to the natural breakthrough.

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