Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 76

Black to play and win

 

N Scott v MJ Bennett 1974

 

Solution

 

I enjoyed this one, because I improved on the game continuation, and on Reitstein's analysis. In the game black played the natural 1…Bg3! which gives him an advantage, but black had better. First, 1…Bg3.

If white doesn't take the bishop, then he is a pawn down, with a ruined K-side. So 2 hg Re3!

If white plays in the game, and captures on e3, then it is all over, in similar fashion to what I show later. However, 3 Qd2! is a better defence. True, black is better, being a pawn up and with good development, but the game goes on.

There is one cute tactic worth mentioning. If black plays the natural 3…Rae8, then what?

White to play: what is his best defence?

 

Solution

 

White has the lovely 4 Bf1! which doesn't drop a piece after 4…Rf3: it is worth working out why before reading on.

Solution

White plays 5 Re8+! Ne8[] 6 Qe2 hitting two LPDOs, so the Ne8 falls, and the game goes on.

 

Back to the original position:

Black to play and win

 

Solution

 

I saw the defence 2 Qd2 (or other ways of declining to take on e3) and instead reversed the move order.

1…Re3! is far stronger.

Now, the rook has to be taken, so white's pawns are shattered, 2 fe Bg3!

If 3 Rf1 declining the bishop, then 3…Ng4 brings more pieces to the party. If white defends the Pe3/ def eds against the Ne3 knight fork by 4 Qd2 then 4…Bh2+ and black has ample compensation. There is no quick 0-1 but a slow build up of pieces by black will do the trick.

So, 3 hg Qg3+ 4 Kh1 Ng4 and it is gruesome. One line is 5 Rf1 Qh3+! (To deprive the rook of the square g1, from where it hits g7, as does the Bb2) 6 Kg1 Ne3 and black wins white's queen, due to the threat of mate on g2