Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 100

White to play and win

M Rubery v I Rabiner 1984

Solution

Probably most things win for white, such is the near zugzwang. But improving the pieces by 1 Bf4 makes a lot of sense. Black's Re8 can't move, else Ne7+ Kc7 Qd6 mate, so black can only make a pointless move, when 2 Rd1 threatens Nb6+ and Rd7+. So, 1-0.

Stockfish actually prefers 1 Bh6, which is very mercenary, but I can see why. If the bishops are exchanged, black is still is similarly trussed up.

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