Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 164

White to play and win

JJ Steenkamp v NP Van der Nat 1997

Solution

Examine all biffs quickly leads to 1 Rc7+!, a fairly obvious breakthrough sacrifice. 1…Bc7 2 Rc7+ is 1-0.

Now, the best black can do is grovel with 2…Nd7 (2…Kg8 3 Qg6+ and 4 Qg7 mate) 3 Rd7+ R(either)f7 4 Rf7+ Rf7 and 5 Qg5+ with a winning position.

I did wonder if black might strengthen his defence by not taking on c7, keeping his bishop defending g5 and hoping that white's Rc1 is superfluous. But after 1 Rc7+ Nd7, 2 Rd7+ R5f7 (R8f7 drops the Bd8)

White has the tictac 3 Rd8! all the same: 3…Rd8 4 Qg5+ picks up the LPDO Rd8 by the double attack. Nice.

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