Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 199

White to play and win

M De Pointe v A Goodman 1967

Solution

I found a solution , but not the solution.

I chose 1 e5!, which is the 'move my hand wanted to play' and after 1…de, played the inferior 2 Ne4? My line was easy to calculate a long way: 2…Qf4 3 Qf4 ef 4 Nf6+ Kf8[] 5 Nd7+ Ke7 6 Rg7 Kd7[] 7 Rf7+ Kd6 8 Rf4.

That was as far as I got: of course, it is technically winning, but equally, the game goes on. Also, if 2…Q somewhere, then 3 Qg2 Qg6 4 Qh2! is 1-0 because of the threatened Qh8+.

However, after 1….de, 2 Rh7! is far stronger: I just didn't see the Rh7 lift.

Reitstein gives 1 Rh7! as the solution, and it is equally good.

White missed this idea too, playing 1 Qg2, and the game went on.

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