Test your chess: daily chess puzzle # 217

White to play and win

C Melboom v G Boulle 1984

Solution

In the game, White played 1 Qd5, and somehow still won. Had I been playing white, I think ten times out of ten I would have played 1 Bg4, and it is anyone's game after 1…Qg4 2 Qe7 Qd4 3 c3: white is better, but not winning. With more time, I struggled trying to make 1 Bc8 work, again and again, before, just before giving up, finding the solution 1 Qc8! : once seen, it is fairly straightforward- but I don't think finding it is easy.

After 1 Qc8! Rc8[] 2 Re3! is the key move, when black's best is 2…Qe3, but it is hopeless. If instead 2…Qf8

Then 3 Bc8 Qc8 4 Rae1 and mates or wins the queen.

Posted with Blogsy