Test your chess: daily chess puzzle

White to play and win

Wei Yi v R Dimitrov 2013

Solution

This puzzle, seen in one of Malcolm Pein's Daily Telegraph column, stumped me. I couldn't solve it on inspection, so as I always do, tore it out, without the solution, and put on my pile for future solving; and did it whilst walking the dog. It took me a while, so was good exercise for both body and mind.

Of course, the aim, of white's queen getting access to black's kingside, was clear enough, but how to achieve it? At first, I looked at Purdy factors: functions, nets, ties….noticing in particular that the Qb6 is tied to defending the Bb7, and then saw that if white could play Qf3 he would be able to shift to g3 with gain of tempo, because on f3 it reinforces the attack on the Bb7: so 1 Ne5! came to mind.

Once seen, 1 Ne5 is obvious. If the knight is taken, not 2 Qg4+ which is blocked by 2…Ng6, and black is better, but 2 Qe5! aiming at the square the Nf8 doesn't protect, g7; it is all over.

So instead 1…Kh8 when 2 Nf7+ Kg8[] 3 Qg4+ Ng6 (3…Kf7 4 Qg7 mate) 4 Qe6 and it is game over.

Also, after 1..Kh8, 2 Qg4 wins: it transposes, after 2…Ng6 3 Nf7+ and 4 Qe6.

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