It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 24

June 18, 2015

Black to play and win

Redeli-Barati, Budapest, 1949

Solution

A very pretty puzzle, especially once you defeat the best defence.

Firstly, time is of the essence: white has Qg8+ followed by Qb3, securing most things. So, examine all biffs and 1…Ra1+!! comes to mind, forcing 2 Ba1[] when 2…Qa4 is a double attack on Ba1 and Pc2. But white has the aforesaid 3 Qg8+ Kb7 4 Qb3:

At first, it might be thought white is in time, and will emerge with a rook extra, and a passed f pawn too, but no, black has the pretty 4…Qa1+ 5 Qb1:

Black to play and win