It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 47

White to play and win

Shushov v Cairncross, corres, 1961-63

Solution

I failed with this one, despite giving it a lot of attention, including, eventually putting the pieces out on a board, not to move around, but to focus and concentrate.

Yes, I found a strong line, which Stockfish says is winning, +3. 1 Qe5 Rc1+ 2 Rc1 Qd6[] 3 Qd4 and Black is in near zugzwang, and the threat of Rc5 is impossible to meet well. In some lines, the Rook comes to rhe eighth rank. But whilst technically winning, not the solution.

Nor is 1 Rc8 Kc8 2 Qe5! the solution, despite the engine saying too is winning after 2…Qc5 3 Qb2! The engine's main line soon reaches the position after 3 Qd4.

What I missed, and would never see, is 1 Rc8! Kc8[] 2 Qg3!! the point being that if now 2…Rh8 then 3 Qc3+ forks the king and rook. And otherwise 3 Qg8+ picks the rook up.

I would assess this position as very hard: I wonder how many readers solved it?

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