It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 108

White to play and win

Malich v Kovacs, Budapest 1965

Solution

Purdy on threats: imagine they can't possibly be implemented, and consider what you want otherwise to do. Here 1 e6! breaks the connection between the Bd7 and Ng4, and opens the e file to Black's king. 1…Nf2 is forced, when 2 ed+ Kd7 3 Bf5+ (to get the Bd3 out of the range of the Nf2 discovery) Kc7 4 Nb5+! with the idea that if 4…Qb5, 5 Kf2, and Black's threats are over, or if Kmoves, 5 Qd4, with the same effect. Stockfish suggests instead the flashier 4 Qd4 with the same idea, but also it prefers 3 Qa4+, with the idea that 3…Kd8 is met by 4 Qh4+ picking up the Nf2.

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