It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 131

White to play and win

Gheorghiu v Möhring, Halle 1966

Solution

Pretty, and neat how everything fits together. 1 Ne6!

If 1…fe, then 2 Qg6+ Qg7 (2…Kh8, 3 Rh5+) 3 Qe6+ and picks up the LPDO Rc8.

Black's second attempted defence 1…Qh6 when the nice 2 Rh5!, an unusual diversionary move, wins. The little pawn on e3 plays his role (preventing a spite check).

Black can also try 1…Rc8! which tries to thwart White's main threat but again, 2 Rh5!! and once the rook is taken, White moves his Queen away with check, and then picks up the Qf8.

My engine plays this line very cruelly. Before taking the black queen, White's queen zigzags back to g2, picking up the h5 and g4 pawns en route, and from g2 hitting the Rc6. That rook is defended, but any of its moves lead to the rook falling off (…Rh6 Qg5 Rh3 Kg2 being one entrapment, otherwise mainly dropping off to a double attack, king and rook).

Posted with Blogsy