It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 139

White to play and win

Averbakh v Osnos, Kiev 1964-5

Solution

I found the winning 1 Nf6+!, either picking up at least a pawn after say 1…Ke7 2 Nd5+ cd[], when 3 Bf3 is probably the best way to pick the pawn up, with a dominating position; but Stockfish preferred 1 Rd5! cd[] 2 Nf6+ and it turns out Black's king can't avoid going to the mines square e7 ( 2…Kf8 3 Bh6+; 2…Kd8 3 Bb6+) when the LPDO Bb4 drops after the Nd5+ fork.

Checking on ChessBase online from my iPad app, Averbakh (who had a lifetime equal score against, for me, his unknown opponent) played 1 Rd5!

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