It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 148

Black to play : evaluate 1…Qe5

Ree v Lehmann, Ter Apel 1966

Solution

In the game, Black offered a draw, which was accepted, but 1…Qe5 wins.

White's best is to play 2 Qe3, though it is hopeless after queens are exchanged and 3…e5, with two extra pawns and the bishop pair, so 0-1. But if 2 Qh6, 2…Rf2! breaks through.

If 3 Kf2, then 3…Bd4+ 4 Rd4 Qd4+ picks up the rook, and probably the B or one or two pawns, always worth check, so the queen can safely return somewhere to harness White's queen. (In fact, Stockfish prefers 4…Qe2+ ignoring the rook, going after the LPDO Qh6- it is skewered after 4…Qe2+ 5 Kg3 Qe1+ 6 Kf4[] Qc1+, but that is computer chess)

If instead White tries checking, Black can even let his queen fall to a Nc6+ fork and be captured:

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