It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle # 167

White to play and win

Vladimirov v Doda, Leningrad 1967

Solution

A problem of immense complexity.

I “solved” it, “playing” 1 Rf5! gf 2 Bf7+ Kf7 3 Qh5+ Kf8 4 Bh6+ Bg7 5 Rf1! which does indeed win; but is only a fraction of the story.

I wasn’t totally sure- Black has several alternatives at some stages. and can gobble more material, so whilst I chose it, I wasn’t convinced that an engine wouldn’t find something better.

So I turned to the solution, having spent a considerable time on the above line and variations, only to find Teschner gives 1 Bf7+! Kf7 2 Rf5+ gf 3 Qh5+ transposing: I then, shame on me, realised that whilst I had looked at 1 Bf7+! I had quickly discarded it, even though that move order is more forcing.

Then I turned the engine on…and 1 Bf7+ is weaker than 1 Rf5! for a really hard to find reason.

Suggestion

Use the starting position as one for a deep study session, and see what you can find. There are some computer only lines, unless you are a super GM.

Solution

There are some quite incredible variations, and rather than give them here, I have annotated them, together with brief comments, on the whole game.

In case the hyperlink doesn’t work, the url is:

http://www.viewchess.com/cbreader/2015/11/2/Game1167643937.html

The 8th November is the anniversary of my beloved mother’s death in 2002; so quite fitting I feel, given the whole hearted support she gave me for my chess, that today’s problem is a classic.

Posted with Blogsy