It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #220

White to play and win

Schmidt v Padevsky, Polanica Zdroj 1968

Solution

An unusual and lovely position today: several themes are used. The solution came to be quickly, but seeing how it works is pretty. 1 Qc5+! both hits the K and also sets up a jump-biff against the LPDO Qa5. So 1…Kd8 2 a4!!

White threatens the horrible 3 b4!! revealing that the Qa5 is both LPDO and in a net: so 2….Rb7[] to permit the Q to escape to b6, when 3 c4!! is a double pin.

The same motifs apply if Black instead defends by 1… Nc7

A fitting end to 2015.