It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #225

White to play and win

Gurgenidze v Grigorian, Gori 1968

Solution

This is one of those positions in which it helps to know that it is a puzzle. I am not sure in a game I would have believed 1 Ne7+!!, even if I had considered it; though knowing it is a puzzle, it is easier to look at it.

Firstly, the move played in the game was 1… Be7 when after 2 Rc5+ Bc5 3 Qh5 Whire had a comfortable edge, and duly converted: material up, with Black’s king also being in the open.

The move I looked more at was 1…Qe7 when 2 Ra5! is natural.

It took me a while to see 3 Qf3! after 3…b6. Without Qf3, Black is better, but after it, he is lost.