It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #226

White to play and win (look for the best way to win)

Belousenko v Pugachov, corres 1966-68

Solution

I failed with this puzzle, playing 1 Bg6!, which wins, but Black can play 1…Rg2+! 2 Kg2 Bh3+! and get quite a few checks.

My engine tells me that 1 Qc6! is also super strong, but the move played in the game, is as strong and far prettier: 1 Qb4!!

Then Black can grovel, but note that the Bg4 is LPDO; and with checks like Qc3+ also being possible, it is game over. So 1…Qb4 is the fair thing to do, when faced with 1 Qb4!!, and after 2 Rd8+ Kg7 3 Rg8+ Kh6 4 Rf6 is mate.