It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #252

White to play and win

White actually played 1 Rfa1 and lost – how?; and how could he have won?

Burkett – Fritzinger, California 1969

Solution

Not too hard it being a puzzle, but in the game White erred playing 1 Rfa1? which was met by 1…Qe4+ 2 Kg1 (2f3 same) Qe1+ and mate next move.

Instead, 1 Ra8+ Kb7[] :

My solution was 2 Ra7+! Ka7[] 3 Qc7+ and mates on the a line, but equally 2 Qb3+ mates on the same line, and is prettier: 2…Ka8[] 3 Ra1+ etc.