It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #267

White to play and win

Geller- Liebert, Kapfenberg 1970

Solution

I failed with this one, missing entirely the winning move- it never even occurred to me.

Well, maybe not failed entirely, because my choice of move, 1 g4! also gets the engine’s blessing, +2; White’s can opener attack 1 g4 hg 2 h5 does indeed break through. But it is more risky, in exposing White’s King (but, as I thought, Black’s Queen is stuck, so 2…gh 3 Kg1 plans Qh2 wins) than the move Geller played: 1 R4f5!!

If the Rook is captured, then 2 Qc1 heads for h6l and if not, still 2 Qc1 and 3 Rh5+ gh 4 Qh6+ Kg8[] 5 Rg6mate – wonderful.