It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #277

White to play and win

Fischer v Camara, Siegen Olympiad 1970

Solution

I failed miserably on this one: why do I so often score badly on Fischer problems? I don’t know, but I do.

After much time spent on it, I played 1 Nd5 Be6 2 Qc4, thinking it was clever, but 2…Bh6+! gives luft to the king and wins easily.

Instead, as well as seeing Nd5 ideas, I also looked at Nb5, but felt it too tame. Not so: 1 Rd7! Kd7 2 Nb5 and White wins.

Best to study: it is fairly remarkable how strong the overloading of the Qc8, tied to defending the Rc4, allied with e.g. the N fork if Rc6. Best for readers to try alternative defences and see how white wins.