DRAFT It’s Your Move: daily chess puzzle #302

White to play and win

Basman v Griffiths, Bognor 1968

Solution

The source book, Teschner’s “It’s Your Move”, was written in the pre-computer era and extols the line Basman played: 1 Bd3!

Then 1..Bd3 2 Nf5! with a threat of 3 Ne7+ discovering a double attack on h7. The books gives various lines but not the diversionary defence 1..Nf2! which puts an equalising spanner in the works. The Q is diverted from eyeing h7, and Black has time to develop and defend: unclear.

Instead, 1 Be2 is my engine’s suggestion, quickly assessing the position as+3: White takes the Nh1, and has too many pieces out. I can see why an engine will say +3 even though it looks unclear to me. One to study if interested.