Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate # 36

July 4, 2016

Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.

Black to play and mate White

361

Schiffers v Chigorin, Berlin 1897

Solution

Due to the quality of the printing of the book (the production quality isn’t great, with the boards and pieces not being very sharp, at least for my half century old eyes) I missed for a while that Chigorin was a Q down. When I realised this, I realised that a straightforward 1…Nf5 can’t be sufficient, and forcing moves had to be used.

So I looked afresh at my first thought, 1…Rh1+, and this time found (2 Kh1[] ) 2…Bh2+! when it isn’t too hard:

362