Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #164

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

Steckl v Milner-Barry, Vienna 1948

The first move is ‘obvious’, given that this is a position in a puzzle book: 1…Qh4. (However, Fritz prefers exchanging on d4 first, in the sense that -18 (whatever it means) is better than -9)

The easy point is 2 gh Rg6+ and 3…Nf2 mate.

Harder though is the move played in the game: 2 Nf3. This defence is why 1…Nd4 is probably better.

In a game, I would quickly get out of my depth of vision, and have to judge if my intuition trusted the Q sac: hopefully it would, but it might not be; but it being a daily puzzle with no pressure and ample time, it is easier: 2…N4g5!

3 gh (3 Nh4?? Nh3 mate) Nf3+

4 Kg2! (4 Bf3 Bf3 and Rg6+)

4…Ne1+ 5 Kg3 Rg6+ 6 Kh3 Bg2 mate.

Very hard, especially since White has the 4 Kg2 defence.

r5k1/pbp1q1pp/1p1pn2r/5p2/1PPNn3/P5P1/1BQ1BP1P/R4RK1 b – – 0 1