Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #251

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

White to play and win

Vajnicka v Gross, 1961

Solution

The puzzle book I am using, Matni Udar, doesn’t show who is to play: the first part of each puzzle is to work out “who is it to play and win”. Here it took a moment or two, but as soon as I decided it was “White”, the solution came to me: 1 Rd7! is a decoy/deflection, after which either the Rd1 is lost, or it is mate by 2Qf6 etc.

FEN

6k1/R4p1p/2b3pB/1p1qp3/8/2P4P/P1P2QPK/3r4 w – – 0 1