Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the 1972 book “Chess Combination as a Fine Art”, a book based on articles published in the 1950s-1960s by Kurt Richter.

Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.

White to play

Koz v Riskin, Sverdlovsk 1963

Solution

In some ways “standard”, but a nice problem, since the main task is to decide if to start with Rd7 or Bh7+; by process of comparison, 1 Bh7+! was the move. If 1…Nh7, then 2 Rd7 and 3 Rf7+-, so 1…Kh7 when 2 Rd7! now forces 2…Nd7, when the Queen comes into the attach: 3 Qh5+ and 4 Qf7+

5 Nd7 follows, with a threat of Qg7 mate; Black’s best hope is to swap off into a clearly lost ending. Note that 5. Rg8 defending g7 is met by 6 Qh5 mate.

FEN

2r1r1k1/pbq2ppp/1p2pn2/2b1N3/2P5/2B5/PPB1QPPP/3RR1K1 w – – 0 1