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

Korchnoi v Bastrikov, Minsk 1952

Solution

There are only two games in Megabase between these two players: yesterday’s great attack by Victor, and today’s. The whole game is worth playing through, but here,

1 Rd4! cd 2 Nd5

Now, Black’s bishop has several moves, but since the Pd7 is poisoned (Nf6+ fork), White’s attack prevails. In the game, Black was mated after 2..Ba5 3 fg Rf8 4 Ne7+ with Be5+ to follow.

FEN

r2r2k1/pp1P4/6p1/1Pp2PPp/1b1n1B1P/2N2R2/P1PR4/3K4 w – – 0 28