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

Suttles v Fleigel, Santa Monica 1965

Solution

Examine all biffs, checking for forks, nets and pins (the Rf7 is pinned) examining for jump-biffs and LPDOs means that 1 Rf3! has to be looked at (but see later).

Black played 1…Qe6 met with by 2 Re4! and White won.

Better would have been 1…ef 2 Re8+ Kh7

White wins the ending; 3 b5 and if the Rf7 doesn’t move, likely 4 Qf7+ and 5 Re7 (though I think 3 Qf7+ is the move I would play in practice, thinking and hoping that the bishop ending is won)

Update

When loading the position into Chessbase, to produce these diagrams, my default engine Komodo thinks 1 Rf3 is less strong than other moves, since 1…Qh5 2 Qf7+ Qf7 3 Rf7 Kf7 is “only” +1.8; though, to my mind after 4 b5, all results would be still possible at my standard of play.

Komodo prefers 1 c6 and 1 Rhe3, both of which it says are “more” winning (higher evaluation) but there is nothing forcing.

FEN

4r1k1/pp3r2/3B2qb/2PQ2p1/1PP1p3/P6R/4RP2/5K2 w – – 0 1