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.

Black to play

Gendel v Sushkevitz, USSR 1956

Solution

I completely missed the lovely solution to this puzzle.

1…Rg3+ (which of course I looked at, as my immediate, instinctive, move) 2 Rg3[]

2…Rg8!! the move I missed.

Very nice.

The Qc3 is LPDO and is lost after 3 Rg8 Qc3.

3 f6+ Kd7[] 4 Be6+ fe[] 5 Rg7+! Rg7+[] 6 fg Qc3[] 7 g8(Q) is a computer resource not mentioned in the book. The book gives no analysis after 2…Rg8!!.

7…Nf6 and Black’s king can be checked away to the b file, where it is then nice and safe, with Bb6 always available. Then the N hops to g4 if needed, and f2 falls/everything is simplified if needs be to a won ending.

Alternative first move

My engine’s first preference is in fact 1…Nf6 (but only in the sense -7.91 cf -7.85, so no difference). After 2 Re1 it rates both 2…Rg4 (human) and 2…Rb1 (silicon) as overwhelmingly won for Black.

And another alternative

My choice of move was 1…Rb2!! the idea being that the Qc3 is overloaded. 2 Qb3 Rg3+ and White’s house falls in. Komodo pleases me by giving this move =7.

FEN

1r4r1/2p1kp1n/2pp4/p1b2P1p/P1B1P2P/2QR2Bq/5P2/5RK1 b – – 0 1