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: assess 1 Bc7

Tuk v Assenova, Lublin 1969

Solution

1 Bc7? is a losing blunder. 1…Rc7 2 Rb4 Rac8! is a double attack, threatening to mate on the first rank, so the Rb4 is captured next move.

FEN

r1r3k1/2p2ppp/8/p2p4/Rb1P1B2/1P6/1P3PPP/R5K1 w – – 0 1