Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from one of my recent 3min blitz games

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

khair77 v allanbeard, chess24.com, 3-0 blitz

Solution

1…Bd8! deflecting the Queen. I chose to blog about this game since I have seen this deflection motif before, maybe on Chessbase.com or possibly elsewhere, as having a name; but can’t remember it; I vaguely recall some famous examples of this type of deflection. I am hoping a reader can help.

White played 2 Qd8+ and resigned after 2…Kh7, the Pb5 preventing any stalemate suicide’s by the Queen.

What is also nice is that 2 Qf5 loses in similar fashion: 2…Ne3! 3 Qf8+ Kh7[]

4 Kh2 Ng4+! 5 Kh3[] h5! is a nice echo of the mating net theme. Black eventually escapes the checks.

4g4 is similarly thematic: 4…Bc7 and if 5g3 Rh1 still mates the king.

FEN

2Q4k/6p1/5b1p/1P3p2/6n1/6PK/6P1/4r3 b – – 0 1