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: what is the problem with the moves given yesterday, the game continuation?

Kofman v Volovich, Tallinn 1965

1…Re3

2 Ra8+ Kg7

3 Qa7 Qf3

4 Qb7+ Kg6[]

5 Rg8+ Kh5[]

6 fe Be3+ 0-1

Solution

6 fe?? is the losing blunder.

6 Qf7+! Bg6[] 7 Qd7! threatens  Qh3+ protecting the Bf1, so Black has no tactics to break through. So b7-b8(Q) is threatened.

If 7…Bf5 8 Qf7+ with a perpetual; if 7…f5 8 b7 Re1 9 b8(Q) Rf1+ is perpetual.

To make matter slightly worse, in the engine world, 7 g4+! is also apparently equal, but how would anyone human know that? 7…Bg4 8 Qh7 pins the Bh6 which is a factor: my engine shows numerous 0.00= lines.

FEN

4r2k/Rp5p/1Pp2p1b/2Pp1b1q/3P4/Q4NP1/5P2/5BK1 b – – 0 1