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: examine 1 R1f7

Kornfilt v Hukel, corres 1965

Solution

1 R1f7 and Black holds the draw after 1..Qb2+ 2 Kg1 Na3! because if 3 Rfg7?? Rc1+ mates.

White has better: 1 R1f7 Qb2 2 Rf2+ keeps the game in play; but he has better still than 1 R1f7, as we shall see tomorrow.

FEN

2r1r2k/4R1pp/p7/1p6/2nqN1Q1/P5PP/1P5K/5R2 w – – 0 1