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

Jezek v Vanka, Prague 1958

Solution

1..Bh3! is the obvious first move; but the problem is 2 gh Qh3 3 Qe6+, exchanging the queens.

But the zwischenzug 2…Bc5! distracts the White Queen so that Qh3 can follow without the risk of an exchange of queens: 0-1.

FEN

r4rk1/p2b2p1/2pb3p/3p4/7q/2BBQ1pP/PPP3P1/4RRK1 b – – 0 1