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

Kubanek v Kopriva, Prague 1952

Solution

An unusual and pretty solution.

1 Bh6+ and 1 Qh7+ don’t work- the latter because capturing the h7 pawn gives Black’s king luft: but 1 Qh6+! Kf6 2 Qh4+! does. A very unusal clearance.

2..Kg7 repeats the position, but with the Nf6 off the board, so that 3 Bh6+ Kg8 4 Qf6 is now possible, mating:

Very elegant.

Harder, and more prosaic, is 2…Kf5 3 Qg5+ Ke4[]

4 Re1+

(a) 4…Kd5 5 Re5+! Be5[] 6 Qe5+ Kc6 7 Qa5

and the pawn can be prevented from promoting, so it is 1-0.

(b) 4…Kd4 5 Be5+ and if 5…Be5 6 c3+ wins; and 5…Qe5 6 Re5 wins.

FEN

5r2/p4pkp/3bpNp1/q3n3/1r3B1Q/3p4/PPP2PPP/R4K1R w – – 0 1