Daily chess puzzle

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: analyse 1…Rg5+

Bannik v Cherepov, USSR 1961

Solution

1…Rg5+ 2 Rg2 Qc5+ 3 Qf2 is the ‘main line’

Then 3…Ree2! Is the very pretty key.

After 4 Qc5 Rgg2+ it is smothered mate in 2.

White has plenty of other defences, and I spent a happy while finding the precise move orders to defeat them. My readers might enjoy the same exercise; White does need a modicum of care to ensure neither a back rank mate or a simplification.

FEN

4r2k/6p1/2q4p/p3r3/2P5/1P6/P1Q2R2/5RK1 b – – 0 1