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: examine 1 …Qb3, as played in the game.

Damjanovic v Lehmann, Beverwijk 1966

Solution

1…Qb3 loses:

Black’s weakness is clearly the risk of bank rank mate (in CJS Purdy terms, his king is in a net). So 2 Bg5!

If 2…Bg5, 3 Nb3 since the N is no longer pinned by the bishop on e7.

Or if 2…Qa3, 3 Be7 wins a piece. Black must make luft for his king, after which 4ba

FEN

r3b1k1/4b1pp/1q6/2NpP3/p1pP4/Q3B2P/1P3RPK/8 b – – 0 1