Daily Chess Puzzle

A challenging problem which I saw in a recent edition of Chess Today. I only partially solved it, which means I didn’t solve it at all.

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

Vasquez v Van Riemsdijk, Sao Paulo 1972

Solution

1…Bd5! is the ‘obvious’ first move, though I spent time deciding between it and 1….Ba4 (which is nowhere near as good, because of 2 Be4! protecting the Rb1) 2 Rb2[] Bb2 3 Rc2

and here I missed the winning line: 3…Bc6! 4 Rc6[] Bf6! 5 Ba3[] Be7! and it is game over. Lovely.

FEN

1r4k1/4Bpbp/2B3p1/p7/8/1b2P3/1r3PPP/1RR3K1 b – – 0 25