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

Oliff v Keogn, Dublin 1964

Solution

In the game, the players drew after 1…Qg3+ and 2…Qh3+ and perpetual check.

But 1…Qg3+ 2 Kh1 e3! breaks through.

Just as after 1..Qg3+ 2fg; if after 2..e3 White captures the Queen it is check, check and mate: Rf1+; R8f2+; Rh1 mate.

This puzzle, which I thought was nice, took me a fair while: until rather than searching for specific moves, I thought of the maxim “bringing all the pieces to the party“. Just like with Lajos’s win over Viktor yesterday, 1…e3 breaks the defences.

FEN

5r1k/2Q3pp/6p1/8/2P1prP1/7q/1P3P2/R2B1RK1 b – – 0 1