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

Kwilecki v Roslinsi, Poznan 1954

Solution

1 Qe5+ and now the main line is 1…Kf8, but first 1…Kh6 (1…Kg8?? 2 Re8+ is trivial, winning the Q and then the R)

2 Qf4+

and now 2…Kh5 3 g4+ Kh4[] 4 Qh6 mate; or 2…Kg7 3 Qf7+ and mops up.

So, instead, 1…Kf8, and now the nice 2 Qf6! wins: 2…Re7 or 2…Qe7 lead to 3 Qh8 mate. I’ve had this motif in my own game; its a nice but totally well known pattern.

FEN

3q4/p2rRpkp/1p4p1/2p5/3p4/1P1P3P/P1P1QPP1/6K1 w – – 0 1