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…Rg8 2 1/2-1/2, as played in the game (Black was playing to the gallery)

Drimer v Ciocaltea, Rumanian Championships, 1955

Solution

1…Rg8?? 2 Rg8 h2 3 Kg3! Kg1[] 4 Ra8 say and Black’s best is 4…h1(N)+

5 Kf3 Kh2 and White mates.

How? Well, that is itself a good exercise I’ll leave to my readers.

FEN

5R2/8/8/6r1/8/7p/5K2/7k b – – 0 1