Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is another game between yesterday’s players, found when finding yesterday’s game in Megabase.

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

Spassky v Darga, Varna 1962

Solution

1 Ne6! fe[] 2 Qa4+ Qb5 3 Qg4 and Black is in a losing bind.

3…Qc6 4 Qg7 Rf8 5 Rf8+ Bg8[] 6 Qh7

6..Rc8 7 Qg6+ Ke7[] and resigns, because 8 Rd6 wins, as does 8 Qf6+, and the computer’s preference 8 b4: the idea of b4 is that Black is in zugzwang.

FEN

r3kb1r/1q3ppp/p3p3/4P3/p2N1Q2/P7/1PP3PP/3R1R1K b kq – 0 20