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

(i) what happened in the game?

(ii) what should have happened?

von Popiel v Marco, Monte Carlo 1902

Solution

(i) Black resigned.

(ii) 1…Bg1, and it is White who should resign.

FEN

7k/1b1r2p1/p6p/1p2qN2/3bP3/3Q4/P5PP/1B1R3K b – – 0 36