Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from a recent newspaper article- from the Spectator.

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

Botvinnik v Smyslov, game 18, World Championship match 19/54/1958

Solution

Smyslov played 1…Rde8, and eventually lost the game, but 1…Rd2! would have won.

After say 2 Be6+ Rf7, White only has 3 Bf7+ Kf7 and no more checks.

A picture tells a 1,000 words, and below is the Chessbase15 quick annotation diagram of the game.

Black missed his main chance, and blundered in the R+B endgame at move 46.

FEN

3r1rk1/pp5p/2b3p1/2p1p1Q1/5P2/2P1R1PB/P1q4P/4R1K1 b – – 0 26