Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is live blogged whist watching the last round of the Gibraltar Masters. The post is published days in arrears.

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

So v Deac, Gibraltar 31/1/119

Solution

Wesley played 1 Rf4 and, at the time of writing, move 47, looks well on the way to victory.

But Alphazero would I suspect go 1 d5 (one of the games of “his” I have seen vs Stockfish has just this motif, d4-d5 to open the diagonal for the black squared bishop) and after 1…ed 2 Bg7!

Then if 2…Kg7 3 Rg4+ and White wins the Black Queen either by 3…Qg6 4 Rg6+ or 3…K-f file 4 Rf4+ (or there might even be better moves like a Q check).

I wonder if we will all ‘up our game’ and learn from Alphazero? My copy of Sadler’s and Regan’s Game Changer book arrived today, and I am looking forward to devouring it.

FEN

1r2r1k1/6p1/1pb1p3/8/2PPqp1R/2B5/5PPQ/5BK1 w – – 0 43