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.

White to play

Sisigin v Camzirajem, Kizila 1960

Solution

1 Nd5 Bd5 (1…Bf6 2 Qh2 Qh8[] 3 Nf6 and 4 Qh6+) 2 f6+!

A key zwischenschach: White prevents the closing of the diagonal b1-h7.

2…Bf6[] 3 ed[] Qd7 4 Rh6!

and if the Rh6 is captured, 5 Qh2+ 6 Qh7+ picks up the queen.

However, all this shows is that 3…Qd7?? is a blunder: 3…Qe7! and the game goes on. 4 Qf5 e4! 5 Be4 Re8 6 Qg6+ Kf8 7 Qh6+ Qg7 8 Bf3 say, and Black is for choice. So the problem is cooked.

FEN

r2q4/1b2b1k1/p2p3p/1p2pPp1/4P3/1PNB4/PP3Q2/1K5R w – – 0 1