Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from some of my own analysis of AlphaZero v Stockfish, as I read through Matthew Sadler’s and Natasha Regan’s gold mine of a book, Game Changer.

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: examine 1…fe 2 Rc7 Rd8 3 Rg7+ Kf8[]

variation from AlphaZero v Stockfish, London 2018

Solution

Here, White has an only move: not the obvious 4 Qc7, due to 4….Qd1+ and 5….Qg4+ with perpetual; but 4 Qg3!!; and not 4…Qg4, say.

Why? Because from g3 the Q eyes g6, but also- and what I didn’t see- I chose 4 Qg4- it also eyes Qa3, switching the sides of the attack.

Instead, 1…Qd7 and the game goes on.

FEN

r5kr/p2q1p2/1p2pPp1/3p4/P2P1Q1P/8/1P3P2/2R1R1K1 b – – 0 29