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.

A very nice, pretty, problem,  to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Not that she understands how to play chess, that is.

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:

and which of White’s pieces wins the game? Name that piece.

Stulik v Kozma, Czechoslovakia 1957

Solution

1 Kg4! Qb2 – hitting f6, in time to prevent Rgh3 and Rh8 mate.

2 Rgh3! anyway Qf6[]

3 e5!! and Black doesn’t have a check, since the Bb1 covers f5, and the Pd5 covers e6.

3…de[] 4 Rh8+! Qh8[] (else 5 R1h7 mate) 5 Rh8 Kh8[] 6 d6 and promotes, since the Bb1 prevents the N coming back to e4 and then f6 with check.

Almost a study. I bet Mr Stulik went home happy that evening, and Mr Kozma was consoled by losing to such a fine combination.

FEN

6k1/5p2/3p1Pp1/3P4/1qp1PP2/6RK/3n4/1B5R w – – 0 1