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.

Black to play: evaluate 1…Rc5 2 Nf4, as played in the game

Bhend v Senn, Zurich 1956

Solution

1…Rc5 2 Nf4 Rc2!

If 3 Ng6? Black mates with Rg2+ and Rg4+; so 3 Rf2 Rf2! 4 Ng6 Rg2+ 5 Kf1[] Rg6 -+

Better is 4 Kf2 Qh6 5 Qh6 gh[] 6 Ne6 and the game isn’t totally over (unless White is Carlsen, in which case it was much earlier).

FEN

1n4k1/1b3rpp/p1r1p1q1/1pB1Pp2/3P3Q/3NP3/1PP3PP/R4RK1 w – – 0 1