Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the March 1979 Chess magazine. I have hundreds (many hundreds) of magazines on my book shelves, and I thought I would dip into them; and thought I would start with this magazine from forty years back.

As is my custom, I only say 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

Larsen v Schmid, Aarhus 8/9/1971

Solution

1…Nf1!!

The game isn’t over, and Bent played on with 2 Rd4 Bg2; but Nf1! is spectacular; if 2 Kf1 Bg2+ 3 Ke1[] Bf2 mate.

Chessbase’s auto-analysis isn’t a fan of Bent’s Bird’s Opening:

FEN

6k1/p4p1p/6p1/NB1b4/P2p4/3Rb3/1Prn2PP/3RK3 b – – 0 31