Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem was seen very recently in Leonard Barden’s Saturday Financial Times column. It took me a while- half a dog walk- to solve in my head- so I thought it might interest my readers. Hopefully they will do better than me.

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.

White to play

Kociscak v Tazbir, Czech Republic 1 December 2018

Solution

1 Rf8+! Kf8[] is obvious, but for a while I couldn’t see the next move, the key one; so oscillated between 1 Rf8+, 1 Bh6, and other attemps.

2 Bd6+! is the key.

Black resigned.

The key is that the Qe6 is tied to e8 (so as to defend against Qa8+) so the B can’t be captured, and the LPDO Rc7 drops off.

FEN

R4bk1/2r2p1p/3pqPp1/8/2p2B2/5QPP/1P4K1/8 w – – 0 35