Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the January 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 going 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.

White to play

unknown players

Solution

This position is given in an advertorial attached to the January 1979 Chess magazine, advertising books by Pergamon.

It is one of two book prize quiz puzzles. The other is shown as mate in 3 but is anything but; this one is shown as mate in six but again isn’t!

Of course, I now live in the world of engines, but in neither case could find the mate which is thought to be there.

For this problem, my engine’s three suggestions are two moves I came up with (though I tried to make 1 Nd6+ into a mate- it wins, but isn’t a mate)

1 Bf5!

1 Bh5

because the Queen is in a net, and the one I didn’t dream of, but brings more pieces to the party and also exploits the Queen being in a net is 1 h4!! That move is my engine’s comfortable favourite; if 1…h5 2 Bf5 and the Queen is trapped.

Having said that, 1 Bf5 also traps the Queen so we are only talking in terms of engine assessments and not practical play.

FEN

rn2k2r/pp2nppp/2p3q1/b7/2p1N1B1/P7/1P2QPPP/R1BR2K1 w kq – 0 1