Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the recent Grenke Classic.

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: 1 Ke1 was played, and Carlsen won. Was 1 Kg2 any better?

Vallejo Pons v Carlsen, Baden Baden 21/4/19

Solution

1 Kg2 Rf2+ 2 Kh1! Re2 3 Bd3+! and if 3…Kd3 it is stalemate.

Was this a trick worth playing? It could have been, though my engines say that instead of 2…Re2??. 2…Ba7 is mate in 39, and other moves are mate in 40. I assume that there is a winning line. Having said that I played Komodo for several moves, and its evaluation went down from #39 to just -3, and it wasn’t appearing to make progress: so 1 Kh1 was certainly a better try.

FEN

5r2/8/8/8/2k1B3/4b3/4N3/5K2 w – – 0 66