Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from one of my collection of chess cuttings. For perhaps 20 years I have been cutting articles out to read later, and rarely get round to it. The pile is (or the piles are) now embarrassingly large, so for part of the time I have available for chess I am reading through them, and will blog about interesting things or positions from them.

Where known, I will say where the cutting was from. Normally I will be able to tell this. Sometimes, though, I for example only cut out the puzzle and might not know. Today’s problem is from Malcolm Pein’s column in the Daily Telegraph.

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

Hou Yifan v James Jackson. Douglas IOM 1/10/16

Solution

Hou Yifan played the brilliant 1 f4!! sacrificing the N to open lines. I suspect an engine can see all the way, but for a human, I assume the move was partly speculative/judgment.

Yesterday’s problem showed the position several moves later.

FEN

1rb1r3/2q1bpkp/1n1p2pN/p1nPp3/p1p1P3/2P1B1NP/RPBQ1PP1/5R1K w – – 0 27