Daily chess puzzle

Today’s problem was seen in a recent weekend Financial Times column by Leonard Barden. Since I enjoyed solving it I am sharing it on my blog.

Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying 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, Poland. Leonard doesn’t give the players’ names, and I am writing this without access to Megabase or TWIC (away on holiday without my laptop)

Solution

White must prevent Qg7+ and also Qh3+ so 1 Qc3, on the intersection of the long diagonal and the third rank.

1…Qb7.

If 1…Qe7, White checks on c8, swaps queens, and the pawn promotes.

Now White must prevent both Qh1+ and Qg7+, so again we find the intersecting move: 2 Qa1!

Now Black is in zugzwang. 2…Kf8 loses to 3 Qh8+ and then the skewering 4 Qg7+, so 2…Qe7

3 Qa8+ Qf8+[] 4 Qf8+ Kf8[] 5 Kh7 and the pawn promotes.

Pretty. Nice geometry.

FEN

5k2/7K/6P1/8/8/8/8/8 b – – 0 1