Daily chess puzzle

Today’s problem is from the 1997 book ‘Improve your chess Now’ by Jonathan Tisdall. A book that I think I read when it was published, but am re-reading whilst on holiday. It is very thought-provoking. [I did read it: I have found a ‘yellow stickie note’ on one page, with some annotations I did at the time. Helpfully to my future self, I dated my note 16th February 1998].

As has been my custom on this blog for a while, I 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, played 1 Rha7. What followed?

Donner v Spanjaard, Leeuwarden 1961

Solution

1 Rha7?? was a blunder, met with by 1… Rh1+!! 2 Kh1[] Kg3 and mates.

FEN

8/7R/R3B3/4r1pP/p4k2/8/6PK/r7 w – – 0 1