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.

White to play

Lamparter v Fairhurst, Australian championships 1938

Solution

1 Nc6!!

1…Nc6

2 Qh7+!!

3 Be5+ Kh6[] 4 Bg7 mate.

Beautiful.

My engine, SmallFish, on my iPad, doesn’t see beauty and says 1…Bf5 is a better defence, but still winning for White, and prefers 1 Bf4. But for us humans, how can one not see the combination and smile?

FEN

rn1q1r2/4bpk1/p3p3/1pN1N1np/2pP4/4PpBb/PPQ4P/1B1RK1R1 w – – 0 1