Daily chess puzzle

Today’s problem is from the August 1979 Chess magazine. I have hundreds (many hundreds) of magazines on my book shelves, and I thought I would dip into them; and thought I would start with going forty years back.

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

Tatai v Kopec,  Lloyds Bank Open London 1978

Solution

1 Bg4! if nothing else improves the bishop. 1..Qg4 2 Qd6 Qe4? 4 Rb8! and wins.

There isn’t a perpetual: 4…Qe1+ 5 Kg2[] Qe4+[] 6 Kf1Qh1+[] 7 Ke2[] Qe4+[] 8 Kd2 and the checks stop.

Black could have defended better: 2…Qd6 3 Qc5! d6!, and White is better, but would you win against Magnus Carlsen? Likely, not.

FEN

2r3k1/1R1p1ppp/3nq3/2p1p3/2P1P3/P4BP1/3Q1P1P/6K1 w – – 0 26