Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the C.H.O’D. Alexander’s 1973 book”The Penguin Book of Chess Positions”, a book I devoured (and loved) as a child.I thought I would use it for more of my daily training.

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

Fischer v Shocron, Mar del Platam 30/3/1959

Solution

1 Re6! because if the rook is captured, White checks on e6 and captures on e5, releasing his black squared bishop into the game.

So 1…Qc8 trying to exploit the pin, but 2 Bd7! breaks it: 2…Qd7 3 Rg6+ discovers on the LPDO Rd7.

I have never heard of the player of the black pieces, but it seems he was close to a draw vs Bobby:

Megabase has an analysis of the game by Sergei Shipov, and the Chessbase map shows just one slip up let Bobby finish tactically.

FEN

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