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

Chigorin v Rubinstein, Lodz 1906

Solution

1 Rf7! 1-0 ; this is amazingly, the identical position, with coloured reversed, down to every pawn, of Lundin v Smyslov 1946 which I published a few days ago. Smyslov missed the winning move.

Lundin v Smyslov, Groningen 1946

FEN

r4q1k/p2bR1rp/2p2Q1N/5p2/5p2/2P5/PP3PPP/R5K1 w – – 0 27