Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the current European Team Championships.

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

Gawain Jones v Vladimir Onischuk European Team Championships, Batumi, Georgia, 28th October 2019

Solution

“Bring all pieces to the party”

Gawain added one more piece to the attack by the rook lift 1 Rb4!: better than Rf1, since the rook can swing to g4, hitting the Q whilst defending g2.

Black resigned a few moves later: 1…f5 2 Bf5 Rg8 3 Rg4! Qf7 4 Rg5 Be8 5 h3 Rg8? 6 Be6 1-0.

The whole game is worth playing through, to see the way in which Gawain built his attack.

FEN

r5qk/pp5p/2bp1p2/3p4/7Q/3B4/P1P3PP/1R4K1 w – – 0 26