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: what would you play? what other moves would you consider?

European Team Championships, Batumi, Georgia, 2nd November 2019 (players names given below)

Solution

On purpose, I didn’t say who the players were. Or, in particular, that Alexei Shirov was White, playing against Joanthan Westerberg.

1 g3!!

Fair to say, that move would never, ever, have come into my head.

But once seen, the logic is impelling.

If Black exchanges Qs and then captures on c8, or just captures on c8, then Bh3+ skewers the king and the Rc8. So Black captured on h1 and lost to fire on board.

FEN

r1N4r/pp3ppp/2n1kn2/3qp3/1B6/P7/1P2PPPP/R2QKB1R w KQ – 0 14