Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from an old edition of Chess Magazine. I don’t know which one, because, as is my habit, from time to time I photocopy a page to solve on walks or on trains etc; and my copy doesn’t show the magazine date.

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 Adam Taylor. 4NCL, Reading 20/11/2006

Solution

Unlike yesterday’s puzzle, which taxed me and I almost gave up, today’s was intuitive, with just a bit of calculation.

1 Re5+! fe 2 Qe5+ Kf8[] 3 Qh8+ Ke7[] 4 Re1+ Kd6[]

So far, so good: a forced line, more or less. Once the position was anchored in my mind, it was just a matter of being able to see with fair confidence that Black had no way out:  5 Qe5+ Kc5 6 d6+ forces the king into the wide-open.

I’ll leave any interested readers the task of defeating 6…Kc4 (or 6…Kb4)

FEN

1r1r3Q/p3kp2/1q3p2/3PpB2/8/b5PP/5P2/3RR1K1 w – – 0 42