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

Sam Collins v A Braun, Dublin 31/3/2013

Solution

I missed Sam’s nextr move, an excellent one. I played 1 Ba3 after which White is better, but not by much, and I fear the advantage in practice would be gone by 1..Kf6 2 Rd4 Ra4!

Instead 1g4!

It took me a while to see what this achieved.

The idea is to push the queen to a worse square:

i) either c5, as played, when White wins material after 2 Ba3 (but the game still went on for a whilel or

ii) 1…Qg6, from where (a) the Queen is passive; (b) it occupies a square which the king would have wanted, after Ba3 Kf6.

Interesting.

FEN

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