Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem was a puzzle seen on Twitter

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

Carissa Yip v Gunina, 2020

Solution

White missed the very hard to see 1 Bf5!!; I certainly wouldn’t have seen it during a game.

1…gf

2 Qf8+ (or 2 Qh8+) and if 2…Rf7 3 Qh6 is a pretty epaulette mate.

Plenty more lines: in Kotov’s terms, there is a thicket of variations, which my readers might wish to explore.

FEN

1Q6/3r3p/2p2kp1/3n1p2/2q5/6PB/5P1P/4R1K1 w – – 0 1