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 (find a move to play, but don’t spend too much time on the puzzle, for reasons which will be explained)

M Carpenter v D Keddie, Huddersfield 2016

Solution

I failed with this puzzle; I would have played 1 e6 to free my black squared bishop and damage Black’s pawns, but I couldn’t see a path to an advantage.

Komodo took a long time -a few minutes on my very modern laptop before switching from 1 e6 +0.2 to 1 f4! +2.33; 1 f4 being the move played in the game.  The main line is seen after 1….Qe6 2 f5!

2….gf 3 Qh4+ Kg8[] 4 Bf6!!

Very unusual, very nice. The idea behind f4-f5 is therefore to remove the g6 pawn so that a later Qg5 comes with full force.

FEN

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