White to move. How should White proceed?
8/4B3/2K5/8/2kp4/5R2/2PP3q/8 w – – 0 1
Kubbel 1917, presented by Andreas
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
A classic study
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Rc3+ dxc3
d3+ Kd4
Bc5+ Ke5
Bd6+
Anonymous beat me to it. Very nice puzzle.
Yancey
While the solution is pretty and the position instructive, it’s flaw as a study is surely the checking on the first move, and the fact that there is really only one variation.
I solved it in about thirty seconds, and normally I find studies hopeless to solve.
Still this is petty criticism. Thanks to Susan for bringing us so may of these pleasurable diagrams.
Ed,
Actually, the check on the first move is what held me up for a few minutes. I looked at variations involving mate by Ra4 or Rb4. It took about 10 minutes before I even considered Rc3.
I automatically look at checks when I see one of Susan’s diagrams, so I guess that’s what helped me solve it so easily.
I would certainly be proud to play it in a game, but the position would be highly unlikely to arise, one reason why it is a study I suppose.
1. Rc3+!! dxc3 2. d3+ Kd4 3. Bc5+ Ke5 4. Bd6+ Kd4 5. Bxh2 Ke3 6. Kc5 Kd2 7. d4 Kxc2 8. d5 Kb2 9. d6 c2 10. Bf4+-