White to Play

Pete Tamburro on May 6, 2013

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White is clearly winning here, and there are many paths to victory. White was Richard Reti who defeats Carl Carls at Baden Baden in 1925 by playing one move which causes Carls to resign on the spot. Please remember that Reti liked playing moves of elegant simplicity that masked a hammer of power behind them. There’s more than one mate here. Try and figure out which one Reti picked.

Solution:

Reti picked the fastest and simplest way. Being a problem composer, he preferred not to start with a check with 1.Rxf6+, which works, and he probably thought it would be more fun not to have a capture either with 1.Nxf6, which also works. No, nothing so “coarse” as checks and captures! Instead, he went with a move on the other side of the board! 1.Qa5 Qxh6 [Black could get obstinate, but equally unsuccessful, with 1...Rc8 2.Qxa7+ Kf8 3.Rxf6+ Kg8 4.Rg6 Qxg6 5.fxg6 Rf8+ 6.Kg3 Rf1 7.Qh7+ Kf8 8.Qh8#; 1...Rd8 2.Qc7+ Kg8 3.Nxf6+ Qxf6 4.Qh7+ Kf8 5.Rxf6+ Ke8 6.Qf7#] 2.Qc7+ Kf8 3.Qe7#

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.