Chess Puzzle of the Week (126): Solution

New Zealand GM Murray Chandler is currently publishing a series of posts on Facebook with memorabilia outlining his chess career.

This position, Chiong – Aaron (Kuala Lumpur 1978), is from one of his newspaper columns.

Murray described his puzzle: “After gaining a fine position in the opening stages, Aaron has over-reached his hand, and now his rooks are in danger. White’s 1. Qe7 achieves nothing after 1…, Rbf4, but Chiong has an intermediate move. Can you find it?”

His solution: “1. Be4! Bxe4 2. Qe7! Now Black does not have the rejoinder 2… Rbf4 and he must lose material. Play continued: 2… Qc5 3. Qxc5 Nxc5 4. cxb4 Nd3 5. Rxc7 Nxf2 6. Kxf2 and, a pawn up, White went on to win.”

However, my silicon friend doesn’t agree that Black must lose material. He could instead have played the cool 2…Kg8! 3. Qxb4 Nc5, when Black will regain the exchange with a fairly level position.

So I’ll award you 10 points for assessing the position after 1. Qe7 Rbf4 as in Black’s favour. I’ll be generous and award 20 points if you spotted the attractive interference 1. Be4! Bxe4 2. Qe7!. There’s a further 10 points for finding 2… Kg8 and realising it regained material, and a final 10 points for assessing that position as about equal.

That’s 30/50 for Murray. Did you do better?