(3162) March 8 2010 - Tactic
White to move & win
[Monokroussos,Dennis]

This puzzle comes from the old Fred Reinfeld book _1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations_ (it's #915). The intended solution is pretty and not too hard to find, especially when you're looking for tactics, but there's one little problem: the intended solution loses. As is often the case, however, the mistaken solution has the right *idea*, and the trick is to find another way to implement the neat idea while avoiding the problem.

1.Bg4!
This is crucial: White moves the bishop away - with tempo - and thereby eliminates Black's 1...Bxg2+ 2.Kxg2 Rxe2+ defense. [1.Bh6? is the obvious move, with the idea 1...Be5? 2.Nxe4! Bxf6 3.Nxf6+ Kh8 4.Bg7+! Kxg7 5.Nxe8+ Kg8 6.Nxc7 and the checkers-like combination concludes with an extra rook and bishop for White.; Unfortunately, 1.Bh6? is refuted by 1...Bxg2+! 2.Kxg2 Rxe2+ followed by ...Be5 puts an end to White's fun. The difference is that with the black rook on e2 ...Be5 Ne4 is senseless: Black plays ...Rxe2. The upshot is that Black is up two pawns and enjoys the safer king.]

1...Ra8
and only now

2.Bh6
[2.Rd7 Be5 (2...Qe5 3.Nxe4 Qxe4 4.Rxf7 is even worse for Black.) 3.Rxc7 Bxf6 4.Rxf6+- is plenty good too, but never mind!]

2...Be5 3.Nxe4! Bxf6 4.Nxf6+ Kh8 5.Bg7+! Kxg7 6.Nxe8+ Kg8 7.Nxc7+- *