COMBINATION - Easy (Gaprindashvili-Dlugy, Bruxelles, 1987)

Gaprindashvili-Dlugy, Bruxelles, 1987

White to move

Clue #1

Think #1 - Is my King safe?

1. ... Bxg2 - The only way to threat the white King but 2. Rxg2 Db7+ 3. Rg1 and white team is fine.

Think #2 - How to attack the black King?

1. Nxe7+ - Qxe7 and the black Queen is now unprotected

2. Nh6+ - Rh8 is carefull but gxh6 works fine
3. Qg4 - Mate threat by Qxg7 even if g6 or exf5 look fine

...

Clue #2

Think #3 - Which are the black pieces under fire?

1. Be7 - Attacked once, defended once by the Queen. After Qxe7, the Queen is unprotected.
2. Bd5 - Attacked once, defended twice, by Dd7 and e7 but if Qxd5, Nxe7 do a royal fork!

...

Clue#3

Think #4 - What are the black weaknesses?

1. Qd7 - Unprotected piece

...

Solution

1. Rxd5! - The black Queen cannot take because of the fork by Cxe7! (Think #3).

1... exd5 - The only move...

2. Qg4 - Mate threat (Think #2)

2... g6 - The only way to defend (2... Bf6 3. exf6 is not better)

3. Nh6+! - The unprotected black Queen (Think #4) is died!