BARDEN’S CHESS PROBLEMS

This week’s puzzle is a talent test devised by the old Soviet Union’s renowned coaches, who helped create a golden era when the USSR squad regularly won the biennial Olympiad and twice defeated teams from the rest of the world. White’s bishop has to eliminate all three black pawns before any one of them can advance down the board and promote unhindered to queen. The answer is not that easy. For example the obvious play 1 Be4? fails to 1 … c6! 2 Bd3 a5 3 Bc2 c5 4 Ba4 c4 5 Bb5 c3 6 Ba4 b5! and the pawns overrun the bishop. It will be a feat of analysis and show real chess talent if you can work out White’s correct plan, including Black’s best defence, in under half an hour.

(Answer on page 62)