BARDEN’S CHESS PROBLEMS

Alex Bunyan vs Frank Crowl, Sydney, 1934

Crowl is a forgotten name now, but in his prime, the Australian master had a great reputation for flights of imagination on the board, of which today’s puzzle was one of his best. Crowl as Black (to move) had level material but with the pieces scattered chaotically across the board. A crowd of spectators gathered as word went round that Crowl could force mate by Rxh2 and Rh1, yet the master continued to think. He hesitated – then chose a different move. Why?