White to Play

Pete Tamburro on Aug 29, 2025

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I first thought of just putting the diagram, but people might wonder how the heck that position actually came about in a real game. So, you get a whole briefly annotated game well worth playing over.

Nikashkin - Isakov D24 Kemerovo, 1960 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.d5 e6 6.e4 a6 6...exd5 7.e5 7.Bg5 exd5 8.e5!? 8.Nxd5 8...h6? 8...Nc6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Nxg5 hxg5 11.Bxg5 Be7 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Nxd5 Qxb2 15.f4! Black wins after 15.Nc7+? Ke7 16.Nxa8 Qc3+ 17.Ke2 (17.Qd2 Qxa1+ 18.Qd1 Qxd1+ 19.Kxd1 b5 20.Nc7 Kd6) 17...Qe5+ 18.Kd2 Rd8+ 15...0–0 16.Bxc4 Qxg2 17.Nf6+ Kg7 SEE DIAGRAM 18.Qh5!! Qg6 18...Qxh1+ 19.Kf2 Qxa1 20.Qg5+ Kh8 21.Qh6#; 18...Kxf6 19.0–0–0 Nc6 20.Rhg1 Qg6 21.Rxg6+ fxg6 22.Rd6+ Ke7 23.Rxg6 Kd8 24.Rg7 Bd7 25.Qd5 Nb8 26.Qxb7 and mates shortly. 19.0–0–0 Qxh5 20.Nxh5+ Kg6 21.Rd5 f5 22.Rd6+ Kh7 22...Kxh5 23.Be2+ Kh4 24.Rh6# 23.Rg1 Black Resigned because of the oncoming mate 23...Be6 24.Bxe6 Nc6 25.Rg7+ Kh8 26.Bf7 Rxf7 27.Rh6#

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