5th December 2022

Selected by Michael McDowell

Alexei Kopnin and Anatoly Kuznetsov

1st Prize, Mikhail Chigorin MT, 1958-59

3R1B1Q/4P2P/p1PPP2p/RsbkS2p/Sp5K/1P1BP3/8/8

Mate in 3

The solver’s first step should be to investigate the most interesting black moves in the diagram, namely the captures on d6, which leave both bishop and knight pinned. That way the full theme will be revealed when the solution is found.