It seems like white is able to grab a knight for free. However, that would be not a wise idea, as the c4 pawn would then be free to run down to become a queen. You can easily convince yourself that 1.Nxd8? c3! wins for black. White also has its own knight en prise in the starting position, so a move not involving a knight move will result in its demise. E.g., 1.Kb6 seems a desirable attacking move to make, but 1....dxc6 2.dxc6 Nxc6! again turns the tables.
1.Nd4 springs to mind as a move that maintains control - over the potentially running c4 pawn, and over the possible run of the f7 pawn too. However, the intricate variations following 1.Nd4 Kxa7! should soon convince you that there is no win in sight for white there either. Similar conclusions await 1.Nb4 f5!.
How to proceed? You are invited to take a step back and ask yourself whether there isn't some well-concealed opportunity for white... I will leave the question open for a day or two before I post the solution below.
I composed this study in 1989, but I don't think I ever published it. I only remember submitting it to the scrutiny of a chess master during a tournament, and he was unable to solve it. So if you can't find the solution, do not worry - you are in good company!
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