White to play...

[Brian Towers]

My mind was also drawn to the event this came from and the fact that I must therefore have inputted the game, and yet I'd already forgotten it. This past week was exhausting.

Over 80 games a day for the first 2 days then over 100 games a day for the next 7. A phenomenal effort. We players owe you a big vote of thanks.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Heh, Qb2 looks like a really good quiet move! And Qb2 can also be played in response to many of the other lines discussed here - not quiet sure why I missed Qb2 in those lines. Difficult to see if you are not considering how to get to b8.

1.Rg5 bxc4 2.Qb2 is really nice.

[EDIT: Typo pointer removed]

[Nick Burrows]

6k1/p1p2p1q/3pbBp1/rp5r/2P1PR1P/2PP4/P4Q2/1K4R1 w - - 0 40

After Chris's 40.Rg5 bxc4 41.Qb2 Qh6 3.Qb8+ Qf8 4.Qxc7 Raxg5 5.Bxg5 Rh7 the assessment is unclear.

Michael's 40.Qb2 Qh6 41.Bg5 Qf8 42.Ka1 bxc4 43.d4 d5 is also unclear.

David's 41.e5 can be defended by bxc4 42.Qf3 Rb5+ then Rb8

Jack's 41.Rf5!? can again be defended bys ..Bxf5 42.exf5 bxc4 43.Qe3 Rb5 & Rb8




So the idea is to sac two pawns to remove blacks bishop from the defence of his kingside:

41.d4!! dxc4 42.d5 Rxa2 43.Qf3 (creating threats of Qh3 & Rxg6+)

6k1/p1p2p1q/3p1Bp1/1p1P3r/2b1PR1P/2P2Q2/r7/1K4R1 b - - 0 42

Here I expected 43..Qh6 (which is the best defence) 44.Qh3 Qf8 45.Qd7! (the follow up I had not seen (yet?)) If for e.g 45..b4 46.Be7 Qb8 47.Rxg6! is forced mate.

In the game black tried 43..Re5:

6k1/p1p2p1q/3p1Bp1/1p1Pr3/2b1PR1P/2P2Q2/r7/1K4R1 w - - 0 43

Which led to 44.Rxg6+! fxg6 45.Bxe5 Qh6 46.Qg4 dxe5 47.Qe6+ 1-0