a) 41...Re3 42.cxd4 transposes to line b >

This took a minute or two, but I finally tumbled onto

41 Bc1

With the threat of 42 Rxh6#. At first I thought this didn't work because of

41...Re1+

but after

42 Kf2

black is stuck. If he doesn't play 42...Rxc1 white will play 43 Rxh6#. But if he DOES play

42...Rxc1

then white gets to end it all with

43 Rg7+ Kh8 44 Rg8+ Kh7 45 R2g7#

<41.?>

Target: 1:25;000
Taken: 0:32;013

Material: unbalanced, White vs +2

Candidates: Rg7†, Rxh6†, Bf8, <[Bc1]>

-ML-
Seeing that the key move works only takes a second or so, seeing the key move is something entirely different. White wants to use his doubled Rooks on the g-file to mate Black or gain definite material (it is rather unclear now). In fact, White can use the h-file for that whilst bringing in his only passive piece.

<41.Bc1!> ends the situation there and then. White is threatening Rxh6‡, the only way to prevent that is to take the Bishop or interpose the diagonal. It is obvious Black wants to start with:

<41....Re1† 42.Kf2> as the immediate Re3 doesn't change the situation. Now, Black has two alternatives, Re3 and Rxc1, but both make no difference. Black may end his own misery by taking the rogue Bishop on c1:

41 ... Nf8 42 Rg7+ Kh8 43 Rg8+ Kh7 44 R2g7#
41 ... Re2/Re3/Re4/Re5/Re6 42 Rg7+ Kh8 43 Rg8+ Kh7 44 R2g7#

Perhaps black's best option is 41 ... Ne5 attacking Rg6, but even this is a little impotent. So white's control is complete, but what is white's best way of attacking!? Well obviously it is force the rook off e8 and e7 into a position where the two white rooks can play merry hell, with the mating combination above...

I have looked at this for a while, what I really want to play is 41 Bc1 ... 42 Rxh6#, but 41 ... Re1+ stops that. But then I thought well does that really matter? It does stop the mating attack on h6, but obviously not the one detailed above! So in reality losing one mating attack to gain the alternative mate is nothing to moan about!

41 Bc1 Re1+
42 Kf2

Now white has two mating threats and black is dead dead dead...

1) 43 Rxh6#
2) 43 Rg7+ Kh8 44 Rg8+ Kh7 45 R2g7#

42 ... Rxc1
43 Rg7+ Kh8
44 Rg8+ Kh7
45 R2g7#

Smyslov vs Boleslavsky, 1941 (41.?)

White to play and win.

Material: R for N+2P. The Black Kh7 has 1 legal move, the dark square h8. The Black Re8 bears the absolute burden of preventing mate:

[1]Rg7+ Kh8 [2]Rg8+ Kh7 [3]R2g7#

The White Ba3 requires activation. The Black Re8 prevents a threat of lawnmower mate:

[1]Bc1 (threatening [2]Rxh6#)

The White Kg1’s vulnerability to Re8-e1+ apparently prevents this variation, but Re8 is now overburdened.

Candidates (41.): Bc1

41.Bc1

The Black Re8 cannot prevent both mate threats; he can only prolong the agony:

41…Re1+ 42.Kf2 Re2+ 43.Kxe2 d3+ 44.Kf1

So I thought about preventing 41...Re1+ by playing 41.Kf2 first, but there's a big problem and that is 41...d3. For example, 42.Bc1 Re2+ 43.Kf1 Rxg2.

Next I considered 41.Rg7+ Kh8 and realized it would be mate if not for the e8-rook and went back to the original idea, 41.Bc1!.

And now it's more apparent that 41...Re1+ 42.Kf2 Rxc1 43.Rg7+ Kh8 44.Rg8+ Kh7 45.R1g7#.

So the problem in my analysis is that I made a quiescence error from the beginning, not looking one step further after 42...Rxc1.

It looks like 41.Bc1 (hitting Ph6 to threaten 42.Rxh6#) ends it.

click for larger view

After the queen trade white's pieces are so well-positioned. Very impressive.

click for larger view