The finish is "quite" simple and the technique is to make open files for the two white rooks.

Why didn't I find this earlier... ...because I don't have a very good memory! I should remember these sorts of rules if I am ever going to improve.

32 b4 Qc8
33 bxc5 bxc5
34 Rb1! Nc6
35 Bxc6 Bxc6
36 Qxa7 Kh7
37 Qxc5 Bd5
38 Qxc8 Rxc8
39 a4 Ra8
40 Ra1 Kg6
41 f4 ...

click for larger view

White has a 5 pawn advantage and the black DSB is going nowhere.

click for larger view

< Mar-28-12
<sevenseaman: <Tactics is the ability to see when there is nothing visible. <This one drove me nuts for quite a while.

<[Diagram.] (see above)

<Black to play and win. <<>> >>>>>>

I think that the solution is: 1...QxN/g3!

If 2.PxQ/g3, then 2...g5!; with an unstoppable mate. (Right? The threat is 3...Rh6#. White has to play suicide/give-away ... but cannot ultimately stop the mate. Is this correct???)

White picks up at least an exchange after

25 Ng5+ Kg8 26 Nxf7

Picking up a pawn, and forking the black rooks.

26...Kxf7 27 Qe7+ Kg8 28 Qxd8+

Pretty straight forward.

=====

More interesting is 26...g5 27Bxg5 hxg5 28Qxg5 & black is in a bad way.

********

1.Black's Qa6, Nb8, Bd7 and Rd8 are all poorly placed. That's a lot of pieces.

2.White gains a tempo by threatening to capture on d8

I was about a 1300 at the time, although I at least thought I was stronger than my rating. (Of course - this was many years ago.)

Someone set me up a problem. It was a famous game, a bone-crunching shot. However, I spent at least half an hour on the problem, and maybe a whole lot more. I was blown away by the fact that my brain refused to wrap itself around the problem ... Bruce Foster, (at the time, he was the club champ); walked by, non-chlantly played a move, and then asked, "Is that it?" (It was.)

I was mortified and full of shock and consternation. "How could I not see such a simple idea?," I asked.

I see 25. Ng5+ Kg8 26. Nxf7 (!?).

Now if 26..... Kxf7 27. Qe7+ Kg8 28. Qe8+ with a material advantage of R + P for N.

But black can play 26.....g5 (any other move will result in the capture of one of black´s rooks, winning the exchange and a pawn).

Now I am not sure. 27. Qh5 Be8 and white is in trouble.

So it must be 27. Bxg5 I think. Then 27.....hxg5 28. Qxg5. Now 28.....Kxf7 results in the loss of the rook on e8 as in my first line. So 28..... Rf8 29. Nxh8 Kxh8, and white has R + 3P for B + N. I have not heard of the game players, but assuming they are grandmasters, this material advantage should not be difficult to convert.

Somehow I think I have missed something, although the above seems to win.

27.bxg5 hxg5 28.qxg5 quest is a foot ridge a knight it safe in the

knowledge whites crown in tucked it paint in three pawn down black it

exposed in go monarch in g8 ever f8 rook it dolly also nxh8 it's teed

rank in f7 it knackered in go backed it toing von frowing queen mops up

the nut cutlet investigate king it kid in clopping queen head for one

post range in d2 rovers a tilly it obvious in g5 firs toot the horn

black it disarray in bind i spot read careful white in nf7 you win dowse

ill clean up ti a rag in g5 really it over in h8 ask it coin a phrase

"the blue cervant".

Slow in g5 then explode on in a melee kits pull in got it as far on g8

inch lift in f7 g5 bishop in xg5 hxg5 qg5

Great decision for g5 stoking ate f7 a long drawn out affair yeah queen

hairy it wash in get dished it flagpole black it uphill in garden speak

it volume in going ar good led in pencil late another h8 allow in g5 ko