---

White is down a piece, but can easily win it back by

29 Rxf6+ exf6
30 Ne6+ ...

... oh, wait, that actually forces mate.

So let's check an alternate line:

29 Rxf6+ Kg8
30 Ne6

White now threatens mate with either rook. The only way I see for Black to try to avert mate is by pushing the h-pawn, either immediately or after giving check at b1. That gives us two lines:

29 Rxf6+ Kg8
30 Ne6 h6/h5
31 Rf8+ Kh7
32 Rxh8+ Kxh8
33 Rxb7

and White is a full rook ahead. The other try is:

29 Rxf6+ Kg8
30 Ne6 Rb1+
31 Kh2 h6/h5
32 Rxe7

White threatens mate at f8 and g7, and Black can't stop both the threats.

The final line to check is

29 Rxf6+ Kg7

29. Rxf6+ exf6
30. Ne6+ Ke8
31. Rxb7 Rg8
32. Rc7 followed by Rc2 to capture the knight.
if black plays 30...Kg8 31. Rxc7 h5/h6 32. Rc7 we have similar result.

Of course White must have a plan sacrificing a piece in the endgame. Not 29.Ne6+ Kf7 30.Ng5+ Kg7 and White is unable to take the Rook for free.

29.Rxf6+ exf6 (29...Kg8 30.Ne6! mates quickly)

30.Ne6+ Ke8 (30...Kg8 31.Rxb7 h5 32.Rg7#)

31.Rxb7 Rg8 (31...Nc3 32.Rb8+)

However, both are inferior choices. Instead, White can ignore these tempting possibilities and win outright with the deflection (removing the guard) tactic 29. Rxf6+!, which gives us the best of both world's by leaving the discovered attack with check and the skewer options open.

The final decisive target of White's combination is more than just the win of material as a result of the deflection (29. Rxf6+!) and discovered attack with check (30. Ne6+ Ke8 31. Rxb7). Most certainly White's goal is not just the cheap mate threat 30...Kg8?? 31. Rxb7 h5 32. Rg7#.

Rather White's real winning objective is the entrapment and capture of the Knight at the tail end of the combination after 32. Rc7! Black resigns following 32. Rc7!, as there's no way to prevent Rc2 which traps and wins the Knight on a2.

29 ... exf6
30 Ne6+ Ke8 (Kg8 31 Rxb7 any move 32 Rg7#)
31 Rxb7 ...

The problem for black is that if it tries to save
Rh8 it loses Na2...

31 ... Rg8
32 Rc7

and if it choosed to lose Rh8 and save Na2 it
loses all its pawns!

31 ... Nc3
32 Rb8+ Ke7
33 Rxh8 Kxe6
34 Rxh7 ...

34 ... Kf6
35 Ra7 ...

35 ... a5
36 Rc7 Nd5
37 Ra7

<29 ... Kg7>
<30 Rf4! ...>

Black has the massive threat of Ne6+ mating!

<30 ... Kh6>
<31 Ne6! g5>
<32 Rxb7 gxf4>
<33 Rc7 >

click for larger view

<31...Rg8> is forced, so White wins easily with 32.Rxh7 Nc3 33.Nc7+ Kd8 34.Nxa6

click for larger view

*****
Ouch, like <patzer2> I didn't find 32.Rc7 I spent quite a lot of time trying maneuver the White Knight to help the White Rook trap the Black Knight [ie: cover the squares the rook couldn't] before giving up and going the materialistic route :(

The obvious move 29.Ne6+ doesn't seem to give much after 29... Kf7 30.Ng5+ Kg7. This suggests 29.Rxf6+, removing the best black piece:

A) 29... exf6 30.Ne6+

A.1) 30... Ke8 31.Rxb7 Rg8 (else 32.Rb8+ wins the exchange at least) 32.Rc7 traps the black knight. For example, 32... h5 33.Rc2 Kf7 34.Nd4 Re8 35.Kf2 and White captures the knight.

A.2) 30... Kg8 31.Rxb7 followed by 32.Rg7#.

B) 29... Kg7 30.Rf4 (threatening Ne6+ and Rxe7+)

B.1) 30... Rhb8 31.Ne6+ Kg(h)8 (31... Kh6 32.Rh4#) 32.Rxb7 Rxb7 33.Rf8#.

B.2) 30... Rb6 31.Rxe7+ Kh6 (31... Kg8 32.Rff7 and mate soon) 32.Ne6 Kh5 (32... g5 33.Rf6+ Kh5 34.Ng7+ Kh4 35.Rh6+ Kg3 36.Nf5#) 33.g3 g5 34.Rf6 g4 35.Rg7 Rxe6 36.Rxe6 looks lost for Black.

B.3) 30... Rb1+ 31.Kh2 doesn't seem to improve anything for Black.

C) 29... Kg8 30.Ne6

C.1) 30... exf6 31.Rxb7 transposes to A.2.

C.2) 30... Rxd7 31.Rf8#.

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White to play (29.?) "Medium/Easy", White is down a piece.

Candidate moves: Ne6+, Rxf6+

29. Nxe6+ Kf7 30. Rxb7 (30. Ng5+ Kg7 31. Ne6+ Kf7 draws, but not 31. Rxb7? Bxg5) 30...Kxe6 leaves White with only a rook for two pieces, not quite satisfactory.

But 29. Rxf6+! and now:

(a) 29...exf6 30. Ne6+ Ke8 (not 30...Kg8?? 31. Rg7#) 31. Rxb7 Rg8 (forced as the threat was Rb8+) 32. Rc7! and Black is not only virtually in zugzwang (only pawn moves prevent loss of material), but cannot prevent 33. Rc2, winning the knight.

A) 30...exf6 31.Ne6+ Ke8 (or Kg8 32.Rxb7 and 33.Rg7#) 32.Rxb7 threatens to skewer king and rook. Black can avoid this only by playing 32...Rg8, but 33.Rc7 traps the knight, which is lost as Black can neither prevent Rc2 nor guard his knight.

B) 30...Kg8 31.Rxe7, and Black cannot stop the mating attack starting with Rff7.