Tactics: Attacking Practice
White has more than one way to win in this position from Gerzhoy - Lenderman (Continental Class, 2013). Leonid played the most forcing, but attacking fans might want to find a second way.
Click below for hint:
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There's a half-open h-file and a lot of weak dark squares...
Click below for solution:
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29. Rxh7+!
White has more than one way to win, but Gerzhoy's way is the most forcing.
Here are two other tries:
29. Qf6+!? hoping for Qxf6? 30. exf6+ Kf8 31.Ne5! White's two threats Bc6 and Nd7+ win an exchange, and after, 31... Re6 32. Nxg6+ Black can't recapture without losing the R or allowing mate.
However, after 29.Qf6+ Black should play 29... Kg8!, and the game might continue with 30.b3, when White still has a big advantage, but has more work to do to win.
29.Qh6+! Kg8 30. Nh2!! (heading to f6; 30. Ng5? c4! unclear.) 30... Bf5 31. Ng4 Bxg4 and White has two ways to win:
32. Be4! is mate-in-7;
32.Qxh7+ also wins by chasing the K across the board to win the Rb5, as in the final note below.
29... Kxh7
29... Kg8 30. Qh6 Bxh7 31.Ng5 Bg6 32. Rh1 and Black has to give up the Q to delay mate.
30. Rh1+ Kg8 31. Qh6
1-0, Black resigned.
The game could have concluded as follows: 31. Qh6 Bh7 32. Qxh7+ Kf8 33. Qh8+ Ke7 34. Qf6+ Kd7 35. Qd6+ Kc8 36. Qc6+ Kb8 37. Qxb5+.
The full game, with notes by FM Vladimir Pechenkin, will appear in the December CFC Newsletter.