Tactics: Lonely King

All of Black's pieces are on the a-d files, while the one that counts the most is all alone on h8...

26.Qe6 The only move! White avoids the Q exchange, gains a tempo by attacking the Bd6 and threatens Ng5, with a winning attack on the light squares. 

Black has several tries, but nothing works:

• 26... Bf8  27.Nxe5 wins the Q or forces mate on g8.
• 26... Rd8  27.Ng5 Qxd2  28.Nf7+ Sets up a the smothered mate, a pattern everyone remembers after seeing it only once: 28... Kg8  29.Nh6+ Kh8  30.Qg8+ Rxg8  31.Nf7#.
• 26... Re8 is a much trickier defence, but it doesn't quite work: 27.Qxd6 Nc4 (forking the Q and B) 28.Qd7 Nxd2  29.Rfd1 Rad8  30.Qa4! The only move: 30.Qh3?? actually loses to 30...Nxe4!, but now White wins the Nd2.

The game concluded: 

 26... Bc7  27.Ng5!+- 

27.Bxb4 axb4  28. Rxa8 Rxa8  29.Ng5  is also winning, but there's no need to "save" the Bd2, since Black doesn't have time to take it: 27... Qxd2  28.Nf7+ Kg8  29.Nh6+ sets up the same smothered mate as before. 

 27... Qc4  28.Qf5 g6 

28... Qg8  29.Nf7+ wins the Q. 

29.Qf6+ Kg8  30.Nf7 

White threatens both Qh8# and Nh6#, so Black resigned.

 1-0

Van Rooy, Jake - Milinkovic, Mate
Guelph Pro-Am U2000
2014.03.17

25... h6  26.Bxh6!! gxh6  27.Qe6 Bf8  28.Nxe5 only move to win:

28... Qe8 29. Rxf8+ +-.

28... Rc7  29.Ng6+ Kg7  30.Qf6+ Kh7  31.Qh8+ Kxg6  32.Rf6+ #4.

28...  Bg7 29. Nf7+ Kh7 30. e5 (threatening Be4+) Qxd3 31.Qg4! is completely crushing, though 31.Qxb6 is also good enough.