What is her best move and how should she follow up?
a) Ra2 b) Rb1 c) Rxa3 d) Ne7+ e) Nh7+ f) Rxg7+
Work this out on a board.
I hope when faced with a position like this you look at all the choices. This was difficult because there are so many choices and the move looks a little dangerous, but if you think ahead several moves you might be able to figure it out. Even if you figure one move at a time, I think you'll come up with 22. Rxg7+! Kh8 23. Ng5!! The beauty of this is that it adds pressure on h7 and f7. So if they play Rg7 we have Nf7#. So instead they play Bxa1 24. (not Qh5?? trying to deflecting the knight because Qxf5 ruins our plans - we get his Queen but he gets ours and there's no mate and we're down) So instead Rxh7+ and he has two bad choices. 24. ... Kg8 25. Nh6#! so he must play 24. ... Nxh7 25. Qh5 pinning the knight and threatening an almost unstoppable mate. Qxf5 (his only hope, but even after giving up his queen black is still ahead in material because we gave up two rooks) 26. Bxf5 Kg7 (trying to escape via f6) 27. (figure out what your opponent wants to do and then DON'T LET 'EM DO IT! Nxh7 threatening Qg5+ then Qh6 with discovered mate Ng6# to follow. So Black must play defense and cannot play a2. 27. ... Ne7 28. Bxa3 (before it queens) Rxa3 29. Nxf8 Kxf8 30. Qh8+ Ng8 31. Bh7 attacking the pinned knight. White will be up a queen to a rook and a pawn. The queen will glide around the board issuing checks and eventually a fork to pick up a rook or bishop, plucking off pawns on the way.
I hope when faced with a position like this you look at all the choices. This was difficult because there are so many choices and the move looks a little dangerous, but if you think ahead several moves you might be able to figure it out. Even if you figure one move at a time, I think you'll come up with 22. Rxg7+! Kh8 23. Ng5!! The beauty of this is that it adds pressure on h7 and f7. So if they play Rg7 we have Nf7#. So instead they play Bxa1 24. (not Qh5?? trying to deflecting the knight because Qxf5 ruins our plans - we get his Queen but he gets ours and there's no mate and we're down) So instead Rxh7+ and he has two bad choices. 24. ... Kg8 25. Nh6#! so he must play 24. ... Nxh7 25. Qh5 pinning the knight and threatening an almost unstoppable mate. Qxf5 (his only hope, but even after giving up his queen black is still ahead in material because we gave up two rooks) 26. Bxf5 Kg7 (trying to escape via f6) 27. (figure out what your opponent wants to do and then DON'T LET 'EM DO IT! Nxh7 threatening Qg5+ then Qh6 with discovered mate Ng6# to follow. So Black must play defense and cannot play a2. 27. ... Ne7 28. Bxa3 (before it queens) Rxa3 29. Nxf8 Kxf8 30. Qh8+ Ng8 31. Bh7 attacking the pinned knight. White will be up a queen to a rook and a pawn. The queen will glide around the board issuing checks and eventually a fork to pick up a rook or bishop, plucking off pawns on the way.
So yes, this was difficult, it was dangerous, but I saw the possibilities and could resist the excitement! In any case the first move was safe and then we could have moved our rook. She chose the more conservative Ra2! A good move.
Now obviously you can't see all the moves from the beginning, but if the next few moves look promising and your opponent has few choices because he is either in check or checkmate is threatened, go ahead and start the attack.
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