Answers.Body: <p>Without using an engine, my first thought was 1.Bxh6. After a couple of minutes, I switched to 1.Rxh6! gxh6 2.Bxh6 - which blocks Black's escape path via f8.</p>
  <p>SF17 confirms my analysis, but suggests 1.Rxh6! Kf8 2.Rh3 - which wasn't in my list of candidate moves. Then 2...Qa5 (to stop Bg5) 3. Bh6 gxh6 4.Qxf6 Qg5 5.Qxh6 and White is 2 pawns up and the attack is still raging.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-08T10:26:28.033Z
Answers.Text: Please edit - your analysis doesn't analyze ;-). The main point is that Black is completely tied up - Q must protect f6, B g3 and N g4. The only sensible move after accepting the sacrifice is Bf8. But White simply exchanges after Qg3+, and pulls out the Ra1 for the coup de grace. The defense is almost comedically incompetent.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-07T22:47:29.590Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-12-07T22:47:29.590Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: HTTP 410
Answers.Body: <p>I think this is one of those attacking patterns that you learn to recognize. The point is that White has four pieces lined up on the enemy king, and after 1. Rxh6 gxh6 2. Bxh6, the threat of Queen-to-g-file+ followed by Qg7# is winning. Of course, in this specific position both g3 and g4 are covered by Black's pieces, in which case the next mating idea is bringing the other rook to the attack via a rook lift. If White's a1-rook were on e1 then it would be really easy, but it isn't, so you still need to calculate whether Black can escape. Turns out they can't, because the kingside is stuck in a traffic jam (neither Black minor piece can easily move).</p>
  <p>And so:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;r2qr1k1/pp3pp1/2pbpn1p/8/3P3R/2PB1Q2/PP3PPP/R1B3K1 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Rxh6 gxh6 {If Black does not play gxh6 then White has won a pawn for free, so there's no other move to consider.} 2. Bxh6 Bf8 {Or what? Without the f7-pawn Black's king can escape, with it Black has to challenge the h6-bishop first.} 3. Qg3+ Kh8 {If Black could play ...Kh7 then the attack is over, but the d3-bishop covers that square.} 4. Bxf8 Rxf8 5. Qh4+ Kg8 6. Qg5+ Kh8 7. Qh6+ Kg8 {With the queen on h6 Black still can't escape via f8} 8. Re1 {And a rook lift wins the game. Black's pieces are clustered around the King, but none of them can actually intervene.}
  </code></pre>
  <p>Turn on Stockfish and it finds some clever defenses for Black (which still lose, just lose less badly), but White has at least a perpetual (with Qg5-h6+). Besides, on an intuitive level, a trapped king that exposed should still be winning, even if one does not see the win immediately.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-09T02:34:11.153Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-12-09T02:34:11.153Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
Body: <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mLMnYQoD.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mLMnYQoD.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  <p>In this rapid game, I played Qh3 to continue attacking, while sf16 suggests a powerful move. I wonder why this move works and how to find it.</p>
  
Tags: <tactics><evaluation>
Title: how to judge this position and find the beautiful best move?
ThreadText: # how to judge this position and find the beautiful best move?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-07)
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/mLMnYQoD.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/mLMnYQoD.png)
  
  In this rapid game, I played Qh3 to continue attacking, while sf16 suggests a powerful move. I wonder why this move works and how to find it.
  
  **Tags:** tactics, evaluation
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-12-07. Score: 6
  
  Without using an engine, my first thought was 1.Bxh6. After a couple of minutes, I switched to 1.Rxh6! gxh6 2.Bxh6 - which blocks Black's escape path via f8.
  
  SF17 confirms my analysis, but suggests 1.Rxh6! Kf8 2.Rh3 - which wasn't in my list of candidate moves. Then 2...Qa5 (to stop Bg5) 3. Bh6 gxh6 4.Qxf6 Qg5 5.Qxh6 and White is 2 pawns up and the attack is still raging.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Please edit - your analysis doesn't analyze ;-). The main point is that Black is completely tied up - Q must protect f6, B g3 and N g4. The only sensible move after accepting the sacrifice is Bf8. But White simply exchanges after Qg3+, and pulls out the Ra1 for the coup de grace. The defense is almost comedically incompetent.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2024-12-09. Score: 4
  
  I think this is one of those attacking patterns that you learn to recognize. The point is that White has four pieces lined up on the enemy king, and after 1. Rxh6 gxh6 2. Bxh6, the threat of Queen-to-g-file+ followed by Qg7# is winning. Of course, in this specific position both g3 and g4 are covered by Black's pieces, in which case the next mating idea is bringing the other rook to the attack via a rook lift. If White's a1-rook were on e1 then it would be really easy, but it isn't, so you still need to calculate whether Black can escape. Turns out they can't, because the kingside is stuck in a traffic jam (neither Black minor piece can easily move).
  
  And so:
  
  ```
  [FEN "r2qr1k1/pp3pp1/2pbpn1p/8/3P3R/2PB1Q2/PP3PPP/R1B3K1 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Rxh6 gxh6 {If Black does not play gxh6 then White has won a pawn for free, so there's no other move to consider.} 2. Bxh6 Bf8 {Or what? Without the f7-pawn Black's king can escape, with it Black has to challenge the h6-bishop first.} 3. Qg3+ Kh8 {If Black could play ...Kh7 then the attack is over, but the d3-bishop covers that square.} 4. Bxf8 Rxf8 5. Qh4+ Kg8 6. Qg5+ Kh8 7. Qh6+ Kg8 {With the queen on h6 Black still can't escape via f8} 8. Re1 {And a rook lift wins the game. Black's pieces are clustered around the King, but none of them can actually intervene.}
  
  ```
  
  Turn on Stockfish and it finds some clever defenses for Black (which still lose, just lose less badly), but White has at least a perpetual (with Qg5-h6+). Besides, on an intuitive level, a trapped king that exposed should still be winning, even if one does not see the win immediately.
  
  
  ---
  
  