A tactic a day keeps the losses at bay!
[FEN “2r1rbk1/pp1n1pp1/2q1pB1p/7P/2P1N1Q1/8/PP3PP1/1K1R3R w – – 0 23”]
How did White follow-up on 23.Rh3 Qxc4 24.Rc3 Qb5?
Xu,Yuhua (2502) – Ushenina,Anna (2398)
FIDE-Wch KO Ekaterinburg (2.2), 14.03.2006
Caro-Kann Defense [B19]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Kb1 Qb6 15.c4 Rfe8 16.Ne5 Rad8 17.Bc3 c5 18.Nxd7 Nxd7 19.Ne4 cxd4 20.Bxd4 Qc6 21.Qg4 Bf8 22.Bf6 Rc8 12.Nc3 Bb7 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.Qxd5 Nf6 16.Qd3 d5 17.Rfe1 Re8 18.Rad1 Qb6 19.b3 d4 20.Ne5 Qb5 21.Qf3 Bd6 23.Rh3 Qxc4 24.Rc3 Qb5
25.Rxd7! The rook is immune to capture because 25…Qxd7 is met by 26.Bxg7! threatening a knight fork of king and queen on f6, and checkmate if the queen moves to avoid the fork. The game finished with 25…Kh8 26.Rxf7 1-0
White could play 25.Nd6, triple-forking Black’s Queen and two Rooks. Depending upon Black’s response, White will (a) exchange his Knight for the Queen; (b) exchange his Knight for a Rook; or, (c) sacrifice his Knight for a Checkmate, as per 25…Bxd6 26. Qxd2 #.