So enough about my games. Black to move in the position below.

Yusupov has this as a test problem in Chapter 2 of Boost Your Chess - 3, and I found it the most interesting of the 12 problems.

To be fair, you should know that the theme here is "Realizing an Advantage" and the focus is on preventing counter play by your opponent. White has just moved the first rank rook to double the attack on the c5 square... and, per internet protocol I am obliged to type: YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!



The game was played by Klaus Kuentiz and Mark Dvoretsky in 1997. The solution Dvoretsky found was: 34. ...d3! 

After the pawn is pushed, if either white rook takes c5 (R1xc5 was the next move played) black has the follow up move 35. ...Rh8 threatening mate on the h1 square.

One idea that made this so interesting was the calculation that if the white King moves to g1 in one variation, with the white rook already on h8, the correct follow up move for black would be Rdd8, threatening d2 next. (34. ...d3 35. R1xc5 Rh8! 36. Kg1 Rdd8 37. Rc1 d2 38. Rc1 to block and it's too slow after Rde8...

Full game is here: